Lucid Air Review: You will get a lot of questions. Here are the answers

Advantage: Great strength; incredible range, efficiency and charging speed; Spacious, functional and high-tech interior

Defect: It’s not cheap; software glitches; questionable reliability as a first-time car manufacturer

If you’re the type of person who likes to talk about the most modern (blank) stuff you just brought home, who’ll be eager to answer questions like, “That’s cool, what is that?” and the inevitable stream of followers, boy, you’ll fall in love clean air. Not only is its chic, futuristic look that will attract attention everywhere you go, but there’s so much about this revolution. tram it’s fun, different, game-changing, and simply that old special that you’re bound to have more answers to than questions. Indeed, there is so much to share in our lives. Lucid Air’s First Driver Reviewso we dig deeper into a separate section on its impressive engineering.

So what exactly is a lucid? It was a new, independent automotive company whose chief engineer had previously directed engineering at Tesla, and their lead designer previously worked at Audi and then Mazda when both were building their best cars. Lucid is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and the cars are manufactured in Arizona. So yes, it’s an American car.

Its most impressive technical element is the engine unit. It is extremely compact, freeing up interior and cargo space. It is extremely powerful, with versions ranging from “just” 480 hp all the way up to 1,050 hp (Sapphire limited edition do better than 1,200). And yet, it’s amazingly effective. That 1,050-horsepower monster delivers an EPA-estimated efficiency rating of 30 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles (or the equivalent of 111 miles per gallon), which equates to one Kia Niro EV 201 hp. Imagine a avoid demons 170 receive energy saving belong to a Prius. That effect, combined with modern technology battery packages (and a lot of them) results in a range that not only beats other EVs but beats most gas tanks. The worst range estimate is 410, while the best is 516.

Then there’s the expertly tuned suspension and steering, the interior is tastefully designed and detailed, the tech in the car is rich but not the sole focus on design or function, and generous Passenger space and double cargo area are better than the capacity of many SUVs. Like we said, we can stay here for a while. Basically, the Lucid Air is a pretty cool thing. It’s also a very expensive one, and since it’s so new, don’t be surprised if there are some software glitches (we ran into some) and some reliability issues (this is what it is anyway). a new car manufacturer). Oh, and lots and lots of questions.

Furniture & Technology | Passenger & cargo space | Performance & Range

How to drive? | Rates & Trim | Crash Ratings & Safety Features

How is the Lucid Air interior and in-car technology?

For a car that starts at nearly $90,000, you’d expect a luxury car will have a special interior and Lucid Air does not disappoint. Materials and build quality were both excellent in the three test cars we sampled, and we greatly appreciated three design motifs inspired by different places in California (although we worry about brightly colored carpets). There are also some ambient lighting shows, but they are subtle, unlike the disco going on inside a Mercedes EQS.

The design is clean and modern, but there are still physical buttons for the air conditioning, window switches, gear lever and turn signals. Most car functions are operated via touchscreen controls, but instead of a giant screen like in most cars today, Lucid splits functionality between two connected screens. together beautifully integrated into the console (instead of just attaching a large TV to the console). The third touch screen controls the lights and Wipers for windshield located in their previous position, on the left side of the steering wheel.

It’s a system that usually makes sense when you find two central displays connected, and Lucid has released over-the-air updates to improve functionality, so what we’ve experienced so far not necessarily forever. That’s a good thing, because we’ve run into some glitches in the software that will hopefully be fixed with future updates, though none as serious.

How big is the Lucid Air?

This is a large, full size luxury car. However, due to the unique packaging advantages of the Lucid compact engine and EVs in general, it’s even bigger inside than you’d expect. Rear seat legroom maybe vast, and more headroom than the Mercedes EQS. We say “maybe” because the Grand Touring’s battery packs essentially fill the rear-seat legroom. This raises the floor, making the feet of those in the backseat roughly level with their buttocks. It’s like sitting in the third row of an SUV, even though the front seats are miles away. We’d also be wary of the $4,000 “Canopy” roof, as the color starts off too low on the windshield and doesn’t have the shade to completely block the sun. You don’t need to wear a hat when driving a sedan.

Cargo space is unique, to say the least. The trunk lid resembles a large clamshell at the rear of the car, when opened to reveal an unusual slit-shaped space that is shorter in height than a regular trunk. A lot of bags won’t be able to sit on their side. Literally dig deeper, though, and you’ll find a large underfloor compartment large enough to hold a carry-on suitcase with room to spare. Then there’s a similarly unconventional trash can, accessed by an electrically operated hood. At first it seems a large and shallow space, but it also has a deep area under the floor that when the floor is removed will allow two planks to roll.

What are Lucid Air’s range and performance specs?

At the time of this writing, the full specs for the base Clean air unavailable. That will have a single rear motor, but that’s basically all we know about it.

The Pure AWD (pictured below) has two engines that together produce 480 hp with an estimated 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds. That’s insanely fast despite at least four performance levels exceeding it. The EPA’s estimated distance is 410 miles. Its maximum DC fast charging speed is 250 kilowatts, which is extremely fast (very few are better), theoretically able to recharge 200 miles in just 15 minutes. Each Lucid’s maximum home AC charging rate is 19.2 kW, far beyond the capabilities of a typical home. charger. The Air can also power your home or recharge another electric vehicle.

The Touring’s two engines make a total of 620 hp, and Lucid says it’ll hit 60 hp in 3.4 seconds. At this point we should mention that 0-60 times really doesn’t convey the exact amount of acceleration when pressed with these ridiculous power levels. Ultimately, they are limited by the traction provided by the tires. Touring has the least range of any Air model, with either 425 miles (19-inch wheels) or 384 miles (20 and 21-inch wheels). Its maximum DC fast charging speed is also 250 kW.

Grand Touring makes 819 hp and hits 60 hp in 3 seconds. Importantly, it also adds four battery packs that increase the range to 516 miles with 19-inch wheels and 469 miles with 20 or 21-inch wheels. The disadvantages of these additional packages are described in the above section. DC fast charging maxes out at 300 kW and theoretically gives you 200 miles in 12 minutes.

The Grand Touring Performance makes 1,050 horsepower and can hit 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. Range stands at 446 miles since 21-inch wheels are standard. It has the same fast charging speed.

Finally, the Lucid Air Sapphire makes “1,200 plus hp” and has a 0-60 time “under 2 seconds”. The scope is still to be determined at the time of this writing. It has the same 300 kW fast charging speed.

How does Lucid Air like to drive?

However, it’s the rest of the driving experience that matters most, and the Air delivers with a smooth ride that strikes the right balance between comfort and responsiveness. Precision steering, although Lucid’s claims it benchmarked the 911 GT3 and E39 CAR M5 makes it sound a lot better than it is. This is a big car with great handling for a large car, but we wouldn’t venture to call it sport car, and that’s perfectly fine. One of the great things about the Lucid Air is how authentic it feels, as it doesn’t try to emulate another car brand. It feels like its own thing, for the better.

What other Lucid Air reviews can I read?

Lucid Air First Drive Review: The New Kid in Town Beats Everyone

This is our specific review of the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Performance, but has in-depth information on its engineering and design.

Why Lucid Air is more than just the sum of its eye-catching specs

Dive deeper into Lucid’s engineering, design, software and interiors. You’ll want to read it so you have plenty to tell your friends. (Also, you may recognize top gearStig’s original, Ben Collins, in the photo below?)

What is the price of Lucid Air?

You can read more about what you get with Air Sapphire here. It is pictured below.

What are Lucid Air’s safety ratings and driver assistance features?

Each Lucid Air includes the DreamDrive suite of driver assistance systems. This includes forward collision warning, forward and rear automatic emergency brake, front and rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, automatic parking control (parallel and perpendicular), parking sensors, driver distraction warning and adaptive cruise control. The DreamDrive Pro system ($10,000!) includes a surround-view parking camera system, a blind-spot camera displayed in the dashboard, lane-focused steering assist for adaptive cruise control, and remarkable Most notably, the hardware is future-ready for an enhanced adaptive cruise control system that will enable hands-free driving. Vehicle sensors have also been upgraded. These days, lane centering assist is usually only included in adaptive cruise control, so it’s disappointing to have to pay so much to get it and wait for an even more advanced system. going to TBD.

The air has not been crash test by a third party.