110 - 121
480 - 804
1 speed, Automatic
Electric
All Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive
Image: Perry Stern
The Lucid Air competes in the Upper Midsize Premium Car market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 82 percent of new Upper Midsize Premium Car buyers are male (vs. 62 percent for the industry), and the median age of a new Upper Midsize Premium Car buyer is 61 years (vs. 54).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the Upper Midsize Premium Car segment in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the sections that follow, our independent expert analyzes an Air Grand Touring equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $155,650, including the $1,650 destination charge.
Image: Perry Stern
Approaching the Air with the key fob brings the car to life as the lights come on and the doors automatically unlock. Sliding into the cabin wakes up all the display screens and activates the climate control system—essentially like pressing the start button. Doors feature a soft-close mechanism for an added feeling of luxury.
Inside, the Air has all the trappings of a luxury sedan. Extended Nappa full-grain leather trims the seats, while the doors and dashboard feature North American Walnut and Alcantara with the vibe of high-end furniture. With nice bolstering and good padding, the seats are very comfortable even after spending extended time in the car, especially when using the multi-function seat massagers. As an interesting design element, Lucid trimmed the front seats of my test vehicle in Lucid Black, while the rear seats were Ceramic (white).
A large touchscreen display called the Pilot Panel sits in the center below the dashboard, tilted upwards for easy access and to reduce glare. This is where the driver accesses all main functions, including climate, navigation, audio, and communications. The display retracts to reveal a sizable hidden storage area in the center console. Cupholders, good-sized covered storage, and a wireless phone charger are also in the center console.
The 34-inch curved display that spans most of the dashboard above shows additional information. The display has three distinct sections:
Rear-seat passengers will enjoy the spacious surroundings with plenty of legroom and headroom. With a flat floor, even middle-seat passengers have room to stretch their legs. Outboard seats have heat, and there are controls between the two front seats for activating the sun shades and climate functions. Entry and exit are easy, with doors that open exceptionally wide, almost perpendicular to the car.
Image: Perry Stern
Lucid orients its infotainment system toward streaming and cloud-based services, only recently starting to offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on newer models. The automaker says owners can install these popular features via an over-the-air (OTA) software update.
While the infotainment system in my 2022 model-year test vehicle was missing these two key features, it did include the following:
With many infotainment systems, simply connecting a smartphone is all that's necessary to get going. I did that with my Samsung Galaxy S21, and it connected quickly via Bluetooth.
But with the cloud-based streaming services in the Air, I had to create new accounts or log in with my current credentials. I have a Spotify account, and after logging in, I could access all my music selections. I also logged in to my Amazon account to access Alexa. None of these tasks took very long; this is a one-time setup for an owner.
The Air's infotainment system uses both the larger lower display and the upper screen. There are redundant controls so the driver can choose the preferred method of interaction. The upper screen includes shortcuts that remain static on the left side of the display for quick access to navigation, audio, and communication controls.
One of my favorite features of this system is the ability to pull information from the top display to the lower. For example, after selecting navigation on the upper screen, dragging the bar at the top of the lower display brings navigation to the larger screen for easier interaction.
With multiple streaming services and SXM, there are plenty of options for audio entertainment. Like the example above, you can search through music libraries or different channels on the larger screen. Then, control can return to the smaller screen, which continues to display the current music selection. No matter the source, I found the audio system stellar, with excellent sound quality, even at higher volumes.
Lucid integrates Amazon Alexa into its infotainment system, and it provides excellent voice interaction. Accessible via a button on the steering wheel or simply by saying "Alexa," the system can perform a wide range of tasks. You can ask Alexa to adjust climate controls, set a destination, find the closest charging station, play a particular song or playlist on one of the streaming services, or set reminders. The Alexa integration can even interact with a Smart Home, performing tasks like turning on house lights when arriving at night.
Image: Perry Stern
Powering the Lucid Air Grand Touring are dual electric motors that deliver a plentiful 819 hp and 885 pound-feet of torque. With a motor at the front and rear, the Air sends power to the road through all four wheels for excellent traction. Customers who don't think 819 hp is enough can opt for the Grand Touring Performance, which bumps total output to an insane 1,050 hp.
Electric cars have drastically raised the performance bar. It used to be (and not that long ago) that for a vehicle even to approach the level of horsepower and performance in the Lucid Air, it would need to be an exotic sports car with a roaring V8 or V12, likely turbocharged or supercharged. Now we have the Lucid Air that seats five in elegant surroundings while effortlessly and quietly launching to 60 mph in just 3 seconds—quicker than most gas-powered supercars.
The Lucid Air is luxurious with impressive technology, but its driving performance is what really puts it on my list of all-time favorite cars. From the moment I got behind the wheel, I was impressed with how smooth and quiet the Air drives. But when I put my foot to the floor the first time, I was unprepared for the level of acceleration. It happens with no drama or roar, just an instant response, like being squeezed out of a bottle. Velocity moves into illegal territory very quickly.
While that acceleration party trick never gets old (an experience every passenger demanded), the Lucid's driving dynamics go well beyond its quick launch. The throttle is easy to modulate in everyday driving with predictable and smooth power delivery, making for a comfortable ride in the city and on the highway. The car always remains quiet, even when cruising at highway speeds, and there's always ample power available when the need arises to get around a slower vehicle.
Taking the Air on my favorite Pacific Northwest backroads, I found the big sedan performed very well with great steering response, excellent handling, and brakes that responded quickly with predictable results. I was able to adjust the level of brake regeneration, and at the highest level, it's possible to drive the Air with just the throttle, which adds to the enjoyment on a winding road. Coming into a turn, there's no need to move to the brake; simply lifting off the throttle slows the car enough to make the turn, and it's easy to quickly accelerate when the road straightens.
Image: Perry Stern
Every Lucid Air comes standard with the company's DreamDrive suite of advanced driver assistance systems. DreamDrive includes:
Lucid also offers DreamDrive Pro, which adds $10,000 to the vehicle's price. This upgraded system features 14 cameras, one lidar, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors—all the hardware needed for semi-autonomous driving. However, the system is not yet functional. It will require a future OTA software update. DreamDrive Pro also adds a surround-view camera with blind-spot display and Highway Assist.
Activated by the turn signals, the blind-spot display uses rear-facing cameras to broadcast the obstructed view onto the driver display. During my drive, I immediately became used to having this function and missed it after returning the Lucid.
The adaptive cruise control works well with intuitive and easy operation when cruising on the freeway in the Air. Highway Assist provides some steering assistance to keep the car in the lane. However, the current system won't operate hands-free. Most impressive was how smoothly the car accelerated back up to speed after moving around a slower vehicle.
In everyday driving, though, I found the lane-keeping assistance too aggressive with constant steering correction, making it feel like I was fighting with the car. I eventually won that fight by turning off the lane-keeping system. It also alerted me quite often to look at the road, with the vehicle providing a warning after just a few seconds of looking away.
Image: Perry Stern
The Lucid Air has two cargo compartments—front and rear—with power-operated lids. Up front, there are 10 cubic feet of space with a removable panel on the floor for better versatility. The rear trunk is larger, with 22.1 cubic feet of storage. Like the front, a removable panel in the bottom provides a deeper, more usable space.
I drove the 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring with 21-inch wheels, which gets an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rating of 121 MPGe in combined city/highway driving. The estimated range on a full charge is 469 miles. During my time with the Air, it averaged 3.0 miles/kWh, equating to about 101 MPGe—considerably less than the EPA ratings. The range was also lower than advertised. While I never charged the Air to 100 percent, at the average consumption rate I experienced, the range would be closer to 336 miles with the car's 112-kWh battery pack. It is worth noting that the temperature was in the 30s during my time with the Lucid, and batteries do not perform as well when cold.
I also found the indicated range on the driver's display misleading. With 318 miles of range showing, I drove 76 miles, arriving at my destination with just 163 miles remaining—a decrease of 155 miles. A vehicle's range is so important to know when driving an EV that this discrepancy was quite disconcerting.
While the premium EV carries the latest advanced safety features, at the time of writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had tested the crashworthiness of the Lucid Air. Be sure to check those organizations for the latest information.
The Air Pure is the lowest-priced variant in the Lucid lineup, starting at $87,400. The Lucid Air Touring begins at $107,400, while the Lucid Air Grand Touring price starts at $138,000. At the top of the range is the Air Sapphire, with a starting price of $249,000. Prices do not include the destination charge of $1,650.
In the JD Power 2022 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Genesis G80 ranks highest in the Upper Midsize Premium Car segment. The BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class are the next highest-ranked models.
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Genesis G80 ranks highest in the Upper Midsize Premium segment. The BMW 5 Series and the Porsche Taycan are the next highest-ranked models.
Other competitors to the Lucid Air include the Genesis Electrified G80, Mercedes-Benz EQE, and Tesla Model S.
Image: Perry Stern
Electric cars have become commonplace on American roads. But, like any other vehicle category, a few stand out. The Lucid Air is one such car. This new American-made luxury sedan is stylish and powerful, with a greater estimated driving range than any other available EV. Granted, the range I experienced was less than expected. However, the cold weather during my drive can easily account for this issue. Plus, the range I achieved was still better than almost any other EV on the road.
The Lucid Air makes a grand statement with its elegant looks, luxurious and spacious cabin, intuitive, advanced technology, and driving characteristics that make you want to come up with a reason to hit the road. Its steep price makes it difficult for most consumers to consider buying, but for those with the means, the Lucid Air is not to be missed.
Perry Stern has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and has always been a car enthusiast. Driving almost every new car on the market, Perry has written for multiple publications in addition to his work for JDPower.com. Living in the Pacific Northwest, Perry is still crazy about cars, especially his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
