For the latest Lucid Air pricing and information:
https://www.kbb.com/lucid/air/

For a luxury electric vehicle, yes, aerodynamic is the word of the day and the Lucid Air achieves that and then some, besting Tesla in the category, but it does it with so much style.

It’s all elegant shapes and subtle but sexy curves. Its hood extends out like the arms of a ballerina and it cinches in at the waist. The LED head and taillights are delicate but powerful and elegant. There’s nothing it lacks and isn’t more than it needs. In a word, gorgeous.

Going inside proves that the Air is more than just a pretty face.

On getting in you’ll notice that the front of the cabin features dark materials and colors. That’s because designers wanted to achieve a focused space for the driver, something akin to the cockpit of an airplane. But in the second row, where your delighted passengers are fortunate enough to luxuriate, colors are light, giving their space an airy vibe.

There is more room back here than you could possibly fathom. The seats feel great and of course are heated. You’ve got an electronic console to turn those on and do other functions like raise and lower their rear shades.

The tech in the Air levels up to the color and material design. While comprised of mostly touchscreen, there are buttons for HVAC and volume. Incidentally, this switchgear was designed to emulate piano keys and have a great feel.

Some highlights of the system, which was actually just got a massive update, include a navigation system that will quickly locate a charging station for you, it integrates with your phone well. It’s currently got Alexa functionality, but Apple CarPlay is coming soon, followed by Android Auto. The lower infotainment screen moves to reveal a cubby for storage.

There are four trim levels on the Air. The base level Pure ($87,400/$92,900 AWD) which comes as a two- or four-motor drivetrain (480 hp/410-mile max range).

VO: Both the Grand Touring ($154,000 819hp/516 mile max range) and the Grand Touring Performance ($179,000 1050hp/118 kWh- 446 mile max range) get 22 battery modules with a 118 kW capacity. Can we just take a second and look at those horsepower numbers again, please. (819 hp/Grand Touring Performance 1,050 hp). Those are nuts.

You might think the pricing is, too, and because this is a luxury car it no longer qualifies for that $7500 tax credit, though Lucid has offered that to customers themselves, so check with the the company to find out if they’re still honoring it.

The instrument cluster gives you feedback on regen, speed and also for Lucid’s DreamDrive system, which is basically an advanced lane keeping assist. No, not quite up to Mercedes or Super Cruise levels yet, but something tells me they’re working on it. But the system does operate smoothly – not super jerky or noticeable.

Driving around town in Smooth mode the Air still exudes confidence. The regen even in standard is aggressive and takes a bit of getting used to but then you put it in high regen and you’ve got true one-pedal driving. After about a day or two learning to modulate the throttle you’ll stop feeling like you’re in the back of a rickshaw being pedaled uphill. The system is incredibly smooth and it’s quite fun to drive.

When you engage Swift and Sprint mode, look out. The instant torque, even on this “sedate” 600 hp version will snap your neck back in the best way possible. This is a flipping rocket and he’s not light at a minimum of 5,200 pounds.

I promise you, though, you do not feel it when you’re driving. It’s agile, comfortable, absorbs even the worst street bumps, which I’m absolutely finding all of, and turns with poise and balance, then explodes of said turn with gravitas. I’ve got the larger 20-inch wheels which are wider and reduce the range somewhat, so not sure how it does on the narrower meats that give you more range.

When it comes to charging your Air, you get one free year in the Pure and Touring (max charging 200 kW) models and two years in the GT and GT Performance (max charging 350 kW) through Electrify America. On the GT trim I plugged in and got over 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes. The Touring will take a little longer, but not much, which is likely only a few minutes shy of a normal gas station stop if you’re looking for a bump before getting back on the road. A full charge overnight should take less than 13 hours on a level two charger. I managed 100 miles in 4 hours on one.

Gorgeous, smart, funny, kind, and yeah, expensive. But if I was looking for a daily luxury EV and had the cash, this would be at the top of my list. I’d love it if the folks at Lucid made a smaller one, but the Air here, it’s rarified.



00:00 2023 Lucid Air
0:35 Exterior
1:41 Interior
5:10 Powertrain options
6:43 Driving Impressions
9:25 Charging and Range