Following its teaser one year ago, California-based Lucid has now unveiled the Gravity, its second model that is the brand’s first SUV. Its first model, the Air, made its debut in September 2020.
The Lucid Gravity is a three-row SUV seating up to seven persons, and measures 198.2 inches (5,034 mm) long, 78.2 inches (1,986 mm) wide and 65.2 inches (1,656 mm) tall with a wheelbase of 119.5 inches (3,035 mm). For comparison, the Air sedan measures 195.9 inches (4,976 mm) long, 86.4 inches (2,195 mm) wide and 55.4 inches (1,407 mm) tall with a wheelbase of 116.5 inches (2,959 mm).
For its exterior, a “focus on efficiency” has brought a target drag coefficient of 0.24 (based on a pre-production ride height of 155 mm), and packs an evolution of its 900-volt electrical architecture.
Little is revealed of its technical specifications for now, though Lucid says the Gravity has a range of more than 440 miles (704 km) – from a battery capacity of around 120 kWh, reports Autocar – and using a 350 kW DC charger can return 320 km of range in around 15 minutes. Peak power is claimed to be over 800 hp, and 0-96 km/h is elapsed in under 3.5 seconds.
For reference, the Air sedan variant with the longest battery range is the 833 hp Dream Edition Range, which received an US EPA rating of 520 miles (832 km).
An alternate variant is the 1,1111 hp Dream Edition Performance, which trades some range (722 km versus 770 km on the same 21-inch wheels) for quicker acceleration, of 0-96 km/h in 2.5 seconds against the 2.7 seconds achieved by the Range variant. The three-motor, over-1,200 hp Air Sapphire does 0-96 km/h in under two seconds and has an estimated maximum range of between 640 km and 714 km.
Back to the Gravity. The SUV can take a payload of up to 1,500 pounds (681 kg), along with an additional 6,000 pounds (2,724 kg) in towing capacity. Its chassis can be optioned with an enhanced air suspension package dubbed Zero Gravity, which automatically adaptive to the terrain, while it can also be manually raised for maximum off-road ability, or lowered for on-road performance and range.
In terms of luggage capacity, the Gravity features a frunk that holds eight cubic feet (227 litres), while the rear luggage compartment will take up to 112 cubic feet (3,171 litres) with the second- and third-row seats fully folded.
Design-wise, the exterior of the Gravity features a front end with a similar, slim-line headlamp assembly, albeit with four LED units on the Gravity SUV compared to five on the Air sedan. At the rear, the tailgate of the Gravity uses a clamshell design, along the lines of the bootlid on the Air sedan that wraps around the rear of the vehicle.
Dashboard architecture on the Lucid Gravity appears to be a variation on the theme set by the Air sedan, bringing a 34-inch curved OLED display that is positioned above the steering wheel. This is now of a quartic design in the Gravity SUV compared to the flat-bottomed but otherwise round unit on the Air sedan, and the Gravity steering wheel gets multi-directional pads instead of toggles on each spoke.
The 34-inch curved display is joined by the Pilot Panel infotainment touchscreen that is now landscape-oriented (the Air sedan has this portrait-oriented) and has a quick-access touch bar. The centre console gets a sliding glass cover over the compartment, which houses a pair of wireless device charging pads behind the cupholders. Further along the cabin are three 120-volt outlets and six USB-C ports.
As with the Air, the Gravity will benefit from over-the-air updates when these become available, and user profiles can be customised via the Lucid App for parameters such as driver seat positions, charging times, lighting and more.
Lucid brings ‘interactive wellbeing features’ into the Gravity such as Lucid Sanctuary and Lucid Spaces, where a single tap brings together a curated combination visuals, lighting, audio, climate control and massage functions for a soothing atmosphere; a guided meditation experience can also be set up without leaving the vehicle.
The Lucid Gravity is scheduled to enter production in late 2024, with prices expected to start from under US$80,000 (RM374,400).
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