![]() However, at this price, the S-Class still walks it. When it comes to its cabin, the Air is miles ahead of the Model S for finish and quality. ![]() Add extra points for the physical shortcut to raise or lower the temperature without delving into sub-menus. Below it, a lower, larger touchscreen interacts with the upper screen and allows drivers to cleverly swipe down for a larger tablet to input a sat-nav address. There's a proper fully digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver that's flanked by a clear large infotainment. Smaller-battery versions are said to be better and feature deeper footwells, but in the meantime, for those owners who travel on the rear bench, Lucid is developing a pair of airline-style pews that recline to enhance comfort. If you go for the versions with the biggest 118kWh battery, you get a high floor that provides an annoyingly high knee angle. There's a wide-opening boot that can swallow up to 465 litres, supplemented by a very useful 202-litre 'frunk' that's the result of some very clever packaging of the front radiator (although it's still not quite perfect). Within the cabin, it's clear the Air has been developed by those fully aware of the Tesla's failings.įirst off, space is remarkable. There's plenty of head and knee room in the rear seats, despite a panoramic roof. Throw in an aerodynamicist from the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, who used neat drag-cutting measures to slash the drag coefficient to just 0.21Cd to maximise range and, on paper at least, you have an impressive combination. ![]() That gave Lucid the perfect starting point. Rawlinson has one of the most enviable CVs in the car business: having been chief engineer at both Lotus and Jaguar, the Welshman then fathered the Tesla Model S. Measuring 4976mm long, 1936mm wide and 1407mm tall, it's actually more E-Class than S-Class. But thanks to its ultra-compact powertrain and skateboard architecture packaging, there's a mammoth 2960mm wheelbase providing for S-Class levels of space within – and luxury, if you believe the man who spearheaded its development, Peter Rawlinson. Size-wise, the US sedan is European in its dimensions. The important takeaway is that while the Mercedes-Benz EQS looks otherworldly, the Air looks exotic. Designed by the same man who penned the current Mazda MX-5, as well as the original concepts for Volkswagen's Scirocco and Microbus reboots, the low-slung proportions are dramatic and hint at a modern take on the Citroën DS. Pictures don't really do the Air justice, other than suggesting it's a far larger car than it actually is. It won't be cheap: our range-topping Dream Edition Performance, tested in California, costs the equivalent £131,000. But for its considerable depth of engineering, surprising beauty and class-best range, those in the market for an electric Mercedes-Benz S-Class alternative might the outlay worth paying. ![]() And make an impact the Lucid Air does, because as well as producing comparable power to the Plaid, the newcomer can cover up to 520 miles on a single charge, which is more than 100 miles more than its rival on the same American EPA test cycle.Īs for Europe, Lucid is rumoured to shortly announce right-hand-drive production, which means the Air could be available to order in the UK before the end of 2022. Of course, all this neck-crunching is a necessary business when you need to make an impression alongside competition such as the Bugatti-humbling Tesla Model S Plaid. Despite plenty of evidence on YouTube that the Air will drift until the cows come home, away from wide-open race tracks the battery-electric Lucid is altogether a different beast.
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