Thoughts on Sitting in a Gravity

[hmp10]

An Aurora Green Gravity was on display at the Miami Worldcenter Design Studio today. As viewers were allowed to sit in it, we drove across Florida to check it out. (We had seen a Lunar Titanium Gravity at showrooms twice but not been allowed to sit in it.). This Gravity was a beta prototype, not a release candidate car. There was a release candidate Gravity in the attached service center, as Lucid is sending them out to the service centers for technician training, but we were not allowed to see it. Most switchgear and the software features weren't functioning on the beta car, and some interior components were filler pieces. For example, instead of the tempered glass siding cover on the front console, there was a fixed piece of flat black material.

The showroom was mobbed, with 9-10 Lucid employees on hand from various locations and throngs of viewers milling around the Gravity and the Air Sapphire sitting next to it. All the Gravity's doors, rear hatch, and frunk were opened. In fact, we weren't allowed to close any of the doors as the mechanism that seals the windows wasn't functioning. I found quite a bit of variability among the sales reps in their knowledge of the Gravity. A couple weren't even aware that there were Gravity exterior color blocks on a display shelf and interior color swatches mounted on a large wall board. One has been in Product Planning at Lucid headquarters and was a fount of interesting information, although more regarding the Air than the Gravity (for which rollout he has been borrowed).

So, here are my impressions, moving from the front row backwards:

Front Row

Getting into the car is easier than getting into an Air, partly due to the ground clearance and partly due to the higher roof cantrails. However, I was surprised to find that I had to bend my neck a bit to get into the driver seat. Apparently the prior viewer had run it well forward of my normal driving position. My taller partner had no similar problem getting into the front passenger seat, and I found getting into the driver seat easier when the seat was run back to my normal driving position.

The foam in all the seats was extremely firm. I suspect this might be due to the need to photograph the seats for promos, as the original demo Airs in the showrooms had similarly firm foam, but the production Airs had softer foam.

Even though not all the seating adjustments were functioning, the seating positions we could access were quite comfortable. As you would expect in a Lucid, the leg and foot room was copious.

The rim of the squircle was considerably thinner than on the Air -- almost disconcertingly so. I have seen some reviewers who drove early prototypes say the rim was rather hefty, so I'm wondering if this squircle was the production version.

The Glass Cockpit (aka the driver binnacle) was positioned very well. I had doubted some of the comments about its being situated to clear the squircle without blocking the forward view. In fact, short as I am, it did so very nicely.

None of the screen displays were functional, so other that saying there were sharp looking and nicely sized, there's not much to report here.

Second Row

The second-row seats offer great leg and foot room, especially with the second row run all the way back, but are still plenty roomy when run further forward. The seating position is high, with good leg drop. There is a surprising amount of toe parking space under the front seats given that there is a second tier of battery modules under those seats.

The drop-down center armrest is the full width of the center seat back, giving two people plenty of arm room without bumping elbows. However, it is so wide compared to the Air's rear armrest that it actually makes the outboard seats feel narrower than in the Air. (I started to close the door to see just how pronounced this was until a sales rep jumped forward to tell me the doors could not be closed for the reason aforementioned.)

The tray tables seem sturdy and were positioned perfectly for typing on a laptop (at least for an adult).

But, oh . . . how that second row left me lusting for some really nice captains chairs. There's plenty of room to do them really right.

Third Row

This was a real mixed bag. As most videos have shown, there is good leg and headroom for a tall adult as long as the second-row seats aren't run too far back. However, the bottom seat cushions are very short, probably to accommodate the need to fold the seats into the cargo floor. But they just aren't as comfortable as the third row in our Odyssey. At first, this surprised me, as the Gravity wheelbase is actually fractionally longer than the Odyssey's. But then it occurred to me that the front-wheel-drive Odyssey, with no rear axle or differential, has more room to accommodate seat stowage than does the Gravity with its rear drive unit and axle. Lucid's magic space wand can only do so much, I guess.

The real clunker, though, was ingress and egress. No other word for it but awful. After I ran the second-row seat all the way forward and folded the backrest forward, I just stood there trying to figure out how to proceed. A sales rep saw my dilemma and came up to tell me that most people found it easier to fold the back seat into the floor and climb over it. He then led me around to the other side of the car to show me how others were getting in and out. (I have a replaced knee and hip and need another knee done, so . . . ain't gonna happen.) I shook my head and returned to the other side to try. I finally made it into the third row, and I'll spare you the tale of getting back out.

One of the reasons I've been chomping at the bit to get a Gravity is that I wanted an EV that could replace our Odyssey for hauling six older adults on day outings. I've now got to start working on another justification for getting the Gravity which, God help me, I'm still hellbent on doing.

Now, colors . . .

Although I was told ahead of the visit that they had no interior of exterior color samples for the Gravity, I arrived to find a wall shelf with four exterior color blocks and a large wall display with interior colors. However, the wall display showed only the four colors that were shown at the L.A. Auto Show: Yosemite, Ojai, Tahoe, and Mojave. None of the sales rep new anything about the five "curated" colors that Lucid mentions on its recently-updated Gravity webpage, and they have no idea what the fifth color might be.

The Gravity is going to come in six exterior colors, four unique to the Gravity: Supernova Bronze, Lunar Titanium, Aurora Green, and Classic Black. For some reason, the Gravity is not going to use the Infinity Black of the Air, but I could not tell any difference between the two from the samples under the showroom lighting.

The two in which I'm most interested are the bronze and the green, so a sales rep took them outside so that I could see them in natural light, where even she was surprised at how different -- and how much better -- they looked from in the showroom with its artificial lighting and heavily-tinted windows. (Several other people followed us out, and there was a lot of oohing and aahing.) These really are beautiful colors, and different hues come out in each when you move from sunlight to shade.

Personally, I found the Yosemite and Tahoe interiors work best with the Aurora Green (although I found the Yosemite a bit too "chalky" when I actually saw it). My favorite interior color -- Ojai -- just did not work with the Aurora Green, so that might break the exterior color tie for me between the bronze and the green.

Okay, folks. End of report.

Oh, wait . . .

Some sales reps think the configurator will open in early November, but none claimed to have anything firm.

And . . . the Dream Edition is almost certainly dead, but there was a hint -- shadowy, vague, halting -- that some type of performance option could yet happen. It caused me to remember that the performance version of the GT was an option in the GT order configurator instead of its own separate model. And a reviewer a few weeks back said the Gravity would have up to 1,050 horsepower. At the time, I wrote it off to his being confused, but now I'm wondering. And hoping. Maybe even praying.

 

[hydbob]

An Aurora Green Gravity was on display at the Miami Worldcenter Design Studio today. As viewers were allowed to sit in it, we drove across Florida to check it out. (We had seen a Lunar Titanium Gravity at showrooms twice but not been allowed to sit in it.). This Gravity was a beta prototype, not a release candidate car. There was a release candidate Gravity in the attached service center, as Lucid is sending them out to the service centers for technician training, but we were not allowed to see it. Most switchgear and the software features weren't functioning on the beta car, and some interior components were filler pieces. For example, instead of the tempered glass siding cover on the front console, there was a fixed piece of flat black material.

The showroom was mobbed, with 9-10 Lucid employees on hand from various locations and throngs of viewers milling around the Gravity and the Air Sapphire sitting next to it. All the Gravity's doors, rear hatch, and frunk were opened. In fact, we weren't allowed to close any of the doors as the mechanism that seals the windows wasn't functioning. I found quite a bit of variability among the sales reps in their knowledge of the Gravity. A couple weren't even aware that there were Gravity exterior color blocks on a display shelf and interior color swatches mounted on a large wall board. One has been in Product Planning at Lucid headquarters and was a fount of interesting information, although more regarding the Air than the Gravity (for which rollout he has been borrowed).

So, here are my impressions, moving from the front row backwards:

Front Row

Getting into the car is easier than getting into an Air, partly due to the ground clearance and partly due to the higher roof cantrails. However, I was surprised to find that I had to bend my neck a bit to get into the driver seat. Apparently the prior viewer had run it well forward of my normal driving position. My taller partner had no similar problem getting into the front passenger seat, and I found getting into the driver seat easier when the seat was run back to my normal driving position.

The foam in all the seats was extremely firm. I suspect this might be due to the need to photograph the seats for promos, as the original demo Airs in the showrooms had similarly firm foam, but the production Airs had softer foam.

Even though not all the seating adjustments were functioning, the seating positions we could access were quite comfortable. As you would expect in a Lucid, the leg and foot room was copious.

The rim of the squircle was considerably thinner than on the Air -- almost disconcertingly so. I have seen some reviewers who drove early prototypes say the rim was rather hefty, so I'm wondering if this squircle was the production version.

The Glass Cockpit (aka the driver binnacle) was positioned very well. I had doubted some of the comments about its being situated to clear the squircle without blocking the forward view. In fact, short as I am, it did so very nicely.

None of the screen displays were functional, so other that saying there were sharp looking and nicely sized, there's not much to report here.

Second Row

The second-row seats offer great leg and foot room, especially with the second row run all the way back, but are still plenty roomy when run further forward. The seating position is high, with good leg drop. There is a surprising amount of toe parking space under the front seats given that there is a second tier of battery modules under those seats.

The drop-down center armrest is the full width of the center seat back, giving two people plenty of arm room without bumping elbows. However, it is so wide compared to the Air's rear armrest that it actually makes the outboard seats feel narrower than in the Air. (I started to close the door to see just how pronounced this was until a sales rep jumped forward to tell me the doors could not be closed for the reason aforementioned.)

The tray tables seem sturdy and were positioned perfectly for typing on a laptop (at least for an adult).

But, oh . . . how that second row left me lusting for some really nice captains chairs. There's plenty of room to do them really right.

Third Row

This was a real mixed bag. As most videos have shown, there is good leg and headroom for a tall adult as long as the second-row seats aren't run too far back. However, the bottom seat cushions are very short, probably to accommodate the need to fold the seats into the cargo floor. But they just aren't as comfortable as the third row in our Odyssey. At first, this surprised me, as the Gravity wheelbase is actually fractionally longer than the Odyssey's. But then it occurred to me that the front-wheel-drive Odyssey, with no rear axle or differential, has more room to accommodate seat stowage than does the Gravity with its rear drive unit and axle. Lucid's magic space wand can only do so much, I guess.

The real clunker, though, was ingress and egress. No other word for it but awful. After I ran the second-row seat all the way forward and folded the backrest forward, I just stood there trying to figure out how to proceed. A sales rep saw my dilemma and came up to tell me that most people found it easier to fold the back seat into the floor and climb over it. He then led me around to the other side of the car to show me how others were getting in and out. (I have a replaced knee and hip and need another knee done, so . . . ain't gonna happen.) I shook my head and returned to the other side to try. I finally made it into the third row, and I'll spare you the tale of getting back out.

One of the reasons I've been chomping at the bit to get a Gravity is that I wanted an EV that could replace our Odyssey for hauling six older adults on day outings. I've now got to start working on another justification for getting the Gravity which, God help me, I'm still hellbent on doing.


View attachment 23600


Now, colors . . .

Although I was told ahead of the visit that they had no interior of exterior color samples for the Gravity, I arrived to find a wall shelf with four exterior color blocks and a large wall display with interior colors. However, the wall display showed only the four colors that were shown at the L.A. Auto Show: Yosemite, Ojai, Tahoe, and Mojave. None of the sales rep new anything about the five "curated" colors that Lucid mentions on its recently-updated Gravity webpage, and they have no idea what the fifth color might be.

The Gravity is going to come in six exterior colors, four unique to the Gravity: Supernova Bronze, Lunar Titanium, Aurora Green, and Classic Black. For some reason, the Gravity is not going to use the Infinity Black of the Air, but I could not tell any difference between the two from the samples under the showroom lighting.

The two in which I'm most interested are the bronze and the green, so a sales rep took them outside so that I could see them in natural light, where even she was surprised at how different -- and how much better -- they looked from in the showroom with its artificial lighting and heavily-tinted windows. (Several other people followed us out, and there was a lot of oohing and aahing.) These really are beautiful colors, and different hues come out in each when you move from sunlight to shade.

View attachment 23602

View attachment 23601

Personally, I found the Yosemite and Tahoe interiors work best with the Aurora Green (although I found the Yosemite a bit too "chalky" when I actually saw it). My favorite interior color -- Ojai -- just did not work with the Aurora Green, so that might break the exterior color tie for me between the bronze and the green.

Okay, folks. End of report.

Oh, wait . . .

Some sales reps think the configurator will open in early November, but none claimed to have anything firm.

And . . . the Dream Edition is almost certainly dead, but there was a hint -- shadowy, vague, halting -- that some type of performance option could yet happen. It caused me to remember that the performance version of the GT was an option in the GT order configurator instead of its own separate model. And a reviewer a few weeks back said the Gravity would have up to 1,050 horsepower. At the time, I wrote it off to his being confused, but now I'm wondering. And hoping. Maybe even praying.

Interestingly, I found the ingress and egress of the 3rd row better than the EX90, EV9, and R1S. It's not Odyssey level but it's the best of any 3 row SUV IMO.

 

[tobyringld]

An Aurora Green Gravity was on display at the Miami Worldcenter Design Studio today. As viewers were allowed to sit in it, we drove across Florida to check it out. (We had seen a Lunar Titanium Gravity at showrooms twice but not been allowed to sit in it.). This Gravity was a beta prototype, not a release candidate car. There was a release candidate Gravity in the attached service center, as Lucid is sending them out to the service centers for technician training, but we were not allowed to see it. Most switchgear and the software features weren't functioning on the beta car, and some interior components were filler pieces. For example, instead of the tempered glass siding cover on the front console, there was a fixed piece of flat black material.

The showroom was mobbed, with 9-10 Lucid employees on hand from various locations and throngs of viewers milling around the Gravity and the Air Sapphire sitting next to it. All the Gravity's doors, rear hatch, and frunk were opened. In fact, we weren't allowed to close any of the doors as the mechanism that seals the windows wasn't functioning. I found quite a bit of variability among the sales reps in their knowledge of the Gravity. A couple weren't even aware that there were Gravity exterior color blocks on a display shelf and interior color swatches mounted on a large wall board. One has been in Product Planning at Lucid headquarters and was a fount of interesting information, although more regarding the Air than the Gravity (for which rollout he has been borrowed).

So, here are my impressions, moving from the front row backwards:

Front Row

Getting into the car is easier than getting into an Air, partly due to the ground clearance and partly due to the higher roof cantrails. However, I was surprised to find that I had to bend my neck a bit to get into the driver seat. Apparently the prior viewer had run it well forward of my normal driving position. My taller partner had no similar problem getting into the front passenger seat, and I found getting into the driver seat easier when the seat was run back to my normal driving position.

The foam in all the seats was extremely firm. I suspect this might be due to the need to photograph the seats for promos, as the original demo Airs in the showrooms had similarly firm foam, but the production Airs had softer foam.

Even though not all the seating adjustments were functioning, the seating positions we could access were quite comfortable. As you would expect in a Lucid, the leg and foot room was copious.

The rim of the squircle was considerably thinner than on the Air -- almost disconcertingly so. I have seen some reviewers who drove early prototypes say the rim was rather hefty, so I'm wondering if this squircle was the production version.

The Glass Cockpit (aka the driver binnacle) was positioned very well. I had doubted some of the comments about its being situated to clear the squircle without blocking the forward view. In fact, short as I am, it did so very nicely.

None of the screen displays were functional, so other that saying there were sharp looking and nicely sized, there's not much to report here.

Second Row

The second-row seats offer great leg and foot room, especially with the second row run all the way back, but are still plenty roomy when run further forward. The seating position is high, with good leg drop. There is a surprising amount of toe parking space under the front seats given that there is a second tier of battery modules under those seats.

The drop-down center armrest is the full width of the center seat back, giving two people plenty of arm room without bumping elbows. However, it is so wide compared to the Air's rear armrest that it actually makes the outboard seats feel narrower than in the Air. (I started to close the door to see just how pronounced this was until a sales rep jumped forward to tell me the doors could not be closed for the reason aforementioned.)

The tray tables seem sturdy and were positioned perfectly for typing on a laptop (at least for an adult).

But, oh . . . how that second row left me lusting for some really nice captains chairs. There's plenty of room to do them really right.

Third Row

This was a real mixed bag. As most videos have shown, there is good leg and headroom for a tall adult as long as the second-row seats aren't run too far back. However, the bottom seat cushions are very short, probably to accommodate the need to fold the seats into the cargo floor. But they just aren't as comfortable as the third row in our Odyssey. At first, this surprised me, as the Gravity wheelbase is actually fractionally longer than the Odyssey's. But then it occurred to me that the front-wheel-drive Odyssey, with no rear axle or differential, has more room to accommodate seat stowage than does the Gravity with its rear drive unit and axle. Lucid's magic space wand can only do so much, I guess.

The real clunker, though, was ingress and egress. No other word for it but awful. After I ran the second-row seat all the way forward and folded the backrest forward, I just stood there trying to figure out how to proceed. A sales rep saw my dilemma and came up to tell me that most people found it easier to fold the back seat into the floor and climb over it. He then led me around to the other side of the car to show me how others were getting in and out. (I have a replaced knee and hip and need another knee done, so . . . ain't gonna happen.) I shook my head and returned to the other side to try. I finally made it into the third row, and I'll spare you the tale of getting back out.

One of the reasons I've been chomping at the bit to get a Gravity is that I wanted an EV that could replace our Odyssey for hauling six older adults on day outings. I've now got to start working on another justification for getting the Gravity which, God help me, I'm still hellbent on doing.


View attachment 23600


Now, colors . . .

Although I was told ahead of the visit that they had no interior of exterior color samples for the Gravity, I arrived to find a wall shelf with four exterior color blocks and a large wall display with interior colors. However, the wall display showed only the four colors that were shown at the L.A. Auto Show: Yosemite, Ojai, Tahoe, and Mojave. None of the sales rep new anything about the five "curated" colors that Lucid mentions on its recently-updated Gravity webpage, and they have no idea what the fifth color might be.

The Gravity is going to come in six exterior colors, four unique to the Gravity: Supernova Bronze, Lunar Titanium, Aurora Green, and Classic Black. For some reason, the Gravity is not going to use the Infinity Black of the Air, but I could not tell any difference between the two from the samples under the showroom lighting.

The two in which I'm most interested are the bronze and the green, so a sales rep took them outside so that I could see them in natural light, where even she was surprised at how different -- and how much better -- they looked from in the showroom with its artificial lighting and heavily-tinted windows. (Several other people followed us out, and there was a lot of oohing and aahing.) These really are beautiful colors, and different hues come out in each when you move from sunlight to shade.

View attachment 23602

View attachment 23601

Personally, I found the Yosemite and Tahoe interiors work best with the Aurora Green (although I found the Yosemite a bit too "chalky" when I actually saw it). My favorite interior color -- Ojai -- just did not work with the Aurora Green, so that might break the exterior color tie for me between the bronze and the green.

Okay, folks. End of report.

Oh, wait . . .

Some sales reps think the configurator will open in early November, but none claimed to have anything firm.

And . . . the Dream Edition is almost certainly dead, but there was a hint -- shadowy, vague, halting -- that some type of performance option could yet happen. It caused me to remember that the performance version of the GT was an option in the GT order configurator instead of its own separate model. And a reviewer a few weeks back said the Gravity would have up to 1,050 horsepower. At the time, I wrote it off to his being confused, but now I'm wondering. And hoping. Maybe even praying.

Thank you for this update! Aside from folding the second row seat flat, what is the intended procedure for accessing the 3rd row? Is there a single button to bring the seat forward with the seat back leaning forward? Or is it a 2 step process by moving the seat forward (electronically) and then leaning the seat back forward?

 

[hmp10]

Interestingly, I found the ingress and egress of the 3rd row better than the EX90, EV9, and R1S. It's not Odyssey level but it's the best of any 3 row SUV IMO.

I've been wondering why only one reviewer so far has commented on the ingress/egress issue. Maybe that's why . . . the Gravity is just the best of a bad lot on this score.

Also, there's a caveat to my observation. The embedded floor rails for the second row were uncovered and extended well back into the foot space of the third row. They were much more prominent than the partially covered rails in the second-row footwell. I asked the sales rep whether they were going to be left like that, and he did not think so. I'm wondering if the ingress/egress was still a work in progress when this prototype was built?

 

[Bobby]

The one item that disappointed me is the manual operation of the 2nd and 3rd rows. I wish they were power operated. This would make a flatter floor (fewer handles and such) and make it easier for smaller or weaker folks to operate.

 

[hmp10]

The one item that disappointed me is the manual operation of the 2nd and 3rd rows. I wish they were power operated. This would make a flatter floor (fewer handles and such) and make it easier for smaller or weaker folks to operate.

The prototype I saw had a power-operated second row, at least in terms of fore/aft movement. I didn't try to do anything else with it other than fold the backrest down (manually) to enter the third row.

 

[hmp10]

Thank you for this update! Aside from folding the second row seat flat, what is the intended procedure for accessing the 3rd row? Is there a single button to bring the seat forward with the seat back leaning forward? Or is it a 2 step process by moving the seat forward (electronically) and then leaning the seat back forward?

I'm not sure. I used the 2-step process you describe, but only because I was fumbling with it on my own. There may well have been a way to move the second-row seat for rear access with a single action, such as there is in our Honda (where the second-row is not power operated, though).

Many eventual features were not functioning on this prototype. For instance, the front seats will have a lot more powered adjustability than was enabled in this car. And there were many questions the sales reps could not answer. For instance, there was a cut line in the top of the rear door panel that I thought suggested a powered sunscreen, but this car did not have one, and the sales reps did not know whether the production car would. (I'm betting it will, at least as part of an options package, fwiw.)

This car was very much like the Airs that were in showrooms before final production started. They were good for assessing the styling, passenger and cargo space, ingress/egress, and the instrument layout -- but not much else.

Some additional perspective on my review:

Part of the reason for our trip to see this car was to pin down things I might not find optimal, and that's where my review focused. After driving an Air for almost three years and seeing the Gravity twice before, I have long since decided it's a vehicle I want. It's the most gorgeous vehicle in its category (which is hard to pin down, actually), it has more interior room relative to exterior dimensions than anything else on the road (except for an Air), and I'm convinced it will drive, ride, and handle like a demon outrunning the devil, all the while being quiet and rock solid structurally.

 

[Rogue]

Come on folks. We know the real reasons people would buy a Gravity:
- Compete in the insufferable home schooling women peacocking about husbands, houses, and cars.
- Men to recover the little remaining ego from owning a 7 seater capable of smoking most performance cars with utility and space that they cannot squeeze out of an Air.
- Remind older folks of youthful days with heart palpitations from the performance.

On a serious note, I would like to know if any studios attempt to tuck dismantled bikes behind the second row. If so, how many can they fit? Do you have to sacrifice a side of second and third row to get bikes in? If so, how many can you fit?

Passengers don't matter. How many bikes you can stuff into it to the ratio of passengers matter. Do I need to put a child in the trunk or tiny frunk to accommodate their bike?

 

[tobyringld]

Come on folks. We know the real reasons people would buy a Gravity:
- Compete in the insufferable home schooling women peacocking about husbands, houses, and cars.
- Men to recover the little remaining ego from owning a 7 seater capable of smoking most performance cars with utility and space that they cannot squeeze out of an Air.
- Remind older folks of youthful days with heart palpitations from the performance.

On a serious note, I would like to know if any studios attempt to tuck dismantled bikes behind the second row. If so, how many can they fit? Do you have to sacrifice a side of second and third row to get bikes in? If so, how many can you fit?

Passengers don't matter. How many bikes you can stuff into it to the ratio of passengers matter.

This image from Gravity shows storing 2 bikes possible.

 

[DeaneG]

I'll bet there are many minor differences between the prototype cars and production vehicles in the seat details.

 

[hmp10]

Interestingly, I found the ingress and egress of the 3rd row better than the EX90, EV9, and R1S. It's not Odyssey level but it's the best of any 3 row SUV IMO.

I've been thinking about this, and something else just occurred to me. With the second-row seat run all the way back and the drivers seat set to my preferred driving position in the Gravity, I actually think the Gravity has more second-row room than our Odyssey in the same settings. The Gravity could accommodate a reclining captain's chair; the Odyssey could not. This may contribute somewhat to the third-row differences in the two vehicles.

 

[hmp10]

I'll bet there are many minor differences between the prototype cars and production vehicles in the seat details.

Certainly true, with a lot depending on the vintage of the prototype.

The Gravity prototype that "Throttle House" drove some months ago had front seats from an Air. A "Car & Driver" writer spent 8 hours riding in the backseat of an Air prototype during a range test, and that car's rear seats were from a Volvo.

I think the seats we tried out yesterday were actual Gravity seats, but I'm almost certain they did not have the foam density that will be in production cars.

Lucid gets caught between a rock and a hard place with car addicts like me. We want to obsess over every detail about a car as soon as we can, so we're always clamoring to taste the sauce before it's fully done. Lucid tries to meet us halfway with access to prototypes, but they pay a perhaps unfair price in having their product judged prematurely.

So, I say again . . . the Gravity is going to be one amazing vehicle, the inevitable nits and niggles aside.

 

[momo3605]

The one item that disappointed me is the manual operation of the 2nd and 3rd rows. I wish they were power operated. This would make a flatter floor (fewer handles and such) and make it easier for smaller or weaker folks to operate.

Manual operation? You sure? Seems a bit odd for an ultra luxury, Cayenne, X7, EQS priced competitor to have manual 2nd and 3rd row seats

 

[Bobby]

Manual operation? You sure? Seems a bit odd for an ultra luxury, Cayenne, X7, EQS priced competitor to have manual 2nd and 3rd row seats

Yes, I'm sure. At the very least, I'd like the third row should be power operated to fold, stow, or return to normal seating position.

 

[borski]

The real clunker, though, was ingress and egress. No other word for it but awful. After I ran the second-row seat all the way forward and folded the backrest forward, I just stood there trying to figure out how to proceed. A sales rep saw my dilemma and came up to tell me that most people found it easier to fold the back seat into the floor and climb over it. He then led me around to the other side of the car to show me how others were getting in and out. (I have a replaced knee and hip and need another knee done, so . . . ain't gonna happen.) I shook my head and returned to the other side to try. I finally made it into the third row, and I'll spare you the tale of getting back out.

There was a single button for this on the RC I saw. I had no issues with ingress/egress, especially compared to the other SUVs in that class that were side by side in Arizona.

Interestingly, I found the ingress and egress of the 3rd row better than the EX90, EV9, and R1S. It's not Odyssey level but it's the best of any 3 row SUV IMO.

Agreed.

Thank you for this update! Aside from folding the second row seat flat, what is the intended procedure for accessing the 3rd row? Is there a single button to bring the seat forward with the seat back leaning forward? Or is it a 2 step process by moving the seat forward (electronically) and then leaning the seat back forward?

There was a single button on the RC unit I saw.

The embedded floor rails for the second row were uncovered and extended well back into the foot space of the third row. They were much more prominent than the partially covered rails in the second-row footwell. I asked the sales rep whether they were going to be left like that, and he did not think so. I'm wondering if the ingress/egress was still a work in progress when this prototype was built?

That’s my guess too.

The one item that disappointed me is the manual operation of the 2nd and 3rd rows. I wish they were power operated. This would make a flatter floor (fewer handles and such) and make it easier for smaller or weaker folks to operate.

Manual operation? You sure? Seems a bit odd for an ultra luxury, Cayenne, X7, EQS priced competitor to have manual 2nd and 3rd row seats

To be clear: they are powered seats. The manual operation is in folding the seats down and into the car, not adjusting the seats in general. The third row may be manual in general; I don’t recall.

Folding the seats is a handle and a slight push. Very easy, pretty much folds itself.

 

[Bobby]

There was a single button for this on the RC I saw. I had no issues with ingress/egress, especially compared to the other SUVs in that class that were side by side in Arizona.


Agreed.


There was a single button on the RC unit I saw.


That’s my guess too.



To be clear: they are powered seats. The manual operation is in folding the seats down and into the car, not adjusting the seats in general.

Folding the seats is a handle and a slight push. Very easy, pretty much folds itself.

I’d still prefer the third row fold and stow with a button.

 

[hmp10]

I had no issues with ingress/egress, especially compared to the other SUVs in that class that were side by side in Arizona.

I'm far from the slimmest or most agile person on the planet, so there's that. However, what really struck me was when the sales rep said most people were literally climbing over the stowed second-row seat instead of getting into the third row the way intended in this prototype. Also, my partner is fairly slender and quite athletic and, at 6'1", is not too tall, and he also found getting in and out of the third row challenging.

Based on your and @hydbob's comments, I'm really hoping this prototype does not represent the production version in terms of third-row access. I'm now really hoping release candidate vehicles make it to the showrooms before orders open up.

 

[levsha]

Do I understand correctly that the middle seat on the second row is tied to the left seat and can be only moved back/forward together? Or all 3 seats can be moved (not reclined) independently?

 

[hmp10]

Do I understand correctly that the middle seat on the second row is tied to the left seat and can be only moved back/forward together? Or all 3 seats can be moved (not reclined) independently?

I didn't check that out, but maybe those who've been in later cars did?

 

[Bus Driver]

Thanks for taking the time to report on your Gravity “walk-in tour”.

I’m disappointed to hear about ingress/egress into the third row. Were I to order the Gravity (I’m still leaning towards doing so), that third row would see some real and regular use in my family. The family members having to negotiate entry and exit are themselves going to be elderly and somewhat agility impaired.

So ingress/egress isn’t…great. What about when you’re actually seated? Your world back there as an adult would have to far better than the torture you’re subjected to in the third row of a Tesla Model X.