Tested: 2026 Lucid Gravity Dream Edition Is a Magic Bus

Lucid’s second vehicle is a roomy people-hauler that drives far better than any other three-row EV.

A sedan-only lineup is not a winning strategy these days, which is why fledgling automaker Lucid Motors is adding the Gravity SUV, available as either a five- or seven-seater, as a follow-up to its excellent Air sedan. While plenty of us think the Gravity’s lozenge form factor and low roof look more minivan than rough-and-tumble SUV, the aerodynamics-first design is great for efficiency and range. While this limited-edition Dream model’s summer tires reduce its EPA estimated range figure, the most efficient Grand Touring version earns 450 miles of EPA range, which is 98 percent of what the bluff Cadillac Escalade IQ gets, even though the Lucid has only 60 percent of the Cadillac’s battery energy.

Cadillac Escalade IQ gets, even though the Lucid has only 60 percent of the Cadillac’s battery energy.

view exterior photosMarc Urbano|Car and Driver

Despite the low roof, the Gravity’s packaging is near-minivan excellent, with a sprawling second row and a third row that’s comfortable even for six-plus-footers. Remarkably, the seat cushions are not squashed to the floor to create headroom, so this isn’t a knees-in-the-chest situation, either. Interior materials are top-shelf, and the front seats have great wrap-around support. Again, compared with the Escalade iQ, the Gravity has similar passenger space in all three rows, as well as cargo space in back, despite having almost 17 inches less wheelbase and a roofline that’s nearly a foot lower.

HIGHS: Three roomy rows of seats, Corvette Z06–level acceleration, more fun to drive than other three-row EVs.

But enough left-brain talk. Plenty of EVs are quick, but more impressive than the 1070-hp Gravity’s 3.1-second rush to 60 mph is the second wave of thrust beyond that speed. The front end lifts, the steering goes light, and the Lucid rockets to an easy 160 mph. Its 10.6-second quarter-mile is neck and neck with a Corvette Z06’s, and by 150 mph, the Gravity is nearly a full three seconds ahead. It’s the quickest SUV we’ve ever tested.

view interior PhotosMarc Urbano|Car and Driver

Better than the raw speed is that the Gravity drives with verve heretofore unseen in the ranks of heavy, three-row electric SUVs. It’s rare that any vehicle is so unerringly neutral that it wants to go tail out around our 300-foot skidpad—the Toyota GR86 comes to mind—but the Gravity, shockingly, requires countersteer. Its helm is satisfyingly sharp, too, and you can feel the rear-steer system quickening the Gravity’s responses. The ride quality is surprisingly reasonable—its air springs no doubt help—especially considering the 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels and Pirelli P Zero PZ5 summer tires. And the 1.5-inch-wide front brake rotors look more Le Mans racer than street car—no wonder they haul down the three-ton Gravity with zero fade.

LOWS: A few rough edges, lower-spec versions will be better values.

There are a few details that feel unfinished. The power mechanism for the second-row seats is loud and moves coarsely, the head-up display is unreadable, the folding mechanism for the third row is wobbly, the lane-centering function can be jerky, and the Gravity erroneously dimmed its infotainment screens repeatedly on a bright summer day. These are issues that the long-standing automakers likely would have addressed, and Lucid could fix at least some of these things with over-the-air software updates.

view exterior photosMarc Urbano|Car and Driver

While it remains to be seen how the Gravity might ignite Lucid’s sales, as with the Air, lower-powered, less-expensive models will be a much better value. As for its appearance, our staff most frequently compared it to the Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG, a flash-in-the-pan nameplate we loved even if the marketplace didn’t.

VERDICT: A mega minivan.

Specifications

2026 Lucid Gravity Dream Edition
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $141,550/$142,050

POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Combined Power: 1070 hp
Combined Torque: 909 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 123 kWh
Onboard Charger: 19.2 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 400 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/15.3-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ5 Elect PNCS
F: HL265/40R-22 109Y LM1
R: HL285/35R-23 110Y LM1

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 119.5 in
Length: 198.2 in
Width: 78.7 in
Height: 65.2 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 59/59/37 ft³
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 98/48/15 ft³

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.1 sec
100 mph: 5.9 sec
130 mph: 9.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.6 sec @ 140 mph
150 mph: 12.3 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 1.5 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 160 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 330 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.90 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 28 dBA/1 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 69 dBA/24 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 63 MPGe

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 90/91/87 MPGe
Range: 378 mi

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

Reviewed byDave VanderWerp

Director, Vehicle Testing

Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver‘s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.

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