Stairway to Heaven—Lucid’s Air Variations Clear Fleet Report

4 Distinct Fashions Kind Lineup for Native EV Firm

As the electrical car market grows and matures, we’re seeing extra makes an attempt to distinguish EVs and construct identities for fashions and types. Exhibit A at the moment comes from an all-day drive program from Lucid Motors—a stair step tour by way of the 4 Air fashions.

The problem of a brand new firm with what seems to be one product is differentiation. The Air fashions look very related, however the vary of efficiency is as variable as their costs, which builds from $69,900 to $249,000. Clear Fleet Report has had some seat time within the particular person fashions, however this was the primary time to expertise them back-to-back.

I used to be capable of expertise the 4 fashions—Pure, Touring, Grand Touring and Sapphire—in sequence. By the tip of the day, nearly 200 miles later, I grew to become satisfied that that Lucid, headquartered simply throughout the San Francisco Bay from the place we did the drive, was on to one thing. Every mannequin has its area of interest and substance aligned with its worth level. Right here’s the differentiation element.

The Fundamentals

As talked about, all the Air fashions are dimensionally the same—four-door sedans with a modern, aerodynamic silhouette. They’re midsize automobiles based mostly on the outside, however have full-size inside area, massive trunks and helpful frunks (entrance cupboard space). All Airs sit on a 116.5-inch wheelbase and have an total size of 197 inches, nearly equivalent to the Tesla Mannequin S and considerably smaller than the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

The Air is a full-size luxurious sedan based mostly on inside quantity and lives as much as that description at each trim stage. The again seat particularly is spacious and has legroom that implies the automotive will function a chauffeur-driven mannequin in some markets. That may be a disgrace as a result of we discovered all 4 trims supplied an outstanding driver’s automotive.

The 2024 fashions function the primary main modifications for the reason that Air was launched in 2021, however as appears to be the development in EVs, the modifications are extra technical tweaks than seen xx.

Pure—Who May Ask for Something Extra

I’m undecided what I used to be anticipating once I received behind the wheel of the entry-level (Pure) Air, however I received out of the automotive after about 40 miles of curvaceous mountain roads and a few nice ocean entrance driving and mentioned—“What extra do you want?” The $70,000 Pure has a single permanent-magnet electrical motor drive the rear wheels. It’s calibrated to 430 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque, all of it very helpful to use passing laggards out on the highway. Dealing with is crisp, responsive and easy. Greater than 400 miles of vary from the 88 kWh battery means lengthy drives are welcomed.

Oh, and it’s essentially the most environment friendly automotive on 4 wheels. Lucid simply introduced the 2025 mannequin hit 5.0 miles per kilowatt-hour of power and a file 146 MPGe EPA ranking. Including the warmth pump from the top-of-the-line Sapphire improved the vary (now 420 miles) whereas boosting the automotive’s effectivity into unheard-of realms.

The automotive seems the automotive of a luxurious sedan with its extensive, low-slung look. The contour has the cues of luxurious—modern traces, high-tech lighting and tight fit-and-finish..

The 34-inch sprint show is completely positioned with a tablet-sized further panel within the console. It feels luxurious as you may anticipate a automotive on this worth to be. Backseat passengers can discover all types of facilities and greater than sufficient room to unfold out Up entrance, the Air takes the frunk ideas to new heights for a sedan by offering 10 cubic ft of storage.  

Touring—A Actual Step Up

Overlook what I simply mentioned. You do want extra. Particularly extra horsepower and torque and all-wheel drive. The Touring, for $8,000 greater than the pure, has simply what you want. The seat grabs you as you compromise in, a foreshadowing that this trip goes to be a bit greater than the final one. By no means underestimate what 190 extra horsepower and 479 extra foot-pounds of torque can ship. Positive, you could possibly cross slower automobiles within the Prue, however the Touring makes passing really feel such as you’re driving in a unique world. The massive prompt torque will get utilized instantly—and for so long as you need.

Inside, the Touring mannequin I drove (a few of these options are choices, however not all obtainable on the Pure), evinced much more luxurious trappings than the properly appointed Pure. Material coated the sprint and door panels. Whereas settling into the superbly comfy and supportive seats, I used to be struck by the openness of the cabin. The Glass Cover roof wraps from the windshield in two panels throughout what was a stable panel within the Pure. Even within the California solar, the huge quantity of glass didn’t transmit that a lot warmth, though sturdy sun shades are advisable.    

Grand Touring

Now I used to be actually conflicted. The Pure was nice till trumped by the superlative energy and barely beefier suspension within the Touring. What extra might Lucid add to what appeared to me to be an all-encompassing bundle?

It seems extra is extra. Grand Touring takes the wonderful Touring trim arrange and dials issues up. The numbers get huge! Virtually 200 extra horsepower and the longest vary of any EV available on the market—516 miles (100 greater than the Touring or Pure). On prime of that, quicker charging. All Lucid Air fashions are constructed on a high-voltage structure that allows fast-charging, however the Grand Touring can add 200 miles of vary in 12 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast-charger.

The steering really feel is lighter with all of that horsepower and torque on faucet, but it surely presents the identical lightning responsiveness discovered within the Touring. Lucid spokesfolks mentioned the Grand Touring had “roughly the identical suspension” because the Touring mannequin, however there appeared to be delicate variations taking it over the identical course. On prime of the efficiency {hardware}, the posh touches get one other bump up. The worth additionally takes a giant hike to $109,900, which places it up in Mercedes EQS territory. It might run wheel-to-wheel with a top-end Mercedes, however in fact lacks the historical past, seller community and falls a little bit in need of the German firm’s well-refined sense of luxurious.    

Sapphire

Correctly, we’ve saved the perfect for final. The Air Sapphire is the head of Lucid’s present lineup, clocking in at a stratospheric price ticket of $249,000 for the restricted manufacturing run. The differentiation from the “lesser” Air fashions is delicate, however telling. Distinctive wheels and paint colours are essentially the most noticeable distinguishing options, but it surely’s beneath the place the Sapphire demonstrates its worth.

Begin with three motors (two rear and one entrance), cranking out 1,234 horsepower. An aero bundle helps maintain that energy to the bottom, together with traction management, producing sub-two-second 0-to-60 mph occasions. I didn’t have a straight stretch of highway to check that, however I’ve little question. Even with all that energy (when you maintain it beneath management), you’ll be able to journey 427 miles on the Sapphire’s huge battery pack (shared with the Grand touring).

The suspension could also be turned for the observe (it does have a observe mode that Lucid’s minders directed us to not interact), however on-road it offered itself like a every day driver. A very refined and quick every day driver. I’d characterize the Sapphire as a unique sort of “self-driving automotive,” one which feels prefer it is aware of the highway due to torque vectoring managed by the twin rear-drive motors that mainly pivot the rear of the automotive in turns. Steering, acceleration and deceleration all turn into easy because the Sapphire devours the twists and turns of the mountain highway. I didn’t have a lot time within the Sapphire, however I discovered no sensible limits to its capabilities.     

Summing It Up

It’s a uncommon deal with to have the ability to examine automobiles back-to-back in a setting designed to showcase all of what we anticipate in a luxurious EV. It’s a deal with to have the ability to work by way of a line-up of sedans on roads designed to showcase their strengths and tease out any weaknesses. The Lucid Air lineup is a rarity within the EV world—a well-thought-out, clearly differentiated collection of trim ranges that give the customer distinctive benefits at every cease. I’ll reiterate the place I began. The entry-level Air Pure is sufficient automotive to greater than fulfill anybody looking for an inexpensive luxurious EV sedan. However every step up the Air hierarchy brings important rewards for the extra value. There aren’t any losers right here. The query is, how a lot profitable are you able to afford?   

Story by Michael Coates. Pictures by Michael Coates and Lucid.

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