We tested the Lucid Air Pure, the world's most efficient electric sedan.
Founded by two Tesla dissidents, Lucid has experienced more modest growth than it had hoped. Based in California with its first factory in Arizona, it launched the Air sedan in the US in 2021, then entered Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in 2022, having begun assembly at a second factory in Saudi Arabia in 2023.
The Saudi project is well understood, as it was a multi-million-dollar local fund (which owns more than 60% of the brand's shares) that allowed Lucid to continue developing and ensured that the mere 15,000 units sold in its first three years of existence were not an obstacle to its survival.
This year, it will add the Gravity SUV in the US, and by 2026 it should also be operating in two more countries on our continent, Belgium and Denmark. Spain will have to wait a little longer, until 2027, which could coincide with the launch of the third model (a direct rival to the Tesla Model 3), a compact and much more affordable crossover . Lawrence Hamilton, general manager of Lucid in Europe, explained to us that if they have not yet entered France, Italy, and Spain, "it is because the adoption of electric mobility is lagging in those markets."
The Lucid Air is available in Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, and Sapphire versions, ordered from least to most powerful and exclusive. The top model delivers 1,251 hp, rockets from 0 to 100 km/h in two seconds, and reaches 330 km/h. EL MUNDO has already had a chance to test it, but after a first look at the Sapphire beast (a name that should be used in the future for more powerful versions of the Lucid, such as the M models at BMW or the AMG models at Mercedes), we prefer to focus on the basic version, with rear-wheel drive, 442 hp, and the only one that costs less than 100,000 euros.
The car measures 4.98 meters and in terms of price and performance, it rivals the Tesla Model S, the Porsche Taycan, or the Mercedes EQS (in terms of price and performance, since the EQE is closer in size). With very smooth shapes, its Cx coefficient of resistance of 0.197 stands out (with 19-inch wheels and wheel covers), surpassed only in the world by the Xiaomi SU7 (0.195).
In addition to generating great excitement, the roominess is also striking. "The cabin space is 42.5% of the car's overall size, compared to 38.6% for the Porsche Taycan or 39.6% for the Tesla Model S," we're told. This is noticeable in the large legroom, though not so large for the head in the rear seats, due to the sloping roofline in that area.
There are direct air vents for second-row occupants (both in the center and on the side pillars), who can adjust the temperature and airflow. The trunk offers a generous 650 liters (significantly less than the Tesla, much more than the Porsche and Mercedes), but the real surprise comes from the enormous frunk (front trunk), at 283 liters. The EQS doesn't even have a frunk , the Taycan's has 84 liters, and the Tesla's doesn't exceed 150. It's a good place to run charging cables or store the covers that can cover the wheels and improve the car's aerodynamics, helping, according to Lucid engineers, to increase the range by between 25 and 40 km.
The entire interior exudes quality and robustness, from the comfortable heated seats to the many power adjustments and the predominance of soft-touch surfaces. The front seats lack lateral adjustment, and the upholstery on the center dashboard and doors doesn't make as positive an impact with its recycled textile look. There's no panoramic roof "to avoid adding extra weight," and the digital instrument panel stands out for its size.
It consists of a large elliptical screen on the dashboard and a tablet (which can be hidden when not in use) below. They're responsive and high-quality. There's no head-up display (not really necessary), and fingerprints become very visible after a while. And with the exception of the air conditioning, which still has physical controls, you still have to navigate through menus for almost everything, even adjusting the driving position or the exterior mirrors.
These settings include driving modes (three, none customizable) and the intensity of regenerative braking, with a one-pedal function that allows you to control your driving using only the accelerator. However, we missed paddle shifters for switching between them more quickly.
Impressions in progressDynamically, the praise (in addition to the performance: 4.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and 200 km/h top speed) refers to the performance of the chassis and electronic dampers ; and to the exceptionally quiet ride, although the steering and brakes have room for improvement. Given the car's size, many customers would expect rear-axle steering, which was ruled out due to "cost, complexity, and weight."
Lucid claims the Air is the world's most efficient electric vehicle. In this version with a net 88 kWh battery, the range reaches 747 km, second only to the Mercedes EQS 450+ (799 km, but with a 118 kWh battery). The Lucid Air GT, with a 117 kWh battery, claims a range of 960 km.
We were able to validate it in our test on Andalusian roads and on the Ascari circuit, with an average consumption of between 13.3 and 18 kWh/100 km, while its rivals don't go below 20 kWh. So it's not unreasonable to think of a real-world range of close to 600 km.
And even with a system voltage (250 volts) six times lower than the top-of-the-range versions of the Air range (above 900 v, allowing direct current (DC) charging of up to 300 kW, as well as extending the range by 400 km in just 16 minutes), the 210 kW of maximum charging power in DC and the 22 kW possible in alternating current (AC) do not embarrass this entry-level Lucid.
elmundo
