New Lucid Gravity is seven-seat super-SUV to rival Tesla Model X
Resemblance to the Lucid Air saloon is clear
Due in 2024, Californian firm's new flagship will combine spacious interior with searing pace
The new Lucid Gravity is a tech-rich and highly luxurious electric SUV aimed squarely at the BMW iX and Mercedes EQS SUV.
Due on sale in 2024, it is the second model in the California-based EV start-up's portfolio, after the Lucid Air luxury saloon - tipped for an imminent European and UK market launch – and will share the bulk of its technical make-up with its ultra-aero-efficient sibling.
The final production design remains to be finalised, but teasers indicate the Gravity will bear a strong resemblance to the Air - most notably in its aero-optimised silhouette and distinctive wraparound light bars.
It will offer a flexible seating arrangement with space for up to seven adults, Lucid promises, and will feature the latest version of Lucid's 'Glass Cockpit' digital dashboard, running off the firm's own software.
The firm's design boss Derek Jenkins hinted that innovative packaging solutions will make the Gravity feel bigger than it looks: "I’m so thrilled with the results we are seeing with Lucid Gravity, sparing no opportunity to build on everything we learned with Lucid Air to create something that warps the vehicle-class continuum.
"It is both a supercar in disguise and an SUV with flexible passenger and cargo space that seems impossibly big relative to the exterior size of the vehicle. And it does this all with Lucid’s distinctive post-luxury design, inspired by California.”
Technical details remain under wraps, but any top-rung 'Dream Edition' variant, as offered on the Air, would be one of the world's most potent and quickest series-production EVs, let alone SUVs. The Lucid Air Dream Edition features a 1065bhp twin-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain which shoots it from 0-62mph in less than 3.0sec, and draws its reserves from a 113kWh battery – the largest of any production car – for a claimed range of around 516 miles.
No doubt Lucid will also offer the Gravity with the choice of 612bhp and 789bhp four-wheel-drive powertrains, and could also market an entry-level rear-wheel-drive version with 395bhp. A smaller 75kWh battery is offered in the Air, which would endow the taller and heavier Gravity with a range in the region of 230 miles.
As reported by Autocar, a rapid tri-motor version of the Air is inbound with more than 1600bhp, though it is unclear how advanced this project is, nor whether such a system would be used in the Gravity. Intriguingly, Lucid promises the Gravity will offer "supercar levels of performance", implying that pace will be a priority.
Further information will be released when Lucid starts taking reservations early next year, but it is safe bet that it will be priced to compete with similarly positioned luxury EVs from established marques, so expect the line-up to open at around $80,000 (£67,000) in the US.
Lucid has confirmed plans to sell the Gravity outside of its home market, but has given no timeframe for a roll-out on this side of the Atlantic.
The company is understood to initially be targeting Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway when it launches in Europe, with a UK launch to follow, though orders for the Air have yet to open here.
Peter Rawlinson, both CEO and chief technical officer of Lucid, said: "Gravity builds upon everything we have achieved thus far, driving further advancements of our in-house technology to create a luxury performance SUV like none other.
"Just as Lucid Air redefined the sedan category, so too will Gravity impact the world of luxury SUVs, setting new benchmarks across the board."