Lucid Motors rolls into this coming weekend’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with it calls a “Trail-Ready” take on its first SUV. The EV start-up is hoping that the Gravity X Concept will fire up interest in the big SUV which has struggled to gain any traction with buyers since going into production earlier this year. More from Headlight.News.
The Lucid Gravity X Concept is based on the Gravity Touring package.
What good is an SUV if you can’t take it off-road? That’s what more and more American motorists have been asking lately, with a growing number of manufacturers meeting that demand with more rugged and capable options and special packages.
Now, Lucid Motors appears poised to enter that realm with a concept version of its first all-electric SUV. The Lucid Gravity X – or Cross, if you prefer – is making its debut in concept form at this coming Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The 828-horsepower concept is based on the Gravity Touring package beefed up to use its muscle on or off-road.
It could prove a critical addition to the line-up, if the automaker comes up with a production version. Demand has been marginal since the SUV went into production six months ago – despite it originally being expected to outsell the Lucid Air sedan.
“Equipped for adventure”
The concept makes 828 hp and can hit 60 in 3.4 seconds.
“Lucid Gravity has redefined the limits of what an uncompromising SUV can achieve. The Lucid Gravity X concept expands on these core principles to explore new possibilities off the beaten path while showcasing the incredible capabilities of the Lucid Gravity,” said Derek Jenkins, SVP of Design and Brand at Lucid. “Lucid’s range, power and versatility make it an ideal vehicle for those adventurers looking to explore further offroad.”
Gravity X sports new front and rear fascia, with a widened track and lifted ride height. These deliver improved approach and departure angles, though the automaker didn’t provide specific numbers. Add custom wheels and all-terrain tires, as well as protective skid plates and integrated tow hooks. A modular roof system features integrated crossbars and accessory mounts. There are LED light bars and a roof bob, as well.
The SUV features unique sill plates and rocker trim bearing the geographic coordinates of the annual Concours – which is celebrating its 74th running this year. Adds a Lucid release, “Topography maps of Big Sur and Death Valley are etched onto the recesses on the hood of Lucid Gravity X.”
Interior
The interior is similar to the Touring package, shown here, adding orange stitching and piping.
Like the production version of Gravity, the Lucid concept features three rows of seats, the second and third rows able to fold flat. There’s plenty of room for seven passengers and cargo thanks to the use of a skateboard-style platform that places the SUV’s battery pack and twin motors under the load floor.
A large frunk adds still more cargo space, a useful features for trail running and Overlanding.
Building on the lavish interior of the production Gravity Touring model, the X adds orange piping and stitching, upgraded leather seats with bespoke textile inlays, a microsuede steering wheel, more rugged floor mats and open pore walnut wood inlays.
More Lucid News
- First Look: Lucid Gravity
- Lucid’s Model Y Fighter, the Earth, Set to Launch in Late 2026
- Lucid Switches to Tesla NACS Port, Gains Supercharger Access
On- and off-road muscle
Gravity X has a unique front fascia, tires and wheels.
Based on the Lucid Gravity Touring package, the X Concept punches out 828 horsepower, enough to launch from 0-60 in just 3.4 seconds. In Touring form, it still manages to earn an EPA range estimate of 450 miles per charge.
One of the benefits of an EV is the tremendous amount of torque electric motors can make. With Gravity X that makes for solid on-road performance, and the ability to easily surmount logs, rocks and other obstacles since those motors make virtually all their torque the moment they start spinning.
Various driver mode options would allow a production version of the Lucid Gravity X to adapt key vehicle settings to specific road and weather conditions, as well as driver input.
Struggling in the marketplace
Lucid Gravity made its debut at the 2023 LA Auto Show.
When the Lucid Gravity made its debut at the November 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show there was widespread expectation it would become the brand’s best-selling model, displacing the older Lucid Air sedan. That’s in line with what we see at most other luxury brands, such as Tesla, where the Model X outsells the Model S sedan.
So far, however, that hasn’t happened. S&P Global Mobility reported that only nine copies of the Lucid Gravity had been registered in the U.S. by June 30, roughly six months after production began. By comparison, the data showed 4,780 registrations for the Air sedan, a 52% year-over-year increase.
While a Lucid representative declined to reveal specific numbers, it insisted that “multiple hundreds” of Gravity SUVs actually had been sold by June 30, though it can take time for them to show up on state registration rolls.
The automaker put some of the blame on a slow production ramp-up, a not unusual occurrence in the industry, especially for automakers launching completely new product lines.
“I feel that it is important to acknowledge that we are not where we want to be with Lucid Gravity production relative to our target at this point in the year,” Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said during a second-quarter earnings call.
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