Flash Drive: 2023 Lucid Air Touring AWD

Flash Drive: 2023 Lucid Air Touring AWD

Distinctive All-Electrical Luxurious Sedan

Lucid Motors invited the automotive media to California to drive the all-new 2023 Air Touring, one of many sedan choices from Lucid. It slots beneath the top-end Sapphire, Air Dream launch version and Air Grand Touring (extra on that mannequin on the finish of this text), and above the Air Pure. We started in Santa Monica, traversing the Santa Monica Mountains to Ventura, after which retuning on Pacific Coast Freeway by means of Malibu. This 160-mile drive spotlighted the dealing with, driving traits and efficiency. Temporary Abstract: the Air Touring is an distinctive all-electric luxurious sedan.

Silent Propulsion

The all-wheel drive Air Touring, with motors entrance and rear, produce 620 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque delivering an all-electric vary of 425 miles with the 19-inch wheels and 384 miles with 20-inch wheels. In our combined driving, which had important motor regeneration resulting from mountain elevation and tight curves, we averaged 4 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh). On the planet of electrical autos, this is superb effectivity.

Smile-inducing torque at any pace is what makes driving an electrical automobile so particular, and boy did the Air Touring ship. Lucid set-up a mini drag strip, the place after some knowledgeable instruction on learn how to use the launch management, we did 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and hit 88 mph earlier than lifting. The linear acceleration produced seat pinning glee as that sub-four seconds goes by actual quick. Don’t blink.

We spent more often than not within the Air Touring negotiating mountain roads that provided an excellent alternative to check the dealing with, weight shift, physique roll and braking. At 4,987 kilos, the Air Touring has a balanced really feel, particularly on lengthy stretches of open freeway and within the Clean drive mode. The staggered, 245/40 entrance and 265/40 rear Michelin Pilot Sport Summer time tires have a bespoke Lucid compound and building and have been mounted on 20-inch Aero Lite wheels.

When pushing corners to their restrict, I felt the Air’s weight, even within the Swift and Dash drive modes that firmed-up the suspension and offered higher steering precision. The steering really feel was on the heavy facet, which I desire, giving a greater potential to manage the accuracy of turns. The electronically managed adaptive dampers management the damping pressure of the suspension to offer for a clean or agency trip, and the driver-selectable stability management adjustments the settings for the anti-lock brakes, traction and stability management, and the torque vectoring.

Lucid has engineered the Air Touring to be a superb lengthy highway tourer, therefore the identify. The balanced trip makes cornering enjoyable however not in true sports activities automobile vogue, primarily as a result of weight. Whereas not afraid of them, most Air Touring house owners is not going to be searching for out twisties regularly, however will use the automobile in-town and on the open highway.

Charging and Regeneration

There are three charging pace choices for the 92 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. Using the automobile’s 700-volt charging system and the onboard 19.5 kW charger, the slowest is by a regular 120V family plug that delivers a full cost in about two and a half days. Most house owners will choose to put in a 240V Degree 2 charger at their dwelling that can replenish 10-to-100% in about 12.3 hours.

For the quickest charging, house owners can make the most of the three years of complementary limitless charging at Electrify America stations. With a 300 kW charger, the battery will add about 200 miles in quarter-hour, or 10-to-80% in 44 minutes. Count on although to be charging at a slower pace, extra like 150kW, the place it should take about 50 minutes.

It is very important notice chilly climate can have an effect on the charging time and driving vary. The Air Touring doesn’t include a battery heater that warms the battery to a temperature for a quicker and better cost. Lucid says one is coming quickly.

Charging can be by means of motor regeneration that when coasting or braking converts kinetic vitality into electrical vitality and returns it to the battery. One pedal driving made it potential to do some driving with out counting on the brakes.

Glossy Exterior Styling

Once you spot any of the Lucid Air fashions, which ought to change into extra widespread, don’t be informal as getting a second look could possibly be problematic given the automobile’s efficiency numbers. The modern exterior with an extended hood and brief, nearly bustle-like rear give it a really low 0.197 coefficient of drag (C_d) Compared, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is available in at .200 C_d, and the Tesla Mannequin S at .208 C_d, each of that are all-electric sedan opponents to the Lucid Air Touring.

Not needing a radiator, the nostril is nearly fully closed off and options wide-set slit LED adaptive headlights. The low 4.9 inch floor clearance, which is sort of the identical because the Mazda MX-5 Miata (4.92 inches), appears to be like lengthy and slippery. It’s straightforward to see how air is aerodynamically pushed over, underneath, sideways and across the Air Touring. The discerning eye will discover the cost door on the left entrance fender and the flush door handles.

The rear has an LED mild strip operating fender-to-fender and a demure, stylized Air Touring badge on the truck lid. This can be a sleeper luxurious sedan that isn’t crying out, “Hey, take a look at me!”

Spacious Inside: An Eye for Element

The inside is an outstanding instance of crafts individuals integrating high-quality supplies right into a well-designed cabin. Lucid names the Air Touring interiors after California locations of Santa Cruz, Tahoe and Mojave. All of them get Nappa leather-based seats with the choice of full-grain or pure grain. Santa Cruz is available in a Black and Ceramic coloration palette with North American Walnut trim. Tahoe will get Black and Saddle and with Carbon Oak trim, and Mojave will get seats in Black and Graphite with Carbon Oak trim.

As to be anticipated on a luxurious automobile, the Air Touring has energy all the pieces, together with the splendid entrance seats with 14-way energy changes which are heated, cooled, perforated and have a close to full physique therapeutic massage characteristic. The heated rears don’t have therapeutic massage, however are sculpted, snug and supply loads of room for 2 adults to unfold out. A 3rd can sit within the center, however not for lengthy. The ground is totally flat so toes and knees won’t ever be cramped, and there’s a management panel to set and modify the local weather controls, and energy facet window shades.

Overhead, an elective Glass Cover ($4,500) that’s seamlessly related to the windshield creates a sunroom impact from the hood to the rear window. Sunroom is suitable as even with the glass being UV handled, any quantity of sunshine heats the cabin. Carry a hat and sun shades as there isn’t a bodily sunshade.

The storage choices embrace the biggest trunk in its class with the 60/40 cut up rear seat upright; folded flat, it expands additional. Extra space to stash gadgets is discovered all through the cabin within the heart console, door pockets and underneath the entrance console. There’s a entrance trunk/frunk, which is also the biggest within the EV sedan class.

The sprint is dominated by a 34-inch, floating curved glass show that on the left facet has contact controls for seats, lights, wipers and the door locks. The middle half is the infotainment display that, with a swipe down, strikes content material to a different display just under. The Air Touring we drove was outfitted with the elective ($4,000) 21-speaker Surreal Sound Professional system with AM/FM/SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wi-fi telephone charging and Bluetooth are customary.

There are a couple of points with the working system, the Lucid Person Expertise. The designers have been eager on kind over operate so there’s a dearth of buttons and different swap gear, save for these discovered on the steering wheel and a quantity wheel on the sprint. This implies all the pieces should undergo the touchscreen and require a number of pages and steps for even the only issues a bodily button or toggle would accomplish. The opposite problem is the Amazon Alexa voice assistant that was quirky, and was hit-or-miss with finishing requested duties. To make use of Amazon Alexa, it’s essential to arrange an Alexa account and obtain the app. I’ve used this method in different vehicles and the account and app steps weren’t mandatory.

The navigation and SiriusXM are Wi-Fi based mostly methods, not satellite tv for pc, which meant after they would exit (and so they did) as I used to be driving. It was essential to restart the automobile as well them up once more. The know-how studying curve was steeper than different vehicles I’ve examined, and solely being within the Air Touring for a short while, I made a decision to focus on driving and never being entertained whereas doing so.

Security and Warranties

The Air Touring comes with a regular checklist of superior driver help methods (ADAS) Lucid calls DreamDrive. This contains blind spot warning, lane departure safety, entrance and rear cross visitors alerts and computerized emergency braking. For a further $10,000 you may order DreamDrive Professional that features lane centering, 360 encompass digicam, blind spot cameras and the {hardware} mandatory for over-the-air updates for semi-autonomous driving. Lucid didn’t say when or if this know-how can be accessible.

The 2023 Lucid Air Touring is a brand new mannequin and has not been security rated by the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA), or the Insurance coverage Institute of Freeway Security (IIHS.)

The Air Touring has these warranties.

New Car – 4 years/50,000 miles

Battery – Eight years/100,000 miles

Powertrain – Eight years/100,000 miles

Corrosion – 10 years/Limitless miles

Roadside Help – 4 years/50,000 miles

Observations: 2023 Lucid Air Touring

There’s something very satisfying about driving an electrical automobile. The shortage of sound because it strikes down the highway is great, and the linear acceleration and prompt torque from a cease and even at freeway speeds is one thing to take pleasure in. This was anticipated earlier than driving the 2023 Lucid Air Touring, however was amplified with what could possibly be the benchmark for luxurious electrical sedans.

Climbing behind the wheel of the Lucid Air Touring, you’ll shortly have an appreciation for a high-quality vehicle. The Air Touring has not-to-be-confused modern styling, and a powerful inside with beneficiant passenger house that rivals many SUVs. The usual options checklist is deep, together with a security suite, making the Air Touring a worth amongst direct competitor luxurious electrical sedans costing $100,000 and up.

There have been some points with the Air Touring which are being addressed and will probably be resolved, however definitely none within the areas of efficiency, trip, consolation, dealing with, charging and effectivity.

Whereas the Lucid Air Touring will compete in opposition to Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Genesis, Audi, BMW and Cadillac, it has a robust case for these on the lookout for a luxurious electrical sedan with one of the best effectivity and driving vary.

The Air Touring is inbuilt Lucid’s new meeting plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, the place it is going to be joined in a yr or so by the corporate’s first all-electric SUV, the Gravity.

Observations2: 2023 Lucid Air Grand Touring

However wait, there’s extra. Lucid has opened as much as the media in current months as gross sales of its luxurious sedan stalled. To mark the opening of its newest “studio” in Corte Madera in Marin County, simply north of San Francisco, it invited Clear Fleet Report to come back to see the shop and check drive the Grand Touring model, which is slotted simply above the Touring reviewed above.

Whereas the Touring fashions begins at $107,400, the Grand Touring begins at $138,000. It has a 900-volt system that hurries up charging time, 1,050 horsepower and a 516-mile driving vary. Our drive within the Grand Touring was brief, however equally spectacular because the longer one above. The extent of efficiency and luxurious displayed is spectacular. Acceleration is past what will be safely and legally used on the native roads and freeway we traversed, however the precision of the dealing with was additionally evident.

With its potential 500+ mile vary and fast-charging functionality, the Grand Touring is well-named. Add within the spacious trunk and comfortable seats and it combines the entire components you must hit the highway for some seriious exploring. Because the high-speed charging networks proceed to develop, these vehicles may reside as much as their identify.   

The shop was inviting and well-equipped with two vehicles on show and intensive samples of the entire cloth and coloration choices accessible. Each wall and desk of the “studio” is designed to bolster Lucid’s dedication to luxurious and elegance. In that sense it’s way more like a conventional luxurious automaker than Tesla’s extra utilitarian strategy. The storefront is nestled in an upscale mall (the place it joins competitor Polestar), a brief stroll away from a financial institution of chargers and check drive fashions. Lucid has greater than 40 studios open so it’s starting to achieve out into the communities more than likely to embrace a electrical luxurious sedan.

Lucid is making its case within the strongest method with the Touring and Grand Touring fashions, however the upcoming, lower cost ($87,000) Pure doubtlessly bringing much more consideration to the model. whereas the close to supercar Sapphire mode ($249,000) might discover aherents on the opposite finish of the dimensions.

Ensure that to opt-in to the Clear Fleet Report publication (high proper of web page) to be notified of all new tales and automobile critiques.

Story by John Faulkner and Michael Coates. Photographs by John Faulkner, Michael Coates, John O’Dell and Lucid.