Lucid Gravity adopts an efficiency-focused approach similar to that of the Air sedan. It boasts an EPA range of 450 miles, a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds, and an optional third row. The Grand Touring model will be available soon, while the Touring version is set to arrive later in 2025.
As I navigated this prototype 2025 Lucid Gravity around the cloverleaf ramps near Lucid’s headquarters in the California Bay Area last week, something felt off. I found myself going faster than I had planned. Yet, despite the uneven pavement, the Gravity seemed to have much more to offer. It exhibited excellent poise and balance, impressive stability, and clear communication through the steering wheel, suggesting there could be some excitement ahead if only it were on a closed track.
The catch is that the Gravity is an SUV. In my 25+ years of vehicle evaluations, I’ve never experienced an SUV that drives quite like this one. Lucid has somehow fine-tuned its dynamics to resemble those of a sport sedan or, perhaps more fittingly, a sport wagon. My internal g-sensors were buzzing, and I kept checking the rearview mirror at two additional spacious, minivan-like rows behind, which left me feeling a bit disoriented and incredulous. In a positive sense, of course. Based on my brief experience, I can confidently say it’s imposing.
A breath of fresh Air for SUVs
Taking a step back:
If you’ve overlooked Lucid’s impressive debut with the Lucid Air sedan, the Gravity makes the automaker’s unwavering commitment to efficiency hard to ignore.
The Air has already demonstrated its capabilities with its compact, powerful, and efficiency-oriented fully electric propulsion system. Now, Gravity brings all this innovation into a format that more Americans are likely to embrace: a three-row SUV. This model boasts an EPA-rated range of 450 miles (as claimed by Lucid) with a battery pack that is relatively modest for its purpose, around 118 kWh, and it can add 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes using a 350-kW fast-charge connector (CCS port on early models, with a Tesla-style NACS port coming soon).
The 2025 Lucid Gravity acknowledges market realities and its undeniable influences, but it does so on Lucid’s terms. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the Gravity isn’t designed to compete with boxy, rugged vehicles named after off-road trails.
“We’re not going to Utah and climbing rocks,” stated chief design officer Derek Jenkins. “However, for reaching the cabin, navigating dirt paths, and engaging in moderate off-roading, the Gravity will excel in those activities, thanks to its suspension capabilities.”
Before my drive, Eric Bach, Lucid's chief engineer and senior VP for product, emphasized that the focus isn't solely on achieving impressive 0-60 mph times. Performance can be measured in various ways, he pointed out, whether it's on a racetrack, navigating a winding mountain road, assessing crash safety, or evaluating NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels. The team at Lucid may not be traditional SUV enthusiasts, but they are set to change many perceptions with this vehicle.Gravity begins with an effective design.
Lucid is unwavering in its commitment to efficiency, as it helps prevent a chain reaction of issues. When using components or a design that results in a less efficient vehicle, it becomes heavier due to the need for additional batteries to achieve the desired range. Consequently, it struggles to accommodate passengers and cargo effectively.
In this regard, the brand emphasized to Green Car Reports its pride in the fact that the Gravity is not larger than necessary; it measures 198.2 inches in length and has a wheelbase of 119.5 inches. With an overall height of approximately 65 inches (presumably at its lowest setting), it is shorter than a Subaru Forester making it easy to fit into parking garages.
The Gravity features a sleek design that extends in all directions except for its width, which measures a standard 78 inches without the mirrors. Its frontal cross-sectional area, measured in CdA, is significantly lower than that of its competitors, with the exception of the Tesla Model X. It is anticipated that the coefficient of drag will be around 0.24, although final test results are still pending, and it may end up being slightly better.
Gravity is not just air with a different exterior. Bach clarified to Green Car Reports that the Gravity was designed from the ground up as a brand-new SUV platform, utilizing a modular arrangement of existing components from the Air to fit this new architecture. He mentioned that this approach allowed Lucid to create “a truly off-road-capable vehicle that is also optimized for luggage and passengers, resembling an SUV.”
In terms of design, the Gravity aligns well with the Air but features a distinct profile, including deeper taillights and slightly more vertical headlights, partly to accommodate a wider frunk opening (which can come with an optional net at the front).
Its profile is appealing, showcasing a sleek roofline and a strong stance. However, it doesn’t directly match any SUV currently available. As my colleague Joel Feder noted during a test drive of an earlier Gravity alpha prototype, this model seems to blend characteristics of a wagon, minivan, and SUV at various times.
I agree with that observation. Yet, the Gravity handles unlike any minivan I’ve experienced.
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Drives like a Lucid, not an SUV: Confirmed
One of the primary objectives for tuning was that the Gravity “should drive not like an SUV but like a Lucid,” stated chassis and dynamics expert John Culliton, who accompanied me during the drive.
To achieve this, the steering rack and basic geometry have been adapted from the Air, while the rear suspension, including the air suspension, is entirely new, along with the rear-steer capability. The front subframe and steering mechanism are firmly mounted to provide maximum feedback. However, compared to the Air, the hard points have been repositioned to better distribute the load. Every link is redesigned, but engineers optimized the layout to minimize loads on the steering while using the same gear.
The Gravity’s body structure consists of various materials but is primarily “aluminum rich,” as noted by Bach, with only 2-4% steel used at specific points. Lucid has implemented a megacasting technique for certain body components.
To optimize the aerodynamic design and the efficient propulsion system, all Lucid Gravity models will feature a height-adjustable air suspension and continuously adjustable dampers. A range of driving modes allows for different firmness levels from the dampers, and there are five distinct ride heights, which can mostly be selected independently by the driver.
The multi-mode air suspension lacks an Auto mode, requiring users to discern the differences in ride comfort and responsiveness themselves. However, as Culliton notes, engaging the Sprint performance mode lowers the Gravity to its minimum ride height. This setting also enhances the aggressiveness of the rear-wheel steering, firms up the damping, and shifts the torque distribution more towards the rear.
These intelligent adjustments enable impressive torque, achieving sub-3.5-second 0-60 mph times and a turning radius of 38 feet, along with a seat height that makes entry and exit effortless.
On a secluded road, Culliton demonstrates the dual-motor propulsion system, which delivers a combined output of 828 hp and 909 lb-ft. He instructs me to perform a controlled launch by pressing the brake, flooring the accelerator, and then releasing it. The Gravity surges forward without the typical lightness in the front end that often accompanies rapid accelerations in other high-performance SUVs. Instead, the Gravity felt as if it propelled itself forward with force.
Lucid Gravity is a subtle performer.
With its lively steering response and a balanced yet understated character, it shares some traits with the Porsche Macan Electric we tested for our Best Car To Buy evaluation—about a foot shorter but equipped with rear-wheel steering.
The Gravity I experienced was also outfitted with the largest and most athletic wheel and tire setup in the range staggered 22- and 23-inch Pirelli PZero tires that appeared to maximize the front wheels' grip. This model seems poised to be a blast on a closed track, maintaining a sports-car-like neutrality on high-traction surfaces.
Additionally, the ride quality with this setup was impressive. The Gravity doesn’t glide like some other luxury SUVs; you can feel the road, but not to an excessive degree.
Lucid has also soft-mounted the motor to the chassis, providing better isolation of the drive system from the body compared to the Air. While the roads around Lucid’s California headquarters were hardly demanding for the Gravity, pushing past typical freeway speeds for a while didn’t reveal any shortcomings a testament to the extensive tuning of the body and chassis, and possibly the acoustic glass overhead.
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Space efficiency for seven and more
The interior of the cabin feels spacious and light, thanks in part to the large area of glass above. This glass serves both acoustic and structural purposes, extending seamlessly in two sections—one from the base of the windshield to just above and behind the front seat occupants, and another that stretches all the way over the third row. It’s the only three-row SUV I can remember that offers an unobstructed view of the blue sky above.
What stands out to me as I approach the vehicle is how low the floor of the passenger cabin is, even though the bottom of the vehicle itself isn’t particularly low. According to a source, the air suspension can adjust from approximately 135 to 235 mm (5.3 to 9.3 inches) in ride height—meaning that at its lowest setting, it has a ride height comparable to that of Air.
Similar to the Air Grand Touring, the Gravity Grand Touring features 22 battery modules, with four positioned “upstairs” on a second layer. In the Air, these are located beneath the rear seat, but in the Gravity, they have been relocated to the area under the front seats. This adjustment allows for a continuous cargo floor that exceeds eight feet when the seats are folded down.
When including the extra space from the frunk, the Gravity offers a total cargo volume of 120.6 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded 40% more than the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, according to Lucid, and about 15% more than the Rivian R1S, which also features a frunk.
As Bach noted, “you need such a ginormous truck to achieve some of the features that we can fit into this compact Gravity space concept,” referencing the Chevy Suburban and its large body-on-frame counterparts.
Lucid has not provided extensive details about the Gravity’s off-road capabilities yet, other than to confirm that some will be available. Its Terrain mode will utilize the stability system from the high-performance Lucid Air Sapphire. This system can process inputs from all four wheels 1,000 times per second, managing the braking aspect of traction control in the Gravity at that frequency, though not for each rear wheel individually. This ensures optimal regenerative braking, which is still available in standard and high settings when the accelerator is released, reserving the brake pedal specifically for the brake pads.
Gravity back seat: Tables instead of screens
At 6-foot-6, I can comfortably sit behind two of myself in the Gravity. The flat third-row floor and the way the seats fold into a compartment at the back of the vehicle are impressive. Bach mentions that the engineering team made numerous choices to preserve that space. For example, they opted to split the active rear steer actuators rather than using a single unit that would have reduced legroom in the third row.
The third row is an optional feature priced at $2,900, adding only about 130 pounds to the Gravity's yet-to-be-revealed curb weight. The designers envision the Gravity as a road trip vehicle, with the second row designed for dining, gaming, and watching content on devices. Therefore, they chose to include a pair of robust utility tables instead of a built-in entertainment system for the rear.
The final result resembles a solution you might find in a first-class airplane cabin.
“After speaking with customers, business professionals, and families, the consensus was clear: they wanted a table for food, laptops, and the kids’ iPad, with easy storage options. “I take great pride in this achievement, as it required significant effort to ensure we didn’t compromise on second-row space while creating something sturdy and reliable,” Jenkins remarked.
The rear door opens at a 90-degree angle, making it simpler to load children into their car seats. This design required additional engineering to ensure the latches are secure, and the doors feature a unique low safety cinch that enhances side protection during impacts just above the lower sill.
Interestingly, Lucid managed to position the H-point for the third row higher than that of the Suburban, resulting in more comfortable leg angles, so you won’t just be staring at your knees. Jenkins also emphasized that Lucid has put considerable thought into the durability and ease of cleaning for all the materials. The Gravity offers four distinct themes: Tahoe and Ojai in leather, and Yosemite and Mojave in non-leather options.
Gravity interface: Landscape, swipes, and vibes
Inside, the Gravity doesn’t completely abandon the interface established by Lucid, but it does modify it. The instrument panel is now sleeker, featuring updated vents for improved heating and cooling, along with a larger center console. At its core, new hardware provides a seamless full OLED display from side to side with enhanced contrast.
Perhaps the most striking change is the steering wheel, which has been replaced by a “squircle.” During my brief drive, my hands felt comfortable at the 9 and 3 positions while navigating tight corners and cruising at high speeds.
There are new mood and ambience settings called Vibes. The design team has carefully considered what to include in the augmented-reality head-up display to avoid clutter, and the touchscreen has transitioned to a landscape orientation, featuring new thumb controls that allow for swiping to dismiss alerts, as well as a tactile thumb switch for menu navigation. In this new configuration, menus consistently open to the right.
During my drive, some aspects of the interface still appeared to be in development, as it sought to address certain switchgear and menu-latency challenges.
Luxury comes at a high price, but it becomes more accessible later on. Currently, Lucid has announced that the Gravity Grand Touring will have a starting price of $96,550 (which includes a $1,650 destination fee) and will feature a larger battery pack along with dual-motor all-wheel drive, with initial deliveries expected to begin later this year. The Touring model, priced at $81,550 and set to arrive in late 2025, will come with a smaller battery pack. Officials suggest that the offerings will likely mirror those of the Air Touring, which is equipped with a smaller 84-kwh battery. Doing the calculations, even with the smaller battery, the Gravity is expected to deliver over 300 miles of range.
When fully equipped with options, the Gravity enters the luxury market. The Dynamic Handling Package includes a rear-wheel steering system, triple-rate air suspension, and painted brake calipers. Additionally, a $2,500 Comfort and Convenience package offers features like power rear sunshades, soft-close doors, a heated steering wheel, heated wipers, and heated second-row seats. There are also two tiers of Lucid’s DreamDrive assisted-driving and active-safety features available for up to $6,750. The $750 towing package allows for a towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds.
If you opt for all the extras, including the $2,900 Surreal Sound Pro audio system and the largest (22/23-inch) wheels, the total cost for a fully loaded Grand Touring comes to $117,400, not accounting for any additional cosmetic enhancements.
My experience with the vehicle, although it made a strong initial impression, was a brief encounter with a well-prepared prototype accompanied by company representatives. I didn’t venture off-road, and I observed a few peculiarities in the controls and touchscreen interface that I hope Lucid will address by the time the first models are released. Production of the Lucid Gravity in Arizona began last week.
There are numerous reasons to appreciate this vehicle, and it’s undoubtedly one of the standout models of the year. Ultimately, it boils down to this: If you require an SUV but prefer the feel of a sport sedan, this is the top choice for you.
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