We are able to argue eternally about what precisely was the world’s first luxurious efficiency SUV, however I make the case that the Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG of the early 2000s introduced the idea to life. Powered by a 5.4-liter V8 creating 342 horsepower, it represented the primary try to meld three opposing personas: a sensible SUV, a luxurious merchandise, and a efficiency automotive.
Within the intervening 25 years, technological developments have allowed the efficiency luxurious SUV to flourish. What these machines can now do from a velocity perspective, whether or not speaking about these from BMW’s M division and even the reluctant entrant that’s the Ferrari Purosangue, the tremendous SUV idea has advanced far past what anybody might’ve envisioned on the flip of the century.
The 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring, the model’s first SUV, isn’t outwardly tremendous. The carmaker doesn’t plan to promote it primarily as a efficiency mannequin like its $249,000 Air Sapphire. As a substitute, the $94,900 Grand Touring is merely an introduction to the Lucid SUV, with a inexpensive $79,900 Touring trim on account of arrive later this yr and extra highly effective variants to observe.
But, whereas the Gravity is perhaps Lucid’s first try at constructing a high-riding household hauler, my first drive by means of the twisting mountain roads of Los Olivos, CA, and some laps of a personal filth monitor show that whereas it might not outwardly be a luxurious efficiency SUV, it manages to mix these opposing personas higher than most.
Just a little smack speak at a brand new automotive launch is to be anticipated, however Lucid doesn’t waste time mincing phrases. Somewhat than taking jabs at “our opponents” on a presentation and solely vaguely alluding to what these rivals is perhaps, the California-based model introduced out a Cadillac Escalade IQ, a BMW X7, a Rivian R1S, and a Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. Should you’re questioning the place the Tesla Mannequin X is, it’s MIA.
Nonetheless, relatively than inform us that the Gravity has a smaller turning radius than its opponents due to its rear-axle steering system, it had us strive all of them again to again to expertise it for ourselves. Lucid’s newest completes a flip in as little as 38 toes, in comparison with the IQ’s 39.4-ft determine and the R1S’s 41.3-ft radius.
It’s the same story when showcasing the Gravity’s cupboard space. Its five-seater configuration affords 120 cubic toes with its rear seats folded. This additionally determine takes into consideration the Lucid’s entrance storage compartment. Step as much as the seven-seater, and that determine drops to 114.3 cu-ft, which remains to be sufficient to beat the Mercedes-Benz, the Rivian, the lacking Tesla, and the BMW.
Solely the huge Cadillac Escalade IQ comes shut with its 119.1 cu-ft determine, which it additionally achieves with all seats folded. Nonetheless, the Gravity matches its seating and cupboard space whereas being 26 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower, with a roofline that’s 11 inches decrease. The actual elephant within the room is the Caddy’s 9,134-pound curb weight, a staggering 3,230 lb greater than the five-seater Gravity’s 5,904-lb determine (6,048 lb for the seven-seater).
Though this SUV shares structural elements with its sedan sibling, it incorporates loads of new {hardware}, comparable to its battery pack, electrical motors, charging system, and thermal system.
In a best-case state of affairs, a Gravity with seating for 5 outfitted with staggered 20 and 21-inch wheels covers an EPA-estimated 450 miles, made doable by its 123-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The Grand Touring incorporates a 926-volt system that enables it to quick cost at as much as 400 kilowatts. Outfitted with a brand new NACS port with entry to the broader community by way of adapters, the Gravity will cost as much as 225 kW hooked to Tesla v3 {hardware}. At max velocity, it’ll achieve 200 miles of vary in simply over 10 minutes.
With ample seating and cupboard space and among the greatest vary/charging figures in its class, that’s the sensible SUV persona lined. However what about luxurious?
This $94,900 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring is the one trim obtainable, at the very least for now. A $79,900 Touring mannequin is because of observe later this yr, and a Dream Version with a rumored over 1,000 hp is predicted quickly after to carry the spot of the range-topping mannequin, at the very least till a Sapphire-like trim arrives. As such, we’re what’ll ultimately be a mid-level model of the Gravity as its lineup expands.
Nonetheless, whereas the Air leaned closely right into a screen-dense structure, the Gravity doubles down with a large 6K-resolution OLED 34-inch central show that mixes the motive force’s instrument cluster and this automotive’s central infotainment display screen. A smaller 11-inch HD OLED display screen lives on the dashboard and incorporates bodily switches for the controls you work together with most, comparable to this automotive’s A/C settings. A 3rd seven-inch display screen affords local weather adjustment for these within the second row.
A cluster of screens isn’t essentially synonymous with luxurious, see the Bugatti Tourbillon and the lengths it goes to keep away from them. Nonetheless, for such a automobile outlined by its software program, they’re important to the expertise the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring goals to ship.
As I settle behind its squared-off wheel for the primary time, a call made so you’ve got an unobstructed view of the principle show, it’s all a bit overwhelming. It takes a couple of minutes to search out the place this SUV’s controls and changes conceal, particularly as they differ fully from opponents. Nonetheless, this foreignness creates the sense that you simply’re not driving simply one other luxurious SUV from established manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. The Gravity feels recent in a phase that’s gone stale by intently copying one another’s homework.
There’s lots to love from a supplies standpoint as nicely. At launch, the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring is offered with 4 pre-configured inside themes modeled after varied areas of the Californian outside. Construct high quality feels wonderful, and the cabin stays properly remoted from extra wind and highway noise at greater speeds. Nonetheless, don’t count on vibrant coloration choices to come back any time quickly. It’s the same story when contemplating this automotive’s exterior palette, which is decidedly muted, with the very best of the bunch being the Aurora Inexperienced shade my tester wears.
As groundbreaking because the Gravity is when it comes to expertise and its packaging, I think its exterior design will probably be too polarizing for the standard luxurious SUV purchaser. Whereas Lucid undoubtedly primarily targets a tech-forward buyer, it wants to maneuver models, which implies additionally changing the Vary Rover and G-Wagen crowd. And whereas the carmaker did make an effort to adorn this SUV with a modern aesthetic, the Gravity suffers from minivan-like proportions, a vibe that doesn’t scream “luxurious merchandise.”
Nonetheless, if you happen to’re into it, the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring makes up floor with its three-chamber air suspension, supplied as a part of the $2,900 Dynamic Dealing with Bundle. It rises to supply as much as 9.3 inches of floor clearance in its highest setting, practically matching a Mercedes-Benz G550. In its sportiest setting, it’ll squat down to five.2 inches to raised match the dealing with traits of the Air sedan.
Within the softest Easy mode, it rides superbly, effortlessly absorbing highway imperfections whereas transmitting nearly no harshness to its passengers over rougher highway surfaces. Paired with a well-isolated cabin, the Gravity is virtually faultless if a luxurious driving expertise is what you’re after.
For individuals who need extra, nonetheless, the Gravity has a closing ace: its potential to morph into an precise efficiency automobile. As tough as that is perhaps to consider now that you simply’ve discovered how a lot tech, area, and weight is packed into this three-row SUV, a drive on a winding mountain highway chasing Lucid’s Senior Director of Chassis & Automobile Dynamic Engineering, David Lickfold, proved that not even a $249,000 Air Sapphire with 1,234 hp can depart the Gravity behind.
This turns into extra plausible as you be taught that the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring develops 828 hp and 909 pound-feet of torque, break up between two electrical motors that ship that energy to all 4 wheels. Flat out, this close to 6,000-lb SUV sprints to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, besting even a rear-drive Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder.
Alongside its air suspension, which drops within the center Swift setting and really squats in probably the most aggressive Dash mode, the Gravity will get its stopping energy from six-piston Brembo brakes up entrance with a four-piston set within the rear. It’ll torque vector utilizing its brakes and places the facility down by way of Lucid’s in-house developed traction management system.
On a again highway, its straight-line efficiency is dramatic, as anticipated from most EVs. What’s stunning, nonetheless, is simply how nicely the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring tackles the bends. It modifications route like one thing that weighs 1,000 fewer kilos. Concurrently, its steering, regardless of being electrically assisted, is exact, fast, and even picks up a good bit of weight below load. It’s a feat no BMW M automotive, Audi RS product, or any of AMG’s newest appear to match. It’s Porsche-like in its tuning, which, so far as electrical steering goes, is the very best within the enterprise.
As a result of Lucid lets you modify your regenerative braking settings independently out of your drive mode, you may fine-tune how a lot you need to assist this SUV’s brakes when the highway begins to wind. After a couple of minutes of operating at a good tempo with no regen enabled, nonetheless, I did really feel the brakes start to wrestle, such are the restrictions of a virtually 6,000-lb automobile on a mountain highway.
Whereas the Gravity’s journey high quality suffers within the high Dash setting, it pays dividends relating to backroad efficiency. It’s secure at velocity and effortlessly settles its weight as you transition from bend to bend. In direction of the top of my time on the twisty highway, as I approached the ultimate cease of the day, I used to be left feeling {that a} household SUV shouldn’t be this fast in a straight line, so agile within the bends, or so partaking to drive, but the Gravity manages it.
Though not but obtainable, Lucid plans to supply a devoted off-road mode for the Gravity as a part of a software program replace to additional improve this SUV’s capabilities. For now, nonetheless, with a personal monitor at my disposal and a prototype model of this drive setting, a fast run on filth rapidly morphed into an impromptu drift session. Lucid’s engineers had talked about that the Gravity has a rear-biased energy distribution. Nonetheless, right here it’s evident as this household hauler kicks up clouds of filth, hangs its tail out, and, with loads of energy, reaches excessive angles whereas sideways.
Its fast steering comes into play, permitting you to make fast corrections whereas getting a transparent sense of precisely the place its entrance wheels level at any given second. Once more, the sensation that an SUV shouldn’t be this athletic or this thrilling to drive creeps in once more. Take into account the Gravity’s sporting credentials confirmed.
As you probably picked up within the earlier parts of this piece, the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring is a technological powerhouse, one the carmaker goals to enhance by means of common updates. From an electrical household SUV perspective, Gravity excels due to its segment-leading storage and passenger area alongside its wonderful vary and electrical effectivity.
Should you see it as a luxurious merchandise, Lucid’s first SUV impresses with its tech-filled cabin, wonderful materials decisions, and well-isolated cabin. Paired with a luxurious air suspension setup, the ensuing driving expertise feels luxurious, even when its minivan-like appears don’t fairly reinforce the sensation.
Nonetheless, what’s most surprising is how genuinely sporty the Grand Touring manages to be. Its weight and measurement make it tremendously fast, thrilling to drive, and outrageously succesful. It seems like a correct efficiency automobile in a approach that the majority opponents don’t.
The Gravity manages to separate its personalities in methods the ML55 AMG that kicked off the phase might solely dream of. Lucid’s second act doesn’t simply present how far the efficiency SUV has come; it enters the area prepared to guide it.
