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Is Lucid styling the problem?

Lucid is struggling mightily just to produce/support 2 form factors (1 for Gravity, 1 for Air). If they were a giant, established automaker selling millions of units/year, maybe they could be talking about form factor variants of the Gravity, but they need to get to economy of scale first. And they're nowhere close.
 
Exxxviii said:
@socktucker's comment above about comparative features is dead on. Like it or not, stuff like HUD, ambient lighting, audio systems, etc. are critical differentiators in the luxury class. And of course, when you need service, the luxury brands have luxury service to a science. (Personally, I would prefer no service, and the Gravity is struggling in that category too.
  • HUD - The luxury competitors all just work. No glare. No blindness. Just quietly serves core data.
  • Ambient Lighting - Like it or not ambient lighting is a feature people want and want to personalize. Some are subtle, some are garish, but this is a luxury table stakes item now.
  • Audio System - This is Gravity's biggest gap. For $4K, the SSP should hang with B&W, Burmester, or AKG Studio Reference. It doesn't. Not even close. It is on the level of a mid-tier Harman Kardon system in the luxury cars that are either standard or bundled in cheap packages.
  • Hands-free ADAS - It is coming, but again, this is table stakes in most of the luxury cars.
  • PaaK - Ditto ADAS, it is coming, but this has been table stakes for a few years in luxury competitors.
The legacy luxury cars are not perfect for BEV - far from it. They suck at packaging. They are heavy. They are (mostly) inefficient. A lot of them are unattractive.
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1) Agree on HUD
2) Gravity has ambient lighting as an option and it looks quite nice, though they should've made it standard
3) I thought it sounded good but understand your perspective
4) Gravity ADAS is actually pretty good. While it's not hands free yet, it can be activated anywhere with lane markings. It's actually towards the front of the pack in this respect.
5) I don't think most cars have PaaK. Not sure who you're including in your list of competitors. Edit: I stand corrected here! Seems like most have.
 
I was stunned when I saw the Gravity in person. It is one amazing looking car--especially for an SUV. I think the Air is a great looking car, but I've always disliked the two-tone paint job, which is why I got mine in black stealth. IMO styling is definitely not a problem for Lucid. to the contrary, I think it is one of their greatest strengths.
 
socktucker said:
Of course it is. What could be more zen that a 2” blank square that would otherwise contain tire pressures.

Imagine the person that had to program that 🤣
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It's a silly name for Off, yes. But I have no problem with Off as an option (even though I personally like to have useful into there and don't quite get why anyone would want it off).
 
I also originally understood "Zen" mode would be something that turned off more or less all the screens, not just that one little section, and I agree it's silly to give such a de minimis "feature" a name given how minor a point it is. I am sure there are some kind of regulatory requirements for the minimum amount of information needs to be shown on screen and hence it's probably not ok to turn the entire screen off (especially w/r/t warning and indicator lights) but one would think it could kill the infotainment at least as well.

As for exterior styling, IMO (this is just my opinion, don't shoot me) Lucid is a weirdly mixed bag. I really hate the two-tone Air roof canopy. Between the contrasting tone and the thickness of the C pillar, it is reminiscent of an 80s Buick or Cadillac, and not in a good way. It's a shame, because I probably would have seriously considered Air more, earlier, were it not for that - and had it been offered in a shooting brake format. Yet Air does look great from other angles. Same with Gravity - great from some angles, but there is the whole minivan thing. Even for those who totally disagree (I don't; I see it) or don't care (I don't care at all, minivans are great), the fact is that many people do see it and that's a big rap against it.

All that said, I don't think these are huge headwinds when BMWs look as ridiculous as they do right now. (although I think their ostentatiousness is enjoyed in certain quarters) I do agree that the differing trim levels could use some differentiation, but I'm also not convinced that's Lucid's biggest problem.

Bigger problems for Lucid:
- Intermittent software glitches that interfere with basic functionality like entering and exiting the vehicle,
- Relative scarcity of service locations and long lead times to make appointments,
- Concerns about the company's long-term viability given cash burn, stock price, etc.

"Average" buyers aren't into Lucid yet and won't touch them until these perceptions change.
 
HC_79 said:
I think some of the criticism is fair, especially around software maturity and service consistency. Lucid absolutely still has areas they need to improve, and at this price point people are justified expecting more polish.

But I also think people confuse “different design philosophy” with “not luxury.” Luxury doesn’t have to mean covering the cabin in ambient lighting strips and giant animated screens. Mercedes in particular has gone very heavy on the nightclub/disco aesthetic lately, which some people love and others find completely tacky (me included). Lucid took a much more minimalist, architectural approach with cleaner interiors, open space, softer materials, less visual clutter. That’s still luxury, just presented differently.

Honestly, for a company that’s only been building production vehicles for about five years, they compete with the Germans in more areas than people want to admit. Ride quality, cabin openness, efficiency, seating comfort, material choices, packaging, and overall design are genuinely top class in many respects.

Now does Lucid still have software bugs, odd UX quirks, and some questionable execution details? Absolutely. But let’s also not pretend BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, and Audi are strangers to software problems, recalls or service nightmares either. Legacy brands just benefit from decades of manufacturing refinement and larger support networks.

Lucid’s biggest issue right now isn’t that the cars lack luxury, it’s that the ownership experience still doesn’t consistently match how great the underlying vehicles actually are.
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Spot on. Lately I've found myself driving around in my Air an marveling at how great of a car it really is. The whole "feel" of the car is just so much better than my prior Teslas and almost everything else I've ever driven (aside form my old Porsches but that's a different drive anyway). And I've been thinking what a real shame it would be if one of the best cars (software quirks aside) produced in America (or the world) in years could be at risk of folding. I hope not.
 
I'm not saying it looks BAD per se, but most reviews constantly harp on the 'minivan-esque' styling.. not a problem for me, but im saying the more younger, single folk who "want to be seen" or identify with a certain brand/lifestyle, eg G-wagen, Range rover, Urus, Cayenne, X6 etc, these cars sell in bigger numbers, and if you want to be successful in the higher price tiers, those are the kinds of buyers Lucid will eventually need to court, not just those looking for the most efficient vehicle. A lot of times those expensive purchases are more emotional, and while the Gravity may look good, it doesnt have that kind of "presence" that you might expect on a 6 figure vehicle. If ultimate utility were the case then Toyota Siennas would sell for $100k.

especially nowadays, a lot of these EV's are adopting the same light bar across the front of the car

And i also agree that brighter colors and wheel combos might help, at least give it a nice Red or blue hue.
 
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Exxxviii said:
My main point is that for $4K, SSP should be a crapton better. It is about the same as a BMW mid-tier Harman Kardon. And for hands-free ADAS, these are the luxury players there: Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lexus, and Lincoln. Luxury automakers with PaaK: Audi, BMW, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, Polestar, Porsche, Rivian, Volvo.

These (and the other) comparative features are not available yet on the Gravity, but they are commonly available from many other luxury automakers. The Gravity will eventually catch up on HUD, PaaK, and hands-free ADAS. But as of today, it is behind.
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I can only comment on Mercedes. They have a base Burmester (no extra cost) and then an upgraded 3D Burmester that is a $5K upgrade. To my ears, SSP is significantly better than the base Burmester and at least on par with the $5k upgraded Burmester.

I agree that Lucid should be close to catching up on PAAK and ADAS (possibly jump towards the front by next year). As for HUD, that is TBD. Not county on my HUD to suddenly become a world leader in the near future (if ever).

But as others have pointed out, styling and lack of features is not what is affecting demand. It is low (perceived) reliability and non-premium dealer/service experience. Someone switching from Tesla may be OK with some of Lucid peculiarities but not someone used to Mercedes/BMW/Lexus/Cadillac, etc.
 
Yes I agree the styling isn't exactly for attracting younger people; but I have only ever got compliments, the Gravity was the star of the show at the last EV driveelectric event I brought it too. It's not as well done as the Air, but it's also not actively turning buyers away like the Cybertruck, EQS and Model X blobs or the BMW Ix beaver face. I desperately want to change the base wheels to the mid-size platinum ones on a stealth package but will wait until my lease finishes for adjusting it. The bigger wheels do give it presence, and black wheel is a younger trend (read: bad fad, like neon on a 2000s sport compact bad) to me.
 
Bdr100 said:
I can only comment on Mercedes. They have a base Burmester (no extra cost) and then an upgraded 3D Burmester that is a $5K upgrade. To my ears, SSP is significantly better than the base Burmester and at least on par with the $5k upgraded Burmester.
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Yup. Mercedes uses the Burmester brand liberally, from "ordinary" mid-tier systems to the mega ultra premium class like Bowers & Wilkins and AKG Studio Reference. (FYI, AKG Studio is crap.) By contrast, Porsche uses Burmester for their ultra premium systems and Bose for mid-tier.

I am casting a pretty wide net for my next car. The short list will likely be driven mostly by what is actually available at the time I need to pull the trigger. Here are my personal assessments based on the styling and related comments above. None of my options are perfect, so the choice will come down to what I can get and what compromise can I live with.

Car​
Blockers​
Dependability
HUD​
Exterior Styling​
Interior Styling​
PaaK​
Audio​
Luxury Support​
ADAS​
Polestar 3AverageAverageGoodGoodYesSpectacularAverageHands-on
R2AvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGoodYesGoodAverageHands-free
iX3Availability & AudioTBDAdvancedFunkyStarkYesCrapFull LuxHands-free
GravityFob & SoftwareBelow AverageBelow AverageVery GoodVery GoodNoGoodBelow AverageHands-on
EX60AvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGoodYesSpectacularAverageHands-on
GLC EVAvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGorgeousYesGoodFull LuxHands-on
Macan EVNo OPDAverageAdvancedGorgeousGorgeousNoVery goodFull LuxHands-on
Lyriq VSoftware & AudioBelow AverageAdvancedVery GoodVery GoodYesCrapBelow Average
Hands-free​
 
I would comment that some of you categories are dynamic and can be improved by OTA updates, unless you are profoundly interested in out-the-door capabilities.
 
drb3333 said:
I would comment that some of you categories are dynamic and can be improved by OTA updates, unless you are profoundly interested in out-the-door capabilities.
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That is true for everyone, and I will make my final decision on what the cars do or are likely to get soon at the time of my decision, weighted by how important those features are. For example, Porsche is supposed to get PaaK by the end of the year. Similarly, Lucid's hands-free ADAS and PaaK are likely to come, but 2026 seems less likely. And of course, dependability is definitely correctable through future OTA updates.
 
Exxxviii said:
Yup. Mercedes uses the Burmester brand liberally, from "ordinary" mid-tier systems to the mega ultra premium class like Bowers & Wilkins and AKG Studio Reference. (FYI, AKG Studio is crap.) By contrast, Porsche uses Burmester for their ultra premium systems and Bose for mid-tier.

I am casting a pretty wide net for my next car. The short list will likely be driven mostly by what is actually available at the time I need to pull the trigger. Here are my personal assessments based on the styling and related comments above. None of my options are perfect, so the choice will come down to what I can get and what compromise can I live with.

Car​
Blockers​
Dependability
HUD​
Exterior Styling​
Interior Styling​
PaaK​
Audio​
Luxury Support​
ADAS​
Polestar 3AverageAverageGoodGoodYesSpectacularAverageHands-on
R2AvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGoodYesGoodAverageHands-free
iX3Availability & AudioTBDAdvancedFunkyStarkYesCrapFull LuxHands-free
GravityFob & SoftwareBelow AverageBelow AverageVery GoodVery GoodNoGoodBelow AverageHands-on
EX60AvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGoodYesSpectacularAverageHands-on
GLC EVAvailabilityTBDAverageGoodGorgeousYesGoodFull LuxHands-on
Macan EVNo OPDAverageAdvancedGorgeousGorgeousNoVery goodFull LuxHands-on
Lyriq VSoftware & AudioBelow AverageAdvancedVery GoodVery GoodYesCrapBelow Average
Hands-free​
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isn't the Macan and Lyric V like the cost of 2 Gravities tho?
 
socktucker said:
isn't the Macan and Lyric V like the cost of 2 Gravities tho?
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The Macan EV, configured the way I would want it, is the same price as a Gravity. The Lyriq V is cheap. The Cayenne EV is stupidly expensive.
 
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