Will the Air ever be redesigned?

[PhotoEye]

So, the Lucid Air delivered in October 2021 with the 2022 Dream Edition. The Gravity is set to deliver in the immediate future, and the company appears committed to a midsized offering a few years downstream.

Question: Will the flagship Air sedan design ever change? If so, what is your guess as to the year that might occur? Pure speculation. Trying to figure out how long I might need to wait. I typically hold my first-choice vehicle design until a redesign is offered. I'm hard pressed to envision what a redesigned Air sedan might look like or when one might be offered. My guess is 2028.

Yours?

 

[NNPCdude]

I think the current design still has quite a bit of mileage to go. The Tesla Model S was introduced in 2008 and hit the market in 2012. Apart from updates to the front fascia and interiors its pretty much the same car. The Model S design is classic and despite the age is still very contemporary.

 

[momo3605]

I think a refresh could come earlier. It’s kind of hard to say with these EV/Tech startups. Rivian did a refresh after 3 years. Tesla did their first one after 4 years. But given these companies didnt have a ton of money and cash reserves, a full redesign is unlikely.

But I would expect minor changes from the Gravity to trickle down. Maybe the new UX 3.0, RWS, heads up display, better charging, NACS, etc…maybe 2026 or 2027

 

[HC_79]

So, the Lucid Air delivered in October 2021 with the 2022 Dream Edition. The Gravity is set to deliver in the immediate future, and the company appears committed to a midsized offering a few years downstream.

Question: Will the flagship Air sedan design ever change? If so, what is your guess as to the year that might occur? Pure speculation. Trying to figure out how long I might need to wait. I typically hold my first-choice vehicle design until a redesign is offered. I'm hard pressed to envision what a redesigned Air sedan might look like or when one might be offered. My guess is 2028.

Yours?

I think the existing look still has a bit of life in it. You did see that they did some minor tweaks with the 2025 model. Best thing they could do is redesign the dash to match the Gravity & and move the charging port to the back and swap with NACS.

 

[Ktw13]

They put the best effort into exterior, including industry leading aerodynamic, facelift is not always for better, just look at new model Y, no mention of any advantage of the new shaping, purely rely on hard-core fan to pump.

2025 Air has quite a few component upgrade for efficiency. The new Atlas motor which is smaller/cheaper to make with 335hp could be fitted to new Air in a few years time according to CEO Peter Rawlinson.

 

[ViperSSD]

I would guess there will be some under the skin improvements that will come, we saw this with 2025 GT improvements but these will then percolate down most likely across the trims

 

[Blue Lectroid]

Seems like what they did in 2025 was a fairly classic “mid-cycle refresh,” which would imply the first major redesign for the 2027 or 2028 models with likely continued incremental updates along the way between now and then…

 

[CraZ8]

Most manufacturers typically refresh a design around three to four years in and change the sheet metal at the 7 to 8 year mark.Tesla is the exception although I do approve of the model 3 highlander. Long gone are the days in the 50s an60s where you would get a refresh every year and a complete redesign every.two to three

 

[hmp10]

Question: Will the flagship Air sedan design ever change?

I think this depends on your definition of a "design". I think there will certainly be some minor exterior tweaks over time, and there might be a more fundamental rethinking of the dashboard layout of the interior. Battery advances could even mean one day dispensing with the under-floor modules in the back footwell for the larger battery pack, thus giving upper trim models the deeper footwells of the smaller packs.

But so much of the Lucid's core exterior design is driven by aerodynamics. Unless there are major breakthroughs in battery energy density that make aerodynamics less important, I think the issues some have with low ride height, low roof cantrails, entry-exit difficulty, and driver's seat not lowering enough will by and large remain. As long as the basic body shell carries forward, I think there is precious little Lucid can do to improve the space packaging which, even eight years after the design was first developed, still remains an automotive miracle compared to what other brands are managing.

Also, the Earth is now under full-bore development with yet another vehicle in development queue behind it. I have a feeling it's going to be a while before massive engineering and design focus returns to the Air, if ever. It could be that between the boxes Lucid manages to tick off with its full-size and mid-size SUIV/CUV offerings, sedans shrink to such a tiny niche that they just fade away.

I hear Kyle Conner saying the Gravity out handles the Air, which heretofore was the best-handling sedan he had ever driven. And I hear Jason Cammisa saying the Gravity has the performance chops to render sports cars obsolete -- with the smaller Earth probably ratcheting that up another notch for people who want smaller vehicles. And I end up wondering . . . what really will be the point of a sedan in the lineup?

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I think this depends on your definition of a "design". I think there will certainly be some minor exterior tweaks over time, and there might be a more fundamental rethinking of the dashboard layout of the interior. Battery advances could even mean one day dispensing with the under-floor modules in the back footwell for the larger battery pack, thus giving upper trim models the deeper footwells of the smaller packs.

But so much of the Lucid's core exterior design is driven by aerodynamics. Unless there are major breakthroughs in battery energy density that make aerodynamics less important, I think the issues some have with low ride height, low roof cantrails, entry-exit difficulty, and driver's seat not lowering enough will by and large remain. As long as the basic body shell carries forward, I think there is precious little Lucid can do to improve the space packaging which, even eight years after the design was first developed, still remains an automotive miracle compared to what other brands are managing.

Also, the Earth is now under full-bore development with yet another vehicle in development queue behind it. I have a feeling it's going to be a while before massive engineering and design focus returns to the Air, if ever. It could be that between the boxes Lucid manages to tick off with its full-size and mid-size SUIV/CUV offerings, sedans shrink to such a tiny niche that they just fade away.

I hear Kyle Conner saying the Gravity out handles the Air, which heretofore was the best-handling sedan he had ever driven. And I hear Jason Cammisa saying the Gravity has the performance chops to render sports cars obsolete -- with the smaller Earth probably ratcheting that up another notch for people who want smaller vehicles. And I end up wondering . . . what really will be the point of a sedan in the lineup?

If your stated goal is maximum efficiency (as Lucid’s is), there will likely always be a place for a sedan in the lineup as they are the most efficient package to move 5 people around. As wonderful as Gravity is, it still takes 13% more energy to move down the road. I foresee a replacement of our Ioniq 5 with either Gravity or Earth some day down the road, but we’ll never become a 2 SUV family because when we don’t need the space for hauling stuff or lots of people, why not be maximally efficient?

 

[hmp10]

If your stated goal is maximum efficiency (as Lucid’s is), there will likely always be a place for a sedan in the lineup as they are the most efficient package to move 5 people around. As wonderful as Gravity is, it still takes 13% more energy to move down the road. I foresee a replacement of our Ioniq 5 with either Gravity or Earth some day down the road, but we’ll never become a 2 SUV family because when we don’t need the space for hauling stuff or lots of people, why not be maximally efficient?

I'm not saying there will not remain a use case for a sedan. I'm just wondering whether extremely well-designed SUVs such as Lucid will probably build will pick off enough of sedans' desirable traits that enough sedan aficionados will migrate over, such that keeping a sedan in production becomes less financially feasible for a manufacturer. It's what's already happened at GM, despite what I view as their over-sized and under-engineered SUV offerings.

I confess that this musing is fed by my own developing internal debate about whether to keep our Air beyond the warranty period if the Gravity turns out to tick off the driving dynamics boxes that the test drives so far are claiming. Despite having owned SUVs and minivans since our first Lexus RX300 25 years ago, I almost always kept a sedan and a sports car in the stable as well. The Gravity leaves me wondering for the first time whether there will really be any point. Range, perhaps. But if the Gravity manages to get us the 230-240 miles with a reasonable charge buffer we like to get between charging stops on a road trip, I'm not sure the sedan's greater range will matter enough to keep both vehicles in the garage.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I'm not saying there will not remain a use case for a sedan. I'm just wondering whether extremely well-designed SUVs such as Lucid will probably build will pick off enough of sedans' desirable traits that enough sedan aficionados will migrate over, such that keeping a sedan in production becomes less financially feasible for a manufacturer. It's what's already happened at GM, despite what I view as their over-sized and under-engineered SUV offerings.

I confess that this musing is fed by my own developing internal debate about whether to keep our Air beyond the warranty period if the Gravity turns out to tick off the driving dynamics boxes that the test drives so far are claiming. Despite having owned SUVs and minivans since our first Lexus RX300 25 years ago, I almost always kept a sedan and a sports car in the stable as well. The Gravity leaves me wondering for the first time whether there will really be any point. Range, perhaps. But if the Gravity manages to get us the 230-240 miles with a reasonable charge buffer we like to get between charging stops on a road trip, I'm not sure the sedan's greater range will matter enough to keep both vehicles in the garage.

It just depresses me to no end that even really smart humans seem willing to forego preserving precious, ever-diminishing resources without the effect our collective actions have on the planet being given deeper consideration. All of the efficiency gains we stand to make get thrown out the window if we all then trade up to bigger vehicles “just ‘cause.”

 

[hmp10]

It just depresses me to no end that even really smart humans seem willing to forego preserving precious, ever-diminishing resources without the effect our collective actions have on the planet being given deeper consideration. All of the efficiency gains we stand to make get thrown out the window if we all then trade up to bigger vehicles “just ‘cause.”

I wouldn't be trading up to a larger vehicle "just 'cause." We require at least one vehicle that can carry six adults and already own a minivan. You're basically saying that if we get a Gravity EV to replace the ICE minivan, we should still keep an Air for carrying fewer people. There's another way to look at it. If buying one slightly larger and only marginally less efficient vehicle can be a replacement for buying two vehicles, why buy two? Think of the carbon footprint involved in manufacturing a car, beginning with the mining of the metals. I think it's better to build a single vehicle that fills multiple needs and work to make it more efficient than to build multiple vehicles for narrower use cases.

Fortunately, we get power from a company that has shuttered its last coal-fired plant and is now producing electricity from natural gas, nuclear, and solar -- with the last growing at the fastest rate.

 

[idiot900]

But if the Gravity manages to get us the 230-240 miles with a reasonable charge buffer we like to get between charging stops on a road trip, I'm not sure the sedan's greater range will matter enough to keep both vehicles in the garage.

I really like the closer to the ground driving position of a sedan. SUVs/crossovers don't feel as fun with the higher seating position. But I do recognize that my opinion is probably shared by fewer and fewer people as time goes on.

 

[hmp10]

I really like the closer to the ground driving position of a sedan.

I do, too. However, with arthritis in my back and neck and one knee and one hip already replaced and the other knee now bone-on-bone, the Air is becoming more of a challenge with entry and exit. If I'm running errands that require a lot of getting in and out while in tight parking spaces, I'm now finding myself opting more often to take our minivan.

 

[Batteryman]

Most manufacturers typically refresh a design around three to four years in and change the sheet metal at the 7 to 8 year mark.Tesla is the exception although I do approve of the model 3 highlander. Long gone are the days in the 50s an60s where you would get a refresh every year and a complete redesign every.two to three

Time cycle will slowly get longer for all manufacturers. Expect minor improvements every 2-3 years. Auto is too competitive and margins are too low. I expect see more mergers and bankruptcies. Complete redesign times will stretch from 4 to 6-8 years.

 

[Steveinarizona]

It just depresses me to no end that even really smart humans seem willing to forego preserving precious, ever-diminishing resources without the effect our collective actions have on the planet being given deeper consideration. All of the efficiency gains we stand to make get thrown out the window if we all then trade up to bigger vehicles “just ‘cause.”

Yes. I wanted a small electric car but one that still had luxury and performance. That is extremely hard to find. When the Genesis GV60 Performance popped up in my market, while I was still floundering on the Lucid waiting list, I grabbed it. While it lacked the range of the Lucid, and while it handles well it does not handle like a Lucid, but it is much smaller (177" long, 74.4" wide) and does have performance (483 HP with a weight to HP ratio of 10/1) and luxury (lots of buttons and switches, nappa leather seating, ultrasuede headliner, HUD, etc.). This is about the only car I know of that does meet all three of my principal requirements. But;, while the range is not important to me, I do miss the handling of a well designed sedan (but I don't miss trying to fold my old arthritic body into the sedan).

I am hoping that the new midsized vehicle from Lucid will meet these needs but I have my doubts. It seems that Lucid, like just about every other auto manufacturer, won't provide as much luxury in a smaller vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I was and I am willing to pay for these features, make them additional cost options. For example, the 2024 RWD Pure does not come with leather. I understand that decision. But why not offer the upgrade as an additional cost option? Think of all the Lexus customers who have foregone performance for luxury; They would likely be happy with the performance of a RWD Pure but would want the greater luxury.

My only disagreement with your statement is the reference to "really smart humans". I have always had a theory that earth is god's beta site; somewhere else in the universe she learned her lessons and got it right. In the meantime, god's creations on earth are in a Hobbesian world where mankind is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" and people are looking out for their short term and narrow self interest.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

@hmp10 please do not take my comment as directed towards you. We all have specific use cases for our vehicles…I get that and, as you point out there may be many reasons why a Gravity is the best approach for you (and even the environment).

My frustration is more based on hearing comments like “this thing drives so well it makes the Air unnecessary.” Sure, if your use case demands any aspect of greater size, it makes sense. What I get concerned about is that many folks will not consciously think about the significant increase in overall energy usage that takes place if we all individually trade up to larger vehicles than we really need.

My wife and I generate all of the power we use for our home AND driving and yet we are still very thoughtful about not using more than we need as what we don’t use goes back to the grid. There really isn’t (at least at this point) such a thing as power without an environmental cost…so IMHO, thoughtfully trying to use less usually makes sense.

This is my own ethos. I don’t pretend that everyone shares it.

 

[hmp10]

My frustration is more based on hearing comments like “this thing drives so well it makes the Air unnecessary.” Sure, if your use case demands any aspect of greater size, it makes sense.

I have been a driving enthusiast all my life, and one of the welcome revelations that came with my first Tesla was that EVs, with their much greater efficiency, could still provide the kind of driving enjoyment I feared would be lost -- in fact, even better it.

Take the Jason Cammisa remark, for example. The great majority of sports car drivers keep other vehicles because their sports cars do not accommodate other transportation needs. I traded an Audi R8 V10 Spyder for that first Tesla Model S P90D, fulling expecting that I would soon be shopping for another sports car. I quickly lost interest in doing so after driving the Tesla, which was both quicker and, with its amazingly low center of gravity, could approach the Audi's handling on public roads.

Now I'm wondering if this scenario might not repeat with the Gravity -- which I need for passenger capacity -- convincing me that there is no point in replacing the Air when its warranty or its days run out.

EVs have already removed ICE sports cars from my garage. If an SUV as efficient as the Gravity could also remove sports sedans from my garage, I really don't see the environmental downside of that. I suspect that the energy consumption differential between an Air and a Gravity over the service life of the Gravity would probably amount to less than the energy consumption of manufacturing another sedan.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I have been a driving enthusiast all my life, and one of the welcome revelations that came with my first Tesla was that EVs, with their much greater efficiency, could still provide the kind of driving enjoyment I feared would be lost -- in fact, even better it.

Take the Jason Cammisa remark, for example. The great majority of sports car drivers keep other vehicles because their sports cars do not accommodate other transportation needs. I traded an Audi R8 V10 Spyder for that first Tesla Model S P90D, fulling expecting that I would soon be shopping for another sports car. I quickly lost interest in doing so after driving the Tesla, which was both quicker and, with its amazingly low center of gravity, could approach the Audi's handling on public roads.

Now I'm wondering if this scenario might not repeat with the Gravity -- which I need for passenger capacity -- convincing me that there is no point in replacing the Air when its warranty or its days run out.

EVs have already removed ICE sports cars from my garage. If an SUV as efficient as the Gravity could also remove sports sedans from my garage, I really don't see the environmental downside of that. I suspect that the energy consumption differential between an Air and a Gravity over the service life of the Gravity would probably amount to less than the energy consumption of manufacturing another sedan.

I get it! All makes sense. Whatever you decide, it’s great that you’ve discovered EV’s and Lucid!

There was a time in my life where my two cars were a Ferrari 430 and a second generation Prius…talk about a dichotomy. The original Tesla M3P (2018) was the car that made me no longer feel the need to have a separate sports car…so I really do get where you are coming from!