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EV startup Lucid reveals their second vehicle, the slick and stylish Gravity electric SUV offering the latest tech, scorching acceleration, and seating for seven.
Lucid Launches Gravity
Lucid, the California-based EV start up, just introduced a second vehicle to their nascent lineup, the Lucid Gravity electric SUV. While it rides on the same platform as Lucid’s Air sedan, the Gravity adds height, a few inches to the wheelbase, and a third row of seats into the mix. The Gravity SUV takes the Air’s formula of high-tech luxury and outstanding EV performance and applies it to what should be, in theory at least, a more volume friendly model for the company.
But the Gravity isn’t looking to just recapitulate what makes the Air great in SUV form but build up the Lucid brand with an even snazzier, more livable cabin and new tech features. With the Gravity, Lucid seeks to raise the bar for EVs while aiming for a price tag of just under $80,000.
Capacious, Functional Cabin
The exterior of the Gravity looks very much like an evolutionary step from the Lucid Air, a grimacing front end with requisite lightbar and a low-slung profile (less than six feet in height). A more surprising leap forward is found in the Gravity’s cabin which stylish in a “the future is now” sort of way, leaning on a simplicity that hew more closely to a Volvo vibe than the stripped down (sterile?) vibe of a Tesla. Materials and fitment are right where they should be for the segment.
Lucid says the Gravity will seat six or seven in its three-row configuration or five in its two-row set up. Even if you opt for the former, you won’t have to worry about a cramped third row. Thanks to clever packaging, the Gravity offers ample legroom even in the way, way back for adults. This also means a low cargo floor for easy loading and a total cargo capacity of 104 cu.-ft. Add the 8 cu.-ft. front trunk and the Gravity nets 112 cu.-ft. of total cargo space.
But what does the Gravity do with all that space? Most obvious is the gargantuan 34-inch OLED digital gauge display looming up from the dash. This is complemented by a 12.6-inch infotainment screen, in a landscape tablet orientation, running Lucid’s homegrown UX 3.0 operating system. Amidst this razzle-dazzle, Lucid has had the good sense to still provide us with actual buttons for the HVAC and a volume knob. There are even an extra two buttons programmable to whatever you choose.
The second most noticeable thing in the Gravity’s cabin is the new “squircle,” a hybrid circle/square steering wheel which might appear gimmicky (we’re looking at you Tesla and Lexus) but has the clear benefit of allowing an unobstructed view of the gauges. But that’s not the squircle’s only virtue. It also has a pair of touchpad controls. Mercedes-Benz has implemented similar controls on their steering wheels, but their small size can make them frustrating to operate effectively. It looks like Lucid took note of this and has made their thumbpads larger.
Other notable tech features include a heads-up display, another thing the Gravity will have over the Air, and a pair of wireless phone chargers. Plans for the Gravity include new “Lucid Sanctuary” and “Lucid Spaces” features which leverage the vehicle’s screens and stereo for an immersive, relaxing audio-visual experience for bit of Zen when parked at the charging station.
Performance & Release
Lucid has not yet released full specs on the Gravity. They have said it will offer up to 440 miles of total range, a zero to sixty run of 3.5 seconds, and boast a drag coefficient of 0.24, spectacularly low for a boxy SUV. The Gravity shares the same 900-volt architecture as the Air and will feature DC fast charging that allows for 200 miles of range to be put on the battery in just 15 minutes.
While output numbers aren’t yet available, Lucid did say the Gravity will have a payload of 1,500 lbs. and a towing capacity of up to 6,000 lbs. At launch, Lucid says the Gravity will debut with AWD and a glass roof, both of which we assume will be higher end features. This probably means the launch iterations of the Gravity will not be the same as the $80,000 version but instead something more “impressive” at a higher price point. Lucid says they expect to start production on the Gravity soon, with deliveries slated for 2024.
