Green Car Reports drives the Lucid Gravity

[xponents]

Prototype test drive: Lucid Gravity might defy segments

A short drive suggests that the Lucid Gravity won’t be like any other three-row electric SUV.

www.greencarreports.com

 

[xponents]

Also, @hmp10 , I think that this article answered a lot of questions for us both. First of all;

All Gravities will have air suspension. It looks like the "Zero Gravity" options will be three chamber while the base suspension is one chamber, at least based on this. It also looks as if rear wheel steering will only be available with the tri chamber system.

Smooth mode will have around 500 hp, while the Sprint mode will have the previously mentioned 800+ hp. I assume this is for the DE.

The Gravity Sapphire will be tri-motor, not quad-motor.

It drives well, like an "overgrown Cayenne" or AMG suvs. The view from the interior also seems like what an Air wagon would be like if it existed.

The steering wheel feels appropriate and "proportional" to the vehicle (?? no idea what is meant by this).

Most importantly to me though, sadly, is that the Gravity will have the same toe-room issue as the Air (or, to rephrase it, space under the front seat). The attached picture proves this:

Although I will keep in mind it's a prototype, I doubt that the "hump" (the rise that causes low under-seat space) under the front seats will be changed as the mechanicals should already be fairly set in stone (assuming they are still on target). I also don't think the Air seat being there instead of the Gravity would make much of a difference, since that upward rise would still be there even if there is space "above" that rise. It would be very uncomfortable to slide your feet in that case, since even if there may be some space above it, that rise would be awkward. Hopefully the Pure/Touring do not have this, as they should have smaller battery packs.

 

[Bobby]

No sure they did their research. They said: "The Gravity might be the first crossover SUV in history with a third-row seat that tucks into a rear well." My 2016 Explorer does that.

 

[xponents]

No sure they did their research. They said: "The Gravity might be the first crossover SUV in history with a third-row seat that tucks into a rear well." My 2016 Explorer does that.

I just searched it up, and it seems you are right. I will note that the Explorer is FWD, which could make space for the seat folding mechanism. The Gravity also has "more space" when the third row seat is up. Nevertheless, what the author said is wrong as you said.

About the Gravity "details," I do still think those are correct. This is because the author would have needed to get those details from somewhere (aka, Lucid), and I just don't think he completely fabricated all of these very specific details.

 

[Bobby]

I just searched it up, and it seems you are right. I will note that the Explorer is FWD, which could make space for the seat folding mechanism. The Gravity also has "more space" when the third row seat is up. Nevertheless, what the author said is wrong as you said.

About the Gravity "details," I do still think those are correct. This is because the author would have needed to get those details from somewhere (aka, Lucid), and I just don't think he completely fabricated all of these very specific details.

Mine is AWD.

 

[xponents]

Mine is AWD.

On an FWD platform, I meant. Sorry for the confusion. For this same reason, a FWD based SUV (I'll use the Telluride as an example) has more space than a CX-90 (rwd). To my knowledge, this is mainly due to the differences in engine mounting, transverse vs longitudinal. This applies whether that FWD vehicle has an AWD option or not. The 2020-present Ford Explorer does not have this folding mechanism due to it being RWD with an AWD option, to further supplant my point.

 

[sbr41]

Most importantly to me though, sadly, is that the Gravity will have the same toe-room issue as the Air (or, to rephrase it, space under the front seat). The attached picture proves this:

The article mentions that the seats in this prototype are "ripped out of an Air because the prototype Gravity seats were needed in a newer mule being tested on the road."

 

[xponents]

The article mentions that the seats in this prototype are "ripped out of an Air because the prototype Gravity seats were needed in a newer mule being tested on the road."

Yes, I mentioned why I don’t think it would make much of a difference in the next paragraph.

 

[borski]

When I sat in it at the LA Auto Show, I did not notice an issue with the toe-room at all; it wasn't like the Air in that regard. That said, it was quick and a prototype, so I don't remember for sure.

 

[hmp10]

No sure they did their research. They said: "The Gravity might be the first crossover SUV in history with a third-row seat that tucks into a rear well." My 2016 Explorer does that.

So did our 2011 Honda Odyssey, as does our 2018 Odyssey.

 

[xponents]

So did our 2011 Honda Odyssey, as does our 2018 Odyssey.

Those are minivans though, not "SUVs" (although I think the Gravity is more of a minivan than Lucid would like people to think).

 

[hmp10]

The steering wheel feels appropriate and "proportional" to the vehicle (?? no idea what is meant by this).

The "Throttle House" reviewers made similar comments about the squircle. Although they were initially a bit skeptical, when driving the car Thomas Holland said he "kinda dug the feel of this" when discussing the squircle.

Most importantly to me though, sadly, is that the Gravity will have the same toe-room issue as the Air (or, to rephrase it, space under the front seat). The attached picture proves this:

As @sbr41 mentioned, the test prototypes have Air front seats in them. (Throttle House noted the same thing.) Remember that Lucid moved the upper tier battery modules that were under the rear seats of the Air to place them under the front seats of the Gravity and positioned them at the leading edge of the seats specifically to create some toe room for second-row passengers.

 

[hmp10]

Those are minivans though, not "SUVs" (although I think the Gravity is more of a minivan than Lucid would like people to think).

Fine by me. My fantasy car for some time has been a Honda Odyssey on a Lucid platform.

 

[hmp10]

So did our 2011 Honda Odyssey, as does our 2018 Odyssey.

Sorry, Bobby. I just read the article and found I had failed to note the comment in the article was about SUVs, not minivans.

 

[hmp10]

I see from the picture in the article that they were also using Air front seats in the second row of the prototype. Those would make some mighty fine captains chairs for the Gravity's second row with space for a roomy armrest/storage module in between. Just sayin', Lucid, for those who might want a more limo-oriented option to one with a huge cargo cavity.