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

4 Distinct Fashions Type 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 this time comes from an all-day drive program from Lucid Motors—a stair step tour by means of the four Air models.

Lucid Air lineup
4 distinct decisions

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 in a position to expertise the 4 fashions—Pure, Touring, Grand Touring and Sapphire—in sequence. By the tip of the day, virtually 200 miles later, I turned 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 value level. Right here’s the differentiation element.

The Fundamentals

As talked about, the entire Air fashions are dimensionally related—four-door sedans with a smooth, aerodynamic silhouette. They’re midsize automobiles primarily based on the outside, however have full-size inside house, giant trunks and helpful frunks (entrance space for storing). All Airs sit on a 116.5-inch wheelbase and have an general size of 197 inches, just about similar to the Tesla Mannequin S and considerably smaller than the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

Pure cockpit
All Lucid Airs have the identical primary sprint configuration, however the materials change from mannequin to mannequin

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

The 2024 fashions function the primary main adjustments because the Air was launched in 2021, however as appears to be the pattern in EVs, the adjustments are extra technical tweaks than seen xx.

Pure—Who Might Ask for Something Extra

The Pure begins the Lucid journey

I’m undecided what I used to be anticipating after 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 stated—“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 probably 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 document 146 MPGe EPA score. 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 to be the automotive of a luxurious sedan with its large, low-slung look. The contour has the cues of luxurious—smooth strains, 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 value to be. Backseat passengers can discover every kind 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 toes of storage.  

Touring—A Actual Step Up

Touring kicks it up a notch

Neglect what I simply stated. 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 experience 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. Certain, you may go slower automobiles within the Prue, however the Touring makes passing really feel such as you’re driving in a distinct world. The massive instantaneous 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 accessible on the Pure), evinced much more luxurious trappings than the properly appointed Pure. Cloth lined the sprint and door panels. Whereas settling into the peerlessly 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 strong panel within the Pure. Even within the California solar, the large quantity of glass didn’t transmit that a lot warmth, though robust sun shades are really helpful.    

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 package deal?

Grand Touring provies extra is extra

It seems extra is extra. Grand Touring takes the superb Touring trim arrange and dials issues up. The numbers get massive! Virtually 200 extra horsepower and the longest vary of any EV in the marketplace—516 miles (100 greater than the Touring or Pure). On prime of that, sooner 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, nevertheless it provides the identical lightning responsiveness discovered within the Touring. Lucid spokesfolks stated the Grand Touring had “roughly the identical suspension” because the Touring mannequin, however there gave the impression to be refined variations taking it over the identical course. On prime of the efficiency {hardware}, the luxurious touches get one other bump up. The value additionally takes a giant hike to $109,900, which places it up in Mercedes EQS territory. It may run wheel-to-wheel with a top-end Mercedes, however in fact lacks the historical past, seller community and falls a little bit wanting the German firm’s well-refined sense of luxurious.    

Sapphire

Accurately, we’ve saved the very best 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 refined, however telling. Distinctive wheels and paint colours are probably the most noticeable distinguishing options, nevertheless it’s beneath the place the Sapphire demonstrates its worth.

Lucid Air Saoohire
Lucid Air Sapphire tops the road

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

The suspension could also be tuned for the observe (it does have a observe mode that Lucid’s minders directed us to not have interaction), however on-road it offered itself like a each day driver. A extremely refined and quick each day driver. I’d characterize the Sapphire as a distinct 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 principally pivot the rear of the automotive in turns. Steering, acceleration and deceleration all change 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

Not standing still-the 2025 Pure units effectivity document

It’s a uncommon deal with to have the ability to evaluate 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 means 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 in quest of an inexpensive luxurious EV sedan. However every step up the Air hierarchy brings important rewards for the extra price. There are not any losers right here. The query is, how a lot profitable are you able to afford?   

Story by Michael Coates. Photographs by Michael Coates and Lucid.

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Disclosure:

Clear Fleet Report is loaned free check autos from automakers to guage, sometimes for per week at a time. Our highway checks are primarily based on this one-week drive of a brand new car. Due to this we don’t handle points corresponding to long-term reliability or complete price of possession. As well as, we are sometimes invited to producer occasions highlighting new autos or expertise. As a part of these occasions we could also be provided free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our greatest to current our unvarnished evaluations of autos and information irrespective of those inducements.

Our focus is on autos that provide the very best gasoline financial system of their class, which leads us to emphasise electrical automobiles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We additionally function these environment friendly gas-powered autos which can be among the many prime mpg autos of their class. As well as, we goal to supply evaluations and information on superior expertise and the choice gasoline car market. We welcome any suggestions from car house owners and are devoted to offering a discussion board for different viewpoints. Please tell us your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.


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