If you go for the versions with the biggest 118kWh battery, you get a high floor that provides an annoyingly high knee angle. There's a wide-opening boot that can swallow up to 465 litres, supplemented by a very useful 202-litre 'frunk' that's the result of some very clever packaging of the front radiator (although it's still not quite perfect). Within the cabin, it's clear the Air has been developed by those fully aware of the Tesla's failings.įirst off, space is remarkable. There's plenty of head and knee room in the rear seats, despite a panoramic roof.
Throw in an aerodynamicist from the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, who used neat drag-cutting measures to slash the drag coefficient to just 0.21Cd to maximise range and, on paper at least, you have an impressive combination. That gave Lucid the perfect starting point. Rawlinson has one of the most enviable CVs in the car business: having been chief engineer at both Lotus and Jaguar, the Welshman then fathered the Tesla Model S. Measuring 4976mm long, 1936mm wide and 1407mm tall, it's actually more E-Class than S-Class. But thanks to its ultra-compact powertrain and skateboard architecture packaging, there's a mammoth 2960mm wheelbase providing for S-Class levels of space within – and luxury, if you believe the man who spearheaded its development, Peter Rawlinson. Size-wise, the US sedan is European in its dimensions. The important takeaway is that while the Mercedes-Benz EQS looks otherworldly, the Air looks exotic. Designed by the same man who penned the current Mazda MX-5, as well as the original concepts for Volkswagen's Scirocco and Microbus reboots, the low-slung proportions are dramatic and hint at a modern take on the Citroën DS. Pictures don't really do the Air justice, other than suggesting it's a far larger car than it actually is. It won't be cheap: our range-topping Dream Edition Performance, tested in California, costs the equivalent £131,000. But for its considerable depth of engineering, surprising beauty and class-best range, those in the market for an electric Mercedes-Benz S-Class alternative might the outlay worth paying. And make an impact the Lucid Air does, because as well as producing comparable power to the Plaid, the newcomer can cover up to 520 miles on a single charge, which is more than 100 miles more than its rival on the same American EPA test cycle.Īs for Europe, Lucid is rumoured to shortly announce right-hand-drive production, which means the Air could be available to order in the UK before the end of 2022. Of course, all this neck-crunching is a necessary business when you need to make an impression alongside competition such as the Bugatti-humbling Tesla Model S Plaid. Lucid is also working on a crossover, which it will launch in 2023.Despite plenty of evidence on YouTube that the Air will drift until the cows come home, away from wide-open race tracks the battery-electric Lucid is altogether a different beast.
Production of the Air is being handled at a plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. This base model will still have a generous 480 hp and over 400 miles of range. More affordable options will start arriving from next year, including a planned base model priced from $77,400. Deliveries will start later this year, the company said. The EPA has rated the Model S Plaid at 348 miles.Ĭurrent reservation holders for the Air Dream Edition will be able to choose which version they want, with the previously announced price of $169,000 the same for both. After a 445-mile demonstration drive of both versions between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Lucid said the Performance was left with 30 miles remaining and the Range with 72 miles. In both cases the top speed will be 168 mph.ĮPA range certification for both versions is currently being processed, but Lucid estimates the Performance will have a figure approaching 500 miles and the Range a figure of more than 500 miles. It will also come standard with a more efficient 19-inch wheel design, whereas the Performance will come standard with 21-inch wheels. The Air Dream Edition Range will come with 933 hp and a powertrain optimized for range.