Californian startup Lucid took a daring strategy for its introduction to the world, launching in 2021 with the exceptional Air, a big electrical luxurious sedan that entered a small, aggressive section of the auto market. Despite garnering tons of acclaim—together with from me—the Air has been a gradual vendor and the model has been shedding a ton of cash. Enter the brand new Lucid Gravity, a three-row SUV with tremendous promising specs that can hopefully flip the corporate’s fortunes round.
Surprisingly, the Gravity rides on a very new platform that was developed particularly for SUVs as an alternative of simply sharing the Air’s structure. It additionally makes use of next-gen variations of Lucid’s motors, that are essentially the most energy dense manufacturing models on the earth, and an up to date 900-volt electrical structure. In its prime trim Lucid says the Gravity will hit 60 mph in below 3.5 seconds, have a payload capability of greater than 1,500 kilos and be capable to tow at the least 6,000 kilos. There’s an optionally available adaptive air suspension package deal that Lucid calls Zero Gravity, which may have handbook peak changes to help with off-roading.
Lucid says the Gravity has a brand new battery pack that’s smaller, lighter and makes use of fewer valuable supplies, although no specs have been given. Using a 350-kW quick charger the Gravity will be capable to achieve 200 miles of vary in simply quarter-hour, and it ought to take much less vitality to cost than present Lucids.
As we’ve come to anticipate from Lucid, the standout determine is the Gravity’s vary. Lucid is focusing on a most vary of over 440 miles for the Gravity’s prime trim, which not solely is way past another electrical SUV, however is larger than each different EV interval save for the Lucid Air. That determine is much more spectacular when in comparison with the longest vary variations of different three-row SUVs—the Kia EV9 (304 miles), Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV (305 miles), Rivian R1S (352 miles) and Tesla Model X (348 miles)—and people ranges are largely reserved for the lower-powered trims.
Helping obtain that huge vary is a drag coefficient of simply 0.24, which matches the Model X and bests each different three-row SUV (and most SUVs interval). Unlike the Model X, although, the Gravity didn’t need to resort to a slippery coupe-like profile to realize that determine, as an alternative going for a standard two-box silhouette. While Lucid hasn’t given any dimensions but the Gravity appears to be like very lengthy, with a stubby nostril and brief entrance overhang, a gently sloping low roofline that ends in a dramatic rear spoiler, and a beneficiant rear overhang. Broad shoulders, large wheels that tapering roof give the Gravity a very scorching stance, particularly when considered from the rear.
The design of the Gravity has developed fairly a bit from the preliminary idea that was teased in 2020, but it surely sticks intently to the design language established by the Air sedan. It’s bought an aluminum blade up entrance that acts like a furrowed forehead for the LED headlights identical to on the Air, and the taillights are nearly an identical to the Air’s as effectively. The Gravity’s roof is completed in a contrasting aluminum end, with some attention-grabbing trim on the floating D-pillar. The Gravity’s doorways are frameless, and the aspect glass appears to be like tremendous flush.
Space is paramount to any three-row SUV, and the Gravity has it in spades. The second and third rows each fold flat to supply greater than 112 cubic ft of cargo area, 30 cubic ft greater than the EV9 and solely 10 cubic ft shy of a Chevy Tahoe. The Gravity additionally has an enormous frunk, with a big entrance opening and hinges that maintain the hood at a near-90-degree angle so that individuals can sit and lounge within the frunk.
The second-row bench slides fore and aft for extra legroom, and passengers within the center seats can use tray tables that deploy from the entrance seatbacks. The Gravity’s panoramic sunroof stretches all the best way again to the third row, and the windshield flows seamlessly right into a pano roof panel as within the Air. (It doesn’t appear to be the Air’s annoying solar visors have been redesigned, although.) All of Lucid’s photographs of the Gravity present a three-seat bench for the second row, however I wouldn’t be stunned if a pair of captain’s chairs are optionally available.
One of the most important gripes with the Air has been Lucid’s infotainment system. While beautiful to take a look at, it had numerous teething points starting from software program bugs and lacking options to simply plain unhealthy person performance. Over-the-air updates have mounted plenty of the issues, but it surely’s nonetheless not excellent. The Gravity introduces Lucid’s next-generation person interface and management setup, and it appears to be like to be a lot improved.
A curved 34-inch show sits atop the dashboard, and it seems as one seamless display screen as an alternative of three models put collectively like within the Air. The left half of the display screen sits in entrance of the motive force and acts because the gauge cluster, whereas the proper half is touch-operated and is used for navigation, media or Apple CarPlay. Left of the gauges are contact controls for generally used capabilities just like the lights, defroster and tailgate, and the Gravity has a bodily stalk for the wipers and switch alerts. The steering wheel is a brand new squircle form, and it has new touchpads to regulate the infotainment and cruise management that look a lot nicer than the Air’s annoying switches.
One of the Air’s coolest options is the Pilot Panel, a separate vertically oriented touchscreen within the middle console that may be hidden away within the sprint on the contact of a button. Sadly the Gravity’s Pilot Panel doesn’t appear to cover away, but it surely’s a lot bigger and formed like a pill, and the menus have been redesigned to be a lot simpler to make use of at a look. There’s a brand new management bar on the backside of the display screen to simply entry totally different settings, and the bottom of the display screen has bodily switches for the local weather controls and quantity.
Beyond the expertise, the Gravity’s inside has plenty of cool design touches. There’s actual wooden and aluminum trim, and Lucid mixes fancy leather-based with sustainable supplies like alpaca wool. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be the Gravity may have cut up shade schemes for the inside just like the Air, however numerous shade is used all through and the seats have cool stitching and perforation patterns. The middle console has a glass cowl that slides open to disclose the cupholders and storage cubbies, and Lucid’s cute bear emblem is utilized in a number of locations.
Production of the Gravity will start in late 2024 on the identical Arizona manufacturing facility that at the moment builds the Air. Lucid says the Gravity will begin at below $80,000 for the bottom mannequin, aligning it with the Air, although the top-end Dream Edition will seemingly are available round $150,000. We’ve bought our boots on the bottom on the LA auto present the place the Gravity is making its public debut, so we’ll hopefully be taught extra particulars quickly. Fingers crossed there will probably be a high-performance Sapphire mannequin, too.
Source: jalopnik.com