On the road with Lucid’s new Gravity SUV

Consumers demand Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphones, and the new screens wrap around the dash and driver perfectly; they’re thin and crisp, with snappy responses to swipes and pokes of the finger.

But an augmented reality HUD on the windshield, mindfulness meditation coaching built in, and available productivity apps now fit into the equation, too. With the rear seats lying down flat, off-road and camping in the back, do I really need videos and soundtracks of waves and desertscapes—while I’m out in nature watching real-life waves or desertscapes?

I appreciated the digital detox mode, which turns off all readouts other than the most basic driving information. Adjusting to the new touchpads on the steering wheel will also require a bit more time than a single morning with the Gravity. I used them to adjust my steering wheel, mirrors, and the infotainment volume, but the Air’s textural metal dials were one of my highlights of the interior. At least Lucid’s solution provides much more satisfying textures (and looks) than Mercedes-Benz’s capacitive piano black plastic.

The digital complexity, paired with great range and performance and interior utility and off-road capability, does present a challenge that Lucid recognizes: how best to introduce potential consumers to everything the Gravity can do, all from a showroom floor? To that end, the Gravity uses a nifty little demo video, artfully produced with transitions between touchscreens and widgets and tutorials. But if we need that kind of explanation for a vehicle that successfully unifies formerly opposed concepts, maybe the list of thoughtful features has simply grown too long and complex.

Lucid needed this SUV

The simple fact remains that the Gravity SUV is what Lucid needed all along. Launching a new automotive brand with a four-door sedan, even one as spectacular as the Air, simply lacked a certain level of marketing punch because so few consumers actually buy sedans. Of course, Lucid also needed to ramp up production capabilities at Casa Grande to meet eventual demand for a more popular SUV, so perhaps starting slow fit into the plan from the jump.