Gravity is responsible for keeping things firmly anchored to the Earth, but don’t tell that to Lucid Motors. The California-based automaker is looking to challenge the laws of physics with the Gravity, a new three-row SUV that it hopes will help get the EV brand off the ground. This isn’t Lucid’s first foray into the burgeoning EV market—the company introduced the Air luxury sedan a few years back—but the Gravity could well be the model that determines the company’s future. The midsize SUV seems to have all the makings of a true luxury model, plus the sort of performance that’s hard for any thrill-seeking driver to ignore, but Lucid wouldn’t be the first EV brand to falter as it attempts to ramp up production and expand its lineup. Let’s take a look at Lucid’s first foray into the EV market, explore the all-new Gravity, and see if the ambitious startup has what it takes to make it in an increasingly competitive EV market.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Debuting in 2022, Lucid’s first model entered rarefied Air as one of the first true luxury EVs on the market. The Lucid Air was engineered to deliver a smooth, refined ride and was equipped with all the premium materials, comfort, and convenience features a luxury buyer could ask for, but the four-door sedan was also a standout from a performance perspective. The model’s all-electric powertrain allowed Lucid to create a truly unhinged automotive creation that balanced up to 1,111 hp with a 520-mile driving range that far exceeds the industry’s current 283-mile average.
The Air debuted at a relatively high price point, with the entry-level Pure trim retailing for over $87,000. Improved economies of scale have allowed Lucid to reduce that number to around $70,000 for the 2025 model year, though the range-topping Sapphire trim is still a substantial investment at $250,000. Premium prices aside, Air sales have experienced steady growth, with Lucid delivering over 10,000 cars in 2024. Those aren’t the type of numbers that are going to strike fear into the heart of Detroit’s Big Three or put Tesla on notice, but they represent an encouraging trend for the fledgling luxury brand.
Critics have also been won over by the Air’s fusion of luxury and performance, with outlets like Roadshow, MotorTrend, and Car and Driver describing the sedan as “stunning,” “a game-changer,” and “the best electric car on the market.” It’s an encouraging start for the EV brand and one that it now hopes to repeat with the debut of the 2026 Lucid Gravity.
Bringing Gravity to the Situation
When you’re trying to grow a new brand, you can’t afford to roll out a comprehensive lineup that fills every niche. Lucid has clearly taken this lesson to heart when designing the Gravity, which will be available in both two-row and three-row variants. While both versions still qualify as midsize models, this sort of flexibility should allow Lucid to better compete with some of its more established contemporaries to reach a wider range of drivers. The two-row model should offer plenty of space for up to five passengers, with the second row even boasting built-in convenience tables that fold down from the front seatbacks. Whether you’re trying to improve mobile productivity or make it hard for your adolescent passengers to mar the leather upholstery with their after-school snacks, these folding tables are just the sort of premium touch we’d expect from a brand that’s truly contending for the luxury designation.
The Gravity will also provide plenty of cargo room with up to 111.9 cu.ft. of space when both the second and third rows are stowed away. The Gravity’s interior benefits from the SUV’s all-electric architecture, which creates a more spacious cabin by eliminating many of the components that would otherwise eat up some legroom. This, combined with the Gravity’s smaller-than-average battery, allows the SUV to offer more room than many of its closest rivals, such as the Rivian R1S, Tesla Model X, and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
Like most of today’s EVs, the lack of a traditional engine compartment allows the Gravity to provide a little extra storage space in the form of a front trunk that delivers 8.1 cu.ft. of cargo room. Lucid has upped the SUV’s utility by making the “frunk” washable and outfitting it with an integrated bench that allows the Gravity to double as a $95,000 camp chair for your next picnic or tailgate party. With a total of 120 cu.ft. of cargo room, the Lucid Gravity bests some of the luxury segment’s other midsize EV models by as much as 40 percent. EV brands simply can’t help themselves when it comes to coining new terms. We’re already struggling to say “frunk” with a straight face, but Lucid has now introduced “squircle” into the automotive lexicon to describe the Gravity’s not-quite-circular steering wheel with its flat upper edge.
Luxury is certainly not an afterthought for Lucid, which is pretty clear as soon as you get a look at the Gravity’s well-appointed interior. Premium leather upholstery and trim persist throughout, but it’s the SUV’s ample seating and expansive touchscreen infotainment display that command most of the attention. The 34-inch curved display spans the entire dashboard, giving drivers the chance to keep track of all the relevant driving info at a quick glance. This screen is complemented by an additional 12.6-inch tablet-like display that’s responsible for infotainment duties with an intuitive interface that should be easy to navigate while you’re on the go.
Racing to the Front of the Luxury Segment
The luxury market has long put a premium on performance, but Lucid takes that reputation to the next level by leveraging one of the industry’s most potent EV powertrains to provide more excitement than one would ever expect from a midsize SUV. The Gravity’s base offering for 2026 comes in the form of the yet-to-be-released Touring trim, which should clock in with around 620 hp thanks to its dual electric motor setup. The high-end Grand Touring represents a significant improvement with 828 hp and 909 lb-ft of torque, which should allow the Gravity to speed from zero to 60 mph in as little as 3.4 seconds.
That’s an impressive pace for a bonafide sports car and almost unheard of in the midsize SUV segment, but it just goes to show how quickly today’s EVs are outpacing their gas-powered forerunners in terms of performance. If that sort of sprint time isn’t enough to hit the spot, you can always hold out for a high-performance Sapphire variant that could provide up to 1,234 hp, but you might want to start saving up, seeing as the Air Sapphire goes for a quarter-million bucks. Those looking to experience the Gravity at a lower price point will be happy to hear that there are rumors of a entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Pure trim in the works that, while likely limited to around 430 horsepower, would also represent a much more modest investment.
The Gravity defies its own name with a smooth ride that’ll have drivers feel like they’re floating on air. This comes courtesy of the SUV’s adaptive dampers, which, when paired with the air suspension, gives the Gravity the ability to glide over uneven terrain with ease. Optional rear-wheel steering lends the midsize model a tight, 38.4-foot turning radius, but it’s the Gravity’s three custom driving modes that really give drivers the opportunity to tune their ride to meet whatever challenges the road might throw at it. Smooth mode sees the adaptive dampers and air springs called into action for a soft, supple ride, while Swift strikes a balance between comfort and performance, and Sprint pulls out all the stops by allowing you to take advantage of every pony the SUV can muster.
Lucid says its new all-electric SUV can provide up to 6,000 lbs of towing capacity, but range is where the Gravity really sets itself apart. The Lucid Air offered the best range of any EV on the market when it hit the streets in 2022, and the Gravity is living up to this lofty reputation with as much as 450 miles on offer. That’s enough to place the Gravity right towards the top of the SUV segment, which is doubly impressive when you consider the fact that it’s working with a rather modest battery pack of around 120 kWh. It might seem counterintuitive, but the diminutive battery actually works in the SUV’s favor in terms of range. The battery is often one of the heaviest components in any EV, and by downsizing the pack, Lucid has given the Gravity less weight to haul around while also improving the SUV’s handling and road manners. The battery can also add up to 200 miles of range in just 12 minutes when hooked up to a 350 kW DC fast charger (a Tesla-style NACS port is standard for added convenience), giving drivers the luxury of not having to interrupt their day with an extended visit to the nearest charging station.
Lucid to the Moon?
Will the Gravity allow Lucid to compete with the luxury stalwarts, or is the EV brand doomed to toil in relative obscurity at the higher end of the luxury market? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the Gravity seems to have all the makings of a flagship SUV with the sort of range and performance that few other models can match. The Gravity does have one major advantage over the Air sedan thanks to the current popularity of the crossover SUV category, though this trend isn’t quite as pronounced in the luxury segment.
Still, all the innovative design and 1,200 hp credentials in the world don’t amount to much if you can’t find a consistent set of buyers or meet production goals. Fellow EV startup Fisker has already bowed out of the market, filing for bankruptcy in mid-2024 due to poor sales of its Ocean SUV, and Rivian is still struggling to fill orders for its R1T and R1S models. Lucid’s luxury focus should help to insulate the brand from some of the crueler market realities—you don’t need to move quite as many models when your average MSRP hovers closer to $100,000—but a recent slowdown in the wider EV market could be a cause for concern. Lucid will also have to work overtime when it comes to marketing its vehicles in a luxury market that’s long been dominated by a few established brands. There are always going to be a few well-heeled early adopters who are willing to take a risk on a newcomer like Lucid, but it’ll take a lot to compete with the pure status symbol appeal of names like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Land Rover and the like. The Gravity could be the model that comes to define the Lucid brand, or it could bring the EV automaker crashing back to Earth.
