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Marques Brownlee - Lucid Air: How to One-up Tesla!

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Author: Marques Brownlee
Categories: Automotive
Tags: auto
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:50 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: The Lucid Air, particularly the Grand Touring and Air GT Performance trims, is presented as a strong one-up on Tesla's Model S, leading on range, charging speed, power, interior luxury, back-seat space, sound, front trunk, and driving versatility. The reviewer still notes the car's exterior styling and high pricing as drawbacks, and warns that starting at the top trims could be risky for a new company.

Key Points

  • Range and charging: Lucid's Air GT Performance is listed at 446 miles on a single charge, with 350 kW maximum charging, versus Tesla's Model S.
  • Interior and back seat: Materials, fit and finish, quietness, seat adjustment, and multizone climate are stronger, and the rear seat gains much more legroom because of a normal trunk instead of a hatchback.
  • Sound, steering, and front trunk: A 21-speaker system with Dolby Atmos and Tidal HiFi, real steering-wheel buttons, and a large powered front trunk ("frunk") stand out.
  • Driving personalities: Three drive modes (Smooth, Swift, Sprint) make the sedan comfortable for passengers yet firm and grippy for spirited driving, with about 1,000 horsepower.
  • Pricing and strategy: The Grand Touring starts at $154,000 and the Sapphire version is about $250,000, so Lucid is launching high-margin top trims first, which the reviewer flags as a possible risk.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: the reviewer confirmed real-world range of about 400 to 430 miles, praised Smooth mode for passenger comfort and Sprint mode for spirited driving, and mentioned a $6,000 stealth package for a matte-black exterior trim option.
  • Software: Lucid uses its own UI and does not support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The 2.0 software is faster and better laid out than earlier 1.x versions, and the car gets meaningful updates over time. A quirk is that music and maps cannot be shown on the top screen at the same time.
  • Drive mode limits: Smooth, Swift, and Sprint change suspension, steering, and acceleration together, so you cannot mix a firmer suspension with smoother acceleration. The reviewer wants that decoupling for the price.
  • Tire and wheel note: The 21-inch wheels limit ride smoothness; the reviewer believes 19-inch wheels would improve comfort more than the suspension setting alone.
  • Exterior criticism: The two-tone silver trim, which looks like an attempt to copy Maybach, and the bulbous rear shape reduce trunk usability; a flower pot was hard to fit through the rear opening.

Bottom Line

Lucid's Air is a serious technical and interior competitor to Tesla's Model S, but its high pricing, the exterior design, and the risk of a top-heavy launch strategy are the main trade-offs to weigh.