Lucid Gravity SUV: A Most Thoughtfully Designed 3-Row Electric Haven
This all electric 3-row SUV takes a few hints from the ... minivan? YUP. The Lucid Gravity has 3rd row seats that stow in the floor, gracious room and space for gear. And that's just where it starts.
Scotty Reiss
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We’ve been waiting for this.
A truly panoramic sunroof extends from the windshield across the entire roof. Third-row seats are stowed in the floor for a larger, flatter cargo space. A flexible center console can be configured to fit your needs—it has ‘bento boxes’ to move things around easily. Headroom and legroom for tall passengers, even in the third row. Captains chairs if you like, or a center-row bench seat if you need it.
There are roof racks for bikes and boards, room for everyone’s luggage—and that means everyone. What may be the ultimate tailgating seat is up front in the frunk. The electric driving range is more than 400 miles.
And that’s just the start of what is special about the Lucid Gravity.
Related: Lucid Air Review: This May Be the Most Interesting Electric Car on the Road
“Air” Gave Us Hope That Gravity Would Deliver
When we first saw the Lucid Air electric sedan, we were pretty excited. It’s large, beautiful and also thoughtfully designed, but feels more like its intended customer is the early adopter, tech enthusiast or people who like really fast, powerful cars. The Air is still the fastest electric car with the longest range on the market right now.
Inside the Air, Lucid rethought a lot of the functions of both conventional gas-powered cars and electric cars so that they make more sense. The overall sensibility is elevated and future-forward.
But the Air is distinctly more fun for the driver and front seat passenger. While the rear seat pampers with lots of legroom, headroom, conveniences and sunshine, it’s not the functional delight that an SUV is.
Related: Waiting for a 3-Row Electric SUV? Here’s what you Can Buy This Year
Gravity Evolves the Lucid Brand in Just a Couple of Short Years
Surprisingly, Lucid has rethought some of the interior details in the Gravity rather than just transferring the same features from the Air sedan. This is meaningful because it’s clear that the car’s designers are continuing to think about what we need in an SUV rather than just designing things once and calling it a day.
In the Lucid Gravity, this evolution starts with visibility, what the carmaker calls the clear view cockpit: the steering wheel is flat on top and bottom — Lucid calls this a ‘squircle’ — so it won’t impede your view of the road ahead. To further preserve your view, the curved multimedia screen is set low against the dashboard; it’s visible but doesn’t obstruct your view.
To compliment your view and function, the steering wheel has new touch-sensitive glass pads where you’ll find controls for media, driver assist, and other functions. The whole look and function of the steering wheel will remind you, every time you get behind it, just how advanced this car is.
I can’t tell you how much I love this. My favorite cars of late have been the ones that rethink this single function — visibility— while preserving your access to key information on the driver display and/or multimedia screen.
Related: The 2025 Lincoln Aviator: More Luxury for the Money
A Very Clever Center Console Adds Function
The idea of glass extends to the center console, where you’ll find a glass panel covering the cupholders and console space. The glass panel doesn’t add any function, but it’s elegant. It works in conjunction with the armrest to provide as much or as little cover of the center console as you like.
The console itself adds organized space. It’s a deep, wide well that spans the space between the front seats from the dashboard to the rear seat. Inside are movable shelves and cupholders that slide forward and back to hold cups or bottles, stow larger things like a tablet or a makeup bag, and there are small bins for things like keys or change. The bins can be moved around and even removed to be washed after *someone* leaves an open bag of gummy bears there, and they melt.
A New Take on the Multimedia System
Lucid evolved the multimedia touch screen system in the Air, and now, the Gravity takes it a step further. The expansive screen and the ‘pilot panel’ below it display all the car’s functions and allow you to move items from the top screen to the lower one.
In the Gravity, though, the pilot panel also has a row of buttons called a “touch blade” that allows quick access to climate control and radio volume. More climate controls, which are static on the pilot panel, line the bottom of the panel right above the buttons, so everything is in one place.
And Then, That Expansive Glass Roof
Thankfully, this detail carries over from the Air: the “glass canopy,” or truly panoramic sunroof, sweeps up from the windshield and over the seats. There is a cross-beam over the rear seats for structural stability, but the glass continues over the rear seats. Everyone has the sky overhead. This is one detail I truly loved when I test-drove the Lucid Air, and I’m glad the company kept the same feature in the Gravity.
Flexible Seating and Cargo Space Take a Cue From the Lowly Minivan
This is pretty surprising: Rather than reinventing one of the best features in any car, Lucid incorporated stow-and-go seats found in minivans and a select few SUVs. The 3rd-row tips and tilts to fold into the floor to create a large, flat cargo space.
Then, Lucid Gravity buyers will have a choice between captains chairs or a bench in the center row to accommodate 6 or 7 passengers. This option isn’t surprising, but what is a bit more unexpected is all the cargo room, even with all seats are occupied. Lucid says one large suitcase and 4 roll-aboard bags will fit in the cargo area and two additional bags will fit in the frunk.
I picture a couple of Lacrosse bags and backpacks, a stroller or a solid Costco haul. Two cases of toilet paper will easily fit in the frunk.
Drivers who still need more space can add a cargo box to the roof, a nice detail considering that the roof is glass. I can just imagine being able to actually watch the Christmas tree tied to the roof to see if it’s tied down tight enough rather than worrying about it the entire ride home.
How Will Kids Car Seats Fit in the Lucid Gravity?
The Gravity has two full sets of LATCHes in the center row, but the two third-row seats are seatbelt-install only. The center-row seats are on rails, so they move forward and back to allow more space for car seats or third-row legroom.
With center seats positioned all the way back, they should easily accommodate rear-facing car seats. The middle bench seat is fairly wide so it should be good for a child car seat if you need to position one there in order to reach the 3rd row.
A Frunk Built For … Frunk-gating?
Playing with the tailgating idea, Lucid designed the front trunk, or frunk for tailgating. It has a low front lip, and there are even cupholders and a power outlet. With the hood open overhead — which, by the way, is nicely painted the same color as the Gravity’s body color, a nice finish detail— you’re shaded from sun or rain. Then, Lucid created a stadium seat for the space so it’ll be comfortable. Rather than carpet in the cargo area that we’re used to, buyers will be able to choose a padded fold-out seat that accommodates two people. Such a clever and lovely idea.
The Lucid Gravity will be on sale in early 2025, and while yes, that is a long time to wait, it will be worth it. When it comes to market, it’ll likely still have the longest range, up to 440 miles, the most power, up to 800 HP, and luxury seating and features for 6 or 7 passengers. And while all that is nice, all the thoughtful little details are what take the Lucid Gravity from good to great for buyers who want to pamper their passengers.
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