2025 Lucid Air
08/11/2025
Shahed Hussain
Synopsis
Review
Lucid is an unfamiliar brand to most Americans, but its Air sedan ranks among the top luxury EVs in both maximum range (up to 512 miles) and available power (1,234 hp). Designed in the US and assembled in Arizona, the base Air Pure RWD starts at $70,900 and ranges up to the top Air Sapphire ($249,000). In between is the Air Touring ($79,000) and Air Grand Touring ($114,900). Lucid's product range also includes the newly introduced midsize Gravity SUV.
The Air's powertrain uses permanent magnet AC motors driving the front (AWD only) and rear axles via a single-speed gearbox. A liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack powers the AC motors. Four powertrains are available: 430-hp (Pure RWD), 620-hp (Touring), 819-hp (Grand Touring), and a stunning 1,234-hp (Sapphire). All Air models besides the Pure are all-wheel drive. Claimed performance specifications range from 4.5 seconds (Pure) to a neck-snapping 1.89 seconds (Sapphire) for the 0-60 MPH sprint. The Air Pure has an EPA-estimated range of 420 miles. The Grand Touring can drive up to 512 miles when equipped with 19-in. wheels. Using a 350kW DC commercial charger, Lucid claims up to 200 miles of range in 16 minutes.
A variety of 19-in. and 20-in. wheels are offered on the Air Pure, with 21-in. wheels available on the Touring, Grand Touring and Dream Edition. Air Pure models get either 245/45ZR19 Pirelli P Zero all-season tires, or 245/45ZR20 (front) and 265/40ZR20 (rear) Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires. Brakes are all-disc with 6-piston 15-in. vented rotors (front) and 4-piston 14.75-in. vented rotors (rear). A power-assisted rack-and-pinion system is geared for 2.3 turns lock-to-lock. Curb weight ranges from 4,564 lbs. (Pure RWD) to 5,203 lbs. (Dream and Grand Touring).
Lucid's uncluttered interior design uses premium soft touch plastics and matte aluminum trim. The digital gauge cluster is complemented by a tablet-like infotainment display. Comfortable front seats provide excellent lateral support. Front headroom is adequate for occupants up to 6 ft. tall. Rear headroom is reduced by about 2 inches due to the glass roof in the Air Touring, but the Air Pure's aluminum roof preserves rear headroom. Back seat passenger benefit from supportive rear seats and ample legroom.
We drove the Air Pure RWD and the Touring AWD models. After driving the Touring AWD, we were impressed with its amazingly smooth and rapid acceleration from the dual motor drivetrain. Minimal tire and wind noise contributed to a serene driving experience. The suspension tuning delivers a compliant ride, along with excellent damping and body control. Driving on winding roads, the suspension keeps body roll to a minimum. The high-effort steering filters out most road surface feedback, but also provide superb directional control. As with other EVs, the Air uses braking regeneration to recharge the battery under braking. The strong brake regeneration setting on the Air Touring will decelerate to a stop without using the brakes.
In contrast to the Air Touring, the Air Pure feels lighter (which it is), and although not as quick, still delivers more than adequate real-world performance. Despite the rainy weather during our test drive, the Pure RWD had no traction issues. From a subjective perspective, we preferred the lighter Air Pure due to its relatively nimble handling. Also, the lower regeneration setting in the Air Pure provided more gradual deceleration.
Despite our limited time driving both Air models, we were impressed with its performance, handling and overall refinement. The Air is priced competitively with other sedans from premium brands, but offers distinctive styling and a fantastic driving experience. If you're considering an EV luxury sedan, the Air should be on your short list.