New Lucid Gravity seven-seat SUV: electric Range Rover rival arriving in 2024

The Lucid Air saloon has been a thorne in the side of the Tesla Model S since it launched in 2021. Now the California-based electric-car maker has shared some new teaser images and the first official details of its rival to some of the biggest, most luxurious SUVs around: the seven-seat Lucid Gravity.

The Gravity faces fierce competition from the Tesla Model X, Mercedes EQS SUV, Volvo EX90 and the new Range Rover: the standard bearer for luxury SUVs, which will be available in fully electric form by 2024 – the same year the Lucid Gravity is due to go on sale. 

“Gravity builds upon everything we have achieved thus far, driving further advancements of our in-house technology to create a luxury performance SUV like none other,” said Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson. “Just as Lucid Air redefined the sedan category, so too will Gravity impact the world of luxury SUVs, setting new benchmarks across the board.”

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Lucid Gravity design and interior

The design of the flagship SUV hasn’t been finalised yet, and neither have specifications. However, the latest teaser images released by the brand show how the simple design philosophy of the Air has been carried over. The Gravity’s boxy silhouette suggests a very traditional SUV shape, more like a BMW X7 than a Tesla Model X. 

It also features an ultra-thin full-width rear light bar, the Air’s ‘LED Micro Array’ headlights, a glass roof, and an extremely short bonnet and front overhang that should help maximise cabin space. The Gravity will be available in five-, six- and seven-seat configurations, with seats in certain versions able to almost fully recline based on these latest images.

Inside the Gravity will feature the next-generation of Lucid’s Glass Cockpit displays. In the Air this includes a gently curved 34-inch 5K panel for the instruments and infotainment – similar to the on in a Porsche Taycan. There's another retractable screen closer to the centre console for adjusting the car’s settings and drive modes, or displaying more information from your maps or music. The Gravity is also set to receive the latest iteration of the Lucid UX software.

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Range, performance and charging

Underneath the striking bodywork, the Gravity sits on the same LEAP (Lucid Electric Advanced Platform) platform as the Air and is expected to be offered with a similar variety of powertrains to the saloon. The majority are likely to feature two electric motors – one on each axle – for all-wheel drive, as well as 100kWh+ battery packs. 

Lucid has stated the Gravity will boast “supercar levels of performance” and “more range than any other EV” outside the company’s own line-up. Regarding the latter claim, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Gravity offered a range of close to 500 miles on a single charge based on the Air’s own record-breaking stats. Meanwhile, the 900-volt electrical system from the Air could allow owners to charge at speeds of over 300kW.

Lucid also has its own performance sub-brand called Sapphire, akin to BMW’s M division, and we expect to see an even more potent, driver-focused version of the Gravity that’ll take on the Tesla Model X Plaid and Lotus Eletre R in due course. It’ll probably use the same triple-motor setup as the Lucid Air Sapphire which produces over 1,200bhp and is capable of 0-60mph in under two seconds, and features tweaked suspension along with carbon ceramic brakes. 

More details about the Lucid Gravity will be released in early 2023 when reservations open, with the first examples of the luxury electric SUV due to land in 2024. It will be built in the company’s facility in Arizona alongside the Air.

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Lucid Air range expansion 

The new Lucid Gravity teasers were revealed alongside two new variants of the Air: the entry-level Pure and mid-range Touring which both offer a range of over 400 miles and bring the luxury saloon’s starting price down to $87,400 (just over £73,000 at the current exchange rate). The company also announced that thanks to several tweaks the saloon’s drag coefficient has been reduced to just 0.197Cd: the lowest of any production car.

Lucid has said repeatedly that it will sell a right-hand-drive version of the Air in Britain, and we expect the same to be true for the new Gravity, though it remains unclear when the brand will enter the UK car market. The Lucid Air is on sale now in a handful of European countries including Germany, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands, with more to follow. The company’s next model will be a ‘mid-size’ electric car due to arrive in 2025 or 2026.