The Lucid Gravity: A Masterclass in Power, Opulence, and Unsettling Digital Discord
As someone who’s navigated the ever-accelerating currents of the automotive industry for over a decade, I’ve witnessed countless vehicles attempt to redefine luxury, performance, and sustainability. Yet, few arrive with the sheer audacious ambition of the Lucid Gravity. Pitched as a three-row electric SUV, the Gravity isn’t just another entrant in the burgeoning luxury EV segment; it’s a statement, a challenge, and, regrettably, a glaring example of how cutting-edge engineering can be undermined by fundamental user experience missteps. In late 2025, as the automotive world pivots squarely towards electrification, the Gravity stands as both a beacon of what’s possible and a cautionary tale of what can still go wrong.
Lucid Motors, having captivated the industry with the Air sedan – a vehicle that truly shook up the luxury EV market and garnered significant accolades – set the bar astronomically high for its follow-up. The Gravity was envisioned not merely as an SUV counterpart but as an evolution, extending the Air’s innovative spirit into a more versatile, family-friendly package. And in many respects, it delivers. Its striking design, breathtaking performance, and genuinely clever packaging are undeniable triumphs, pushing the boundaries of what consumers expect from a premium electric vehicle. However, beneath this polished, high-performance veneer lies an ecosystem of digital frustrations and usability quirks that frequently overshadow its brilliance, leaving a seasoned observer like myself wrestling with a potent mix of admiration and exasperation.
First Impressions and the Unsettling Entry Ritual
From the moment you approach the Lucid Gravity, its design language speaks volumes. It’s unmistakably a Lucid, translating the sleek, aerodynamic elegance of the Air into a larger, more imposing SUV silhouette without sacrificing an ounce of sophistication. The seamless lines, the distinct lighting signature, and the overall stance command attention, cementing its position as a visual standout in the luxury electric SUV category. It’s the kind of vehicle that makes you pause, provoking contemplation over the artistry of its form.
Yet, this initial admiration often gives way to a perplexing sequence of interactions before you even get behind the wheel. The simple act of unlocking the Gravity can feel like an enigmatic puzzle. Whether attempting to use the key card, the conventional key fob, or the dedicated mobile app, the consistency of response is alarmingly sporadic. Doors might unlock instantly, or they might stubbornly refuse, forcing multiple attempts, a reset of expectations, and a slight sense of rising irritation. For a vehicle positioned at the absolute pinnacle of luxury and advanced automotive technology, such basic access protocols should be flawless. This isn’t a minor glitch; it’s a fundamental breakdown of trust in a primary interaction point, particularly egregious in a 2025 model year vehicle when seamless EV user experience is paramount.
Once inside, the challenge regrettably continues. Convincing the Gravity to actually start can be an equally opaque process. There’s no consistent, intuitive method that reliably brings the vehicle to life. Pressing the brake, placing the key in a specific spot, or attempting various button sequences sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. This isn’t a “learning curve”; it’s an inconsistent user interface that feels underdeveloped for a production vehicle. Having encountered similar, albeit less severe, growing pains with early examples of the Lucid Air, it’s genuinely baffling to see an automaker of Lucid’s caliber still grappling with such foundational operational basics years later. This lack of polish in fundamental interactions hints at underlying automotive software issues that extend beyond mere aesthetics.
Interior Ingenuity Meets Practical Quirks
Step past the frustrating entry sequence, and the Gravity’s interior immediately reasserts its claims to greatness. The cabin is an exercise in thoughtful design and intelligent packaging, particularly impressive for a three-row electric SUV. Lucid has managed to carve out an astonishing amount of usable space within a relatively compact footprint, a testament to the benefits of a dedicated EV platform.
The seating arrangements are a masterclass in flexibility. Whether configured with two or three rows, passenger comfort is exceptional across the board. Our internal testing team, comprising individuals ranging from just over 5 feet to nearly 7 feet tall, universally lauded the spaciousness and ergonomic support found in every seat. Headroom, legroom, and shoulder room are generous, making long journeys comfortable for all occupants. This isn’t a compromise; it’s genuine accommodation.
Beyond passenger space, the Gravity excels in utility. The frunk (front trunk) is surprisingly capacious, offering practical storage for charging cables or smaller items. The innovative sub-trunk beneath the rear cargo floor provides additional, often overlooked, secure storage. Combine these with the cavernous primary cargo area, and the Gravity offers a formidable amount of versatility, a crucial selling point for any luxury SUV interior aiming to appeal to families or those with active lifestyles. The materials throughout the cabin – from the supple leather to the meticulously crafted wood or metallic accents – exude a sense of bespoke luxury, a true differentiator in the premium EV market.
However, even within this realm of interior excellence, some of Lucid’s more ambitious ideas stumble in their execution. The second row of seats, for instance, operates on a motorized track, allowing for seamless adjustments and easy access to the third row. While the concept is brilliant, the execution reveals an Achilles’ heel. The exposed track mechanism, while contributing to a large, flat load surface when folded, feels vulnerable to debris ingestion and exposes unsightly componentry, detracting from the otherwise pristine cabin aesthetic. It’s a moment where form and function haven’t quite converged perfectly.
Then there’s the frosted glass center console lid, an elegant touch that hides a small storage tray. This tray is ingeniously shaped to cradle the key fob. A clever detail, certainly. Yet, in our experience, placing the key fob (with a standard keyring tag attached) into this tray and closing the lid often resulted in the fob getting jammed, requiring awkward finessing to retrieve. It’s a minor annoyance, but one that speaks volumes about a lack of real-world testing and an oversight in a seemingly simple design element. These aren’t groundbreaking flaws, but they accumulate, chipping away at the otherwise impeccable luxury car features.
The steering wheel, with its unique, somewhat unconventional shape, initially raised eyebrows. But in practice, it feels substantial and comfortable to hold, an unexpected ergonomic success. The issue lies not with the wheel itself, but with the dual control pads situated on either side. In stark contrast to the sumptuous, high-quality touchpoints found throughout the rest of the cabin, these pads feel flimsy and insubstantial. Their tactile feedback is vague, undermining the sense of precision and luxury that defines the rest of the driving environment. This disconnect calls Lucid’s overall attention to detail into question, especially when minor interface elements clash with the broader, meticulously crafted experience.
Adding to the digital woes, the upper touchscreen, while visually impressive, exhibits a noticeable jagged edge of pixels along its top curve. In an era where even mid-range smartphones boast pixel-perfect displays, such a visual imperfection on a vehicle touchscreen in a luxury electric SUV is simply unacceptable. Lucid’s user interface, even with a handful of well-placed physical buttons, presents a steep and often frustrating learning curve. There were numerous occasions where we struggled to discern whether a particular automotive software feature was broken, or if we were simply misunderstanding its convoluted operation. This ambiguity creates a sense of distrust in the system, a significant barrier to a truly seamless infotainment system experience.
The Dynamics of Pure Ecstasy: Driving the Gravity
After navigating the digital labyrinth and minor physical frustrations, the act of driving the Lucid Gravity delivers a profound sense of redemption. This is where the Gravity truly comes alive, where its engineering brilliance transcends its usability shortcomings, almost eclipsing logical critique. Whether equipped with the “basic” 600-horsepower dual-motor powertrain and sophisticated dual-chamber air suspension, or the utterly ballistic 828-horsepower triple-chamber setup, the Gravity feels less like a traditional SUV and more like a high-riding, all-electric supercar.
The acceleration is brutal, immediate, and relentless, pinning occupants firmly into their seats with a ferocity that belies the vehicle’s size. But it’s not just about straight-line speed; the Gravity’s dynamic composure is truly exceptional. It has clearly been tuned by and for skilled drivers, showcasing a level of balance, control, and agility that is genuinely shocking for an SUV. Through corners, it exhibits minimal body roll, maintaining composure with an unnerving confidence. The steering is precise and communicative, allowing the driver to place the vehicle exactly where intended. This isn’t just a fast EV; it’s a genuinely rewarding driver’s car.
The adaptive air suspension, regardless of configuration, works wonders, isolating occupants from road imperfections while simultaneously providing excellent body control during spirited driving. The ride quality is phenomenal, soaking up bumps with a sophisticated plushness without feeling floaty. Even in mundane commuting scenarios, this dynamic refinement is tangible. The Gravity doesn’t just perform; it glides, it carves, it commands the road with an authority that few vehicles, let alone electric SUVs, can match. The sense of being in control of such immense power, delivered with such finesse, is an experience that truly elevates the EV performance benchmark.
Beyond its incredible performance, the Gravity also benefits from its NACS-equipped charging capabilities, making it among the quickest-charging EVs we’ve tested. This is crucial for long-range electric vehicle travel, significantly reducing downtime on extended journeys. While, like many electric vehicles, its real-world range can fall somewhat short of official EPA ratings under aggressive driving conditions, the rapid charging capability largely mitigates any range anxiety, especially with the continued expansion of EV fast charging networks in 2025.
The Verdict: A Golden Caliper Lost in Translation
In the crowded landscape of 2025’s luxury EV competitors, the Lucid Gravity occupies a unique and somewhat conflicted position. It stands toe-to-toe with, and in many ways surpasses, rivals like the Tesla Model X Plaid in outright performance, the Rivian R1S in packaging innovation, and even the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV in sheer cabin luxury and driving dynamics. Its hardware – the exquisite design, the peerless performance, the intelligent spatial utilization – represents a masterwork of modern automotive engineering.
During our evaluations for various industry awards this year, the Lucid Gravity sparked as much passionate debate as any contender. The fervent praise for its engineering prowess and breathtaking performance constantly clashed with profound frustration over its persistent software flaws and usability issues. Ultimately, the consensus emerged: a vehicle this ambitious, this groundbreaking in its theoretical and hardware execution, must deliver a similarly polished and intuitive experience across all its facets.
The practical application of Lucid’s heady theoreticals is, unfortunately, where the Gravity stumbles. It’s not enough to build a masterpiece in aluminum and lithium; in 2025, that masterpiece must also be enveloped in flawlessly executed code and an intuitive user interface design. The industry has moved beyond forgiving “prototype status” for vehicles that have undergone years of development and spent months on sale. This isn’t just about minor bugs that can be fixed with OTA updates; it’s about fundamental design choices and a lack of user-centric refinement in crucial areas. The Lucid Air, as a groundbreaking pioneer, was afforded a degree of leniency for its nascent quirks. The Gravity, arriving four years later, with the benefit of hindsight and market experience, simply cannot be granted the same grace.
Lucid has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to craft truly exceptional automotive hardware. Had they invested the same meticulous attention to detail and commitment to perfection into their software, user interface, and fundamental operational consistency, the Gravity would undoubtedly be an unequivocal triumph. Instead, it serves as a stark reminder that in the era of the connected, intelligent vehicle, the digital experience is just as critical as the mechanical one.
Embrace the Future, Demand the Flawless
The Lucid Gravity is a breathtakingly fast, undeniably luxurious, and ingeniously packaged electric SUV. It represents the pinnacle of EV battery technology and electric vehicle dynamics for 2025, offering a driving experience that is genuinely exhilarating. Yet, its journey from a visionary concept to a market-ready product has been marred by an array of perplexing digital and usability flaws. These issues, while not detracting from its raw performance, significantly diminish the overall ownership experience, leaving a lingering sense of “what if?”
If you’re captivated by pure performance and groundbreaking design, and possess a high tolerance for technological quirks, the Gravity offers an unrivaled thrill. But for those who demand seamless integration and intuitive functionality from a premium electric vehicle, especially in this price bracket, the journey with the Gravity might require more patience than expected.
The future of luxury mobility is undoubtedly electric, and Lucid Motors is a critical player in shaping that future. We’re on the cusp of truly transformative automotive experiences. Don’t just read about the revolution – be a part of it. Discover the incredible potential and current reality of the Lucid Gravity for yourself by scheduling a personalized test drive at your nearest Lucid Studio today. Experience its power firsthand and form your own expert opinion on where the cutting edge truly lies.
