“Translated" Version:
Volker.Berlin
2 d
Here is my ultimate, personal and of course subjective Lucid review. To be fair, you would have to compare the Lucid Air with the Model S Plaid, the EQS or the Taycan. Unfortunately, I can't serve with that. I only know my Model S from 2013 (which is pretty good after almost 250 tkm). In comparison, the Lucid Air is not surprisingly miles ahead in almost every conceivable discipline.
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Summary
Lucid is serious and the Lucid Air is real. The store and the service center in Hilversum are spacious and representative. The store is divided into an inviting lounge and a large delivery area. In both areas, there is a freely accessible vehicle for extensive touching. In the service center, four vehicles stood up and next to the stages, in the parking lot in front of the house two demonstration cars and behind the house another five or six vehicles, one of them with additional sensors for environmental measurement on the roof.
The employees were very attentive, helpful and attentive. They knew the technical data and the operation of the vehicles very well, but got into the swimming with deeper technical questions. It was very positive that they did not try to discuss critical comments away, but on the contrary took a lot of notes, apparently to pass on our feedback. I haven't experienced anything like that at Tesla, communication is always only one way (from Fremont).
I like the car. For what it costs more, it also offers a lot more. Basically, I could imagine it as a successor to my Model S. If you order today, you will be promised delivery "still in the summer", also in Germany.
Positive
The seating comfort is from a different star than everything Tesla has to offer. The seats are incredibly comfortable, both at the back and at the front. None of us wanted to get out voluntarily. With my 1.97 m, I have only a little more headroom in the Lucid than in the Tesla, but the headrests, which are too short in the front and far too short in the back in my Model S, fit all around on all seats in the Air.
The front seats are adjustable in many ways and in large areas and offer heating and ventilation as well as a massage function. The backrest can be put back to the lying position. In this position you could fall asleep immediately, there are no annoying bumps and the adjustable headrest gives a perfect pillow.
The rear seats in the Lucid basically suffer from the same disease as in the Model S: There is too little space between the battery at the bottom and the sloping roof at the top, so you sit too low with your legs bent. Unfortunately, we could not test the option with the "foot garages" (cuts in the battery pack, as in the Taycan). Nevertheless, the seating comfort in the Lucid is clearly better, and the huge wheelbase not only allows (even) more legroom than in the Model S, but also more elbow space, as the wheel arches do not restrict the seating area, unlike in the Model S. There is a fold-out center console at the rear and three electric roller blinds (left, right and rear window), which, like the air conditioning, can be controlled by the fund passengers themselves via their own display.
The driving assistants (I tried Lane Assist and adaptive cruise control) are at their finest. They work so confidently and with foresight that the intervention is not noticeable for the passengers and is hardly noticeable even for the driver. I haven't experienced this in any other car before and I was very impressed.
I find the operating concept convincing, in personal experience even more than from photos and videos. It makes perfect sense that there is a touch screen to the left of the steering wheel with statically arranged buttons for quick access to the most important functions - light, windscreen wipers, frunk, charging port, locking. There are also a few more physical buttons than with Tesla: temperature, ventilation, volume. These are aesthetically seamlessly integrated into the interior and if you don't want to use them, they don't bother you either. All functions - both those from quick access and those with physical buttons - can also be found in the menu of the touchscreen where you expect them without exception. The seat has the same controls as Tesla (length and height adjustment as well as lumbar support). These can also be found in the menu of the touchscreen, along with a wealth of other seat settings (thigh support, side support, headrest). Exterior mirrors and steering wheel are only adjustable via the touchscreen.
The recuperation is extremely strong, which I found very pleasant. One-pedel driving in perfection! If you don't like this, you can of course adjust the recuperation weaker in several stages.
The other driving characteristics such as suspension comfort, insulation, road performance and steering behavior also left a very good first impression, but unfortunately a real test and direct comparison was not possible on the short test drive. Coming from the Model S, you immediately feel at home and safe at the wheel, the change of habit is minimal. The acceleration with launch mode is of course far beyond good and evil and actually has no place in public road traffic and in the hands of laymen.
The range is simply blatant and far superior to all other electric cars currently available (as well as many combustion engines). It varies between the different models, but Lucid employees swear that they personally tried it under real and even unfavorable (winter) conditions, and that Lucid's information is realistically achievable. The same applies to the DC fast charging, which is currently quite lonely peak. (You have to read the exact numbers yourself.)
As an AC charge, only 22 kW is delivered as standard as a matter of course. I find that very sympathetic. 11 kW or 16.5 kW loaders are completely unknown, but I was assured that the Lucid can also be charged with 11 kW without any problems.
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The reversing light is a very good solution that I have only seen so far with the S-Class: The reversing lights are arranged low and shine brightly so that they actually illuminate the road.
The haptics of all controls and all surfaces are at the same high level as the seats. Everything looks valuable, solid and carved from the whole, Porsche sends its regards. The thumb wheels in the steering wheel, for example, snap into place precisely noticeably, no comparison to the wobbly plastic wheels in the steering wheel of my Model S.
Mixed impression
In contrast to seating comfort, the entry comfort is surprisingly bad: The roof beam above the entrance is unusually powerful, so that people who are not very delicate have to twist a little when entering. Even the impressively wide-opening doors (rear 90°, front also more than usual) do not help.
The powerful A-pillar limits the visibility for the driver somewhat, especially for tall people, comparable to the Model X. The Model S is a little better there.
While the operating concept is basically convincing (see above), the concrete execution of the Touch UI software still has teething problems - partly the same as my Model S 9 years ago. I can literally see before me how the user interface goes through a maturation process until all functions and displays are exactly as they have to be. In the course of this process, the performance (reaction to touch) should also be significantly increased.
The central touchscreen in the Lucid Air is significantly smaller than the one in the Tesla, but it can be sunk, which is aesthetically a very nice solution. All essential functions that you need while driving can also be reached without an iPad, either via the touch areas to the right and left of the steering wheel, or via the mentioned physical buttons. This is all the more important because the large touchscreen is arranged too low for safe operation while driving.
The steering wheel cannot be driven out far enough for my physique (very long legs). As a result, I drive with relatively stretched arms. In the Model S, I also drove the steering wheel out as far as possible, so it fits a little better for me. The height adjustment of the steering wheel is also uncompromising: I ultimately could not choose the setting according to my physical preferences, but had to set it higher to be able to read all the displays. The problem can certainly be defused a little with software changes.
As you know, you can argue about aesthetics, but you should save it until you have experienced the Lucid Air "live". The Lucid Air is definitely not ugly, but also not as timeless-elegant as the Model S. For me, the simply incredibly large wheelbase is the defining design element. As a result, the vehicle looks avant-garde and the proportions are reminiscent of the long versions of the S-Class or 7 Series. In fact, the interior is similarly spacious (at least in the longitudinal direction), despite much more compact external dimensions.
Negative
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Sure, the trunk. It is quite spacious, but a four-door cannot come close to the practicality of a five-door. I rarely have washing machines or
50-liter beer barrels 2to transport, but if it does - my Model S does it without complaint. No chance with the Lucid. Our family luggage would certainly fit into the Lucid (rather not in a Model 3), but the loading would definitely be less convenient.
What else was there?
The glass roof is comparable to the Model S, whereby the windscreen is more comparable to the Model X and pulls seamlessly into the roof. For this reason, there is no option for a sunroof (as in the Model X), which I personally find very unfortunate. I like to use the large sunroof on my Model S a lot. As with the Model S with glass roof, the Lucid Air also has shots for roof racks. The dynamic roof load is 75 kg, as with the Model S.
The Birdview, which can also be tilted and rotated via touchscreen, is fun and very helpful, although the Lucid is basically easy to maneuver and park despite the long wheelbase.
In addition to the usual blind spot warning, you can also optionally activate a blind spot view: In the instrument cluster, a camera image of the blind spot appears as soon as you flash. Very nice, but I personally still prefer the good old shoulder look.
There is no towbar, which I personally am completely indifferent to.
Lucid employees have pointed out that Lucid currently allegedly has enough cash for at least two years, even if they would not make any sales during this time.
At the breakfast with test drive were also
@cko,
@iDropsand
@Fjackwith it. Maybe they will also describe their impressions to round off the picture.
tff-forum.de
