The Lucid Gravity SUV gets a base price of under $80,000, up to 440 EV miles
Lucid is shifting its focus to a larger market segment: luxury crossover SUVs.
On Wednesday, the Lucid Gravity three-row electric crossover SUV debuted at the 2023 LA Auto Show. When it arrives in late 2024, Gravity will be over, Lucid said 440 mile range in its most efficient version and will cost less than $80,000, although these two figures are not for the same vehicle.
Clear gravity
The Gravity rides on a new platform, uses a battery with a similar capacity to the Air (over 100 kWh) and takes advantage of the automaker’s fast 900-volt electrical architecture. Initially, the Gravity will feature a dual-motor powertrain with an electric motor on each axle providing all-wheel drive. A Sapphire model with single-motor rear-wheel drive and three-motor all-wheel drive are both likely in the product pipeline. Lucid hasn’t said how much power the next-generation engines will deliver, but the Gravity will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. Lucid said the Gravity could reach a range of 200 miles in 15 minutes. Air suspension and adaptive dampers will be available, and the Gravity will be rated for a payload of 1,600 pounds and a towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds.
Clear gravity
The Gravity looks like a Lucid with an overall shape and some design details similar to that Air limousine. But it’s bigger, has a higher, more practical roofline and a hood that extends into the front bumper. The high beam is mounted in the center of the bumper below the Air-like horizontal LED headlights, and a thin LED taillight strip wraps the folding tailgate. It’s close, but noticeably different than that Gravity concept That was announced in 2022. The biggest production difference is the roofline, which is tapered and features an integrated spoiler that extends from the rear C-pillar for better aerodynamics.
Lucid said the Gravity will be the slipperiest and most efficient three-row electric vehicle on the market, with a drag coefficient currently at 0.24, but in the year before production begins, Lucid hopes to lower that to 0.23. Like the Air, the charging port door remains on the front fender on the driver’s side, but is not electrically operated and cannot be folded down. It is a spring-loaded design that folds up and to the left. Lucid executives said this was based on feedback from Air owners.
Clear gravity
Internally, gravity is related to air, but not the same. The 34-inch curved OLED display on the dashboard is now a single display instead of three housed under a single pane of glass. The new steering wheel design is a square circle with two haptic touchpads that work like buttons and can also be pressed. Lucid went this route because Air customers found it annoying that the steering wheel obscured part of the digital instrument cluster (the Squircle design does not) and therefore the touchpad controllers could be used for various functions over the vehicle’s life cycle. The Gravity features a 12.6-inch horizontal touchscreen instead of a portrait-oriented touchscreen in the air. The interface is Lucid’s next-generation operating system, with faster processors and a faster electrical architecture than anything on the air. Lucid’s central buttons and buttons, such as a volume control and air conditioning switches, have been retained. There are also two programmable hard toggles.
Clear gravity
Clear gravity
Clear gravity
Clear gravity
Each Gravity will have three rows and seat seven. A six-seater model with second-row captain’s seats is in the works, but will not be available at launch. At 1.70 m tall, I was able to sit comfortably behind me in all three rows and had three fingers of space above my head in the third row. The second row features fold-down airplane-style trays for gaming and work. Lucid believes that rear-seat infotainment systems will soon become obsolete.
The Gravity’s third row seats fold down into a well like a minivan seat, creating a flat cargo floor. In the third row there is an intermediate floor that can cover the load. With both the second and third rows folded, the Gravity can carry a 7.5-foot-long item or an 8-foot-long surfboard diagonally. The third row can be split 50:50 and the second row can be folded in 40:20:40 sections. Total cargo capacity, including the 7.0-cubic-foot front trunk, is 112 cubic feet. The Frunk can be converted into a seat with an optional bench that clips into place for frunkgating, with cup holders on each side.
Every Gravity will have automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitors, active lane control, adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system. The DreamDrive Pro driver assistance system from Lucid, which promises hands-free driver assistance, will be available.
