New Lucid Gravity electric SUV to touch down at 2023 LA Auto Show
The seven-seater follow-up to the Lucid Air saloon will boast “supercar levels of performance”
The all-new Lucid Gravity luxury SUV will be fully revealed on 16 November at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, as the makers of the ground-breaking Lucid Air saloon look to make their mark on the highly lucrative electric SUV market.
The Lucid Gravity will have a serious fight on its hands when it finally arrives in 2024, as it’ll have to duke it out with established luxury electric SUVs such as BMW iX, Mercedes EQS SUV, Tesla Model X and Lotus Eletre, not to mention the forthcoming Volvo EX90 and the all-electric version of the Range Rover also due to launch next year.
We got a pretty decent look at the Lucid Gravity when the Silicon Valley-based EV maker released the first teaser images in November 2022, along with a few hints at the car’s capabilities. The promises included “supercar levels of performance” and “more range than any other EV”, aside for its own incredibly sleek saloon.
The styling is immediately familiar, with the Air’s distinctive front end design and ‘LED Micro Array’ headlights being carried over to the Gravity, along with its contrasting roofline and full-width rear light bar. Another similarity with the Air is the windscreen that flows back over the front seat passengers, with a horizontal crossbar splitting the glass roof to provide structural support.
Lucid claims the Gravity will be “more aerodynamic than any SUV the world has ever seen,” but the pictures suggest it’ll have a boxy, traditional SUV shape that, combined with the short overhangs at the front and rear, should maximise space inside. The Gravity will be available in either five, six or seven-seat configurations, so we expect it to be around five metres long at least. In the six-seat version, the middle row will consist of a pair of lounge-like reclining chairs.
Interior design
The general cabin design isn’t expected to differ dramatically from the Air’s, as it will feature the next-generation of Lucid’s UX infotainment software and ‘Glass Cockpit’ displays. In the Air, this setup consists of a gently curved 34-inch 5K panel for the instruments and infotainment – very similar to the arrangement in the Porsche Taycan. The Air also features a retractable screen closer to the centre console for adjusting the car’s settings and drive modes, plus a small bank of physical shortcut buttons, which are also expected to be carried over.
Lucid says the Gravity will offer a “cavernous” amount of cargo space, aided by an extra-large frunk under the bonnet. Being a luxury SUV, the Gravity’s interior should be finished in full-grain leather, fabric and wood trims. The teaser shots indicate that, unlike the Air, the Gravity will do away with traditional sun visors, and may use some form of photochromic glass instead.
Battery and powertrain
The Gravity will ride on the same LEAP pure-electric architecture as the Air, so should be offered with similar motor and battery combinations. Lucid claims its electric Range Rover rival will boast a longer range than any other electric SUV on the market. That’s a bold claim, but considering the Air saloon can cover over 520 miles on a single charge, Lucid knows what it's doing in this department.
In range-topping spec, the Air uses a 112kWh battery pack, but less expensive versions are powered by a 92kWh battery and offer around 400 miles of range. Customers should be able to choose from a variety of power options too, as the Air can be had with either a single, dual or tri-motor setup.
For reference, base rear-drive models produce a relatively modest 424bhp, and dual-motor versions have between 612bhp and 1,036bhp on tap, depending on the specific variant. The top-flight Lucid Air Sapphire’s three motors pump out a combined 1,217bhp and nearly 2,000Nm of torque, and if equipped with the same powertrain, the Gravity is likely to complete the 0-62mph sprint in less than three seconds.
The Air also features an 900-volt electrical system that allows owners to charge at speeds of over 300kW, and adding 200 miles of range in less than 20 minutes.
Lucid has entered the European market, with the Air now available in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway, but not the UK. The brand is set to produce right-hand drive models for the UK further down the line, and given that the Gravity will launch in 2024, it could coincide with Lucid’s UK market push.
Check out our guide to buying and owning an electric car here...
