Published: Nov. 1, 2024 12:48 PM ET Updated: Nov. 1, 2024 02:15 PM ET Share Lucid Motors has seen sales of its Air luxury sedan reach new heights in 2024, and now the startup American automaker is entering the heavyweight class. Lucid has announced the official launch of the Gravity SUV, which will begin shipping before the end of the year. It willyear It will initially be offered in a Grand Touring model priced at $94,900, but a $79,900 Touring trim will be added to the lineup in about 12 months. The Tesla Model X first went on sale in 2015. Tesla The Gravity features three rows of seating and will compete directly against the Tesla Model X. The Model X is a decade old now and far from the hot property it was when it first spread its falcon wing doors, but it has been updated along the way and is still the class of the field. The Model X starts at $79,990 for an all-wheel drive version and $94,900 for the high-performance Plaid trim. Lucid’s pricing structure is surely not a coincidence. The Gravity’s styling is a supersize take on the Air’s sleek and elegant mid-century modern-inspired look, which is as much about efficiency as turning heads. The Air holds the EPA record with a model that delivers the equivalent of 146 mpg and the Gravity looks like it will be top among large SUVs. The Gravity seats seven in three rows. Lucid Motors Lucid hasn’t yet released the Gravity’s official EPA rating, but said the Grand Touring will have a driving range of more than 440 miles a charge. The Model X Plaid is rated at 326 miles with a slightly smaller pack. The Model X Plaid will beat it in a drag race. With a 1,020 hp all-wheel-drive system, it can accelerate to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds while the Gravity makes do with 800 hp that is good for a 3.5-second sprint to that speed. That is great for bragging to your friends, but hardly as important as driving range is to family SUV buyers. The Gravity’s front trunk is designed to be used as a bench seat. Lucid Motors The Arizona-built Gravity is very focused on them with a spacious cabin that features second-row and third-row seats that fold flat to the floor like a minivan’s. It provides up to 120 cubic feet of cargo space, which is 35 cubic feet more than the Model X can hold within the same size footprint. If you need to haul more than that, the Gravity can tow up to 6,000, which is 1,000 pounds more than the Model X can handle. Among the Gravity’s clever features are airplane-style tray tables for the second row and a front trunk designed to double as a bench seat when the vehicle is parked. It also rides on an air suspension system that can raise the vehicle for added ground clearance when driving on snow and rough roads, or lower it for maximum efficiency on the highway. The Gravity can tow up to 6,000 pounds. Lucid Motors Lucid doesn’t promise Full Self-Driving like Tesla, but that feature has yet to live up to its name, anyway. The Gravity’s Dream Drive system does provide automatic emergency braking and lane-centering adaptive cruise control through the use of cameras, sonar, and lidar, however, and can be updated with additional capabilities as the software is developed. With a slow ramp-up in production expected, it may be a while before the Gravity can catch the Model X, but Lucid is already looking ahead to its next fight, which is a big one. The Gravity has a driving range of 440 miles per charge. Lucid Motors Lucid has released a teaser image of a compact SUV that matches up with the Tesla Model X which was the world’s best-selling vehicle last year. It will be priced less than $50,000, but isn’t expected to go on sale before 2026. As for what it will be called, that’s still up in the air, so to speak. Lucid has filed for a trademark on Earth, which would fit right in with the brand, along with a less auspicious name: Ocean. Lucid has previewed its upcoming compact SUV with a shadowy image Lucid Motors That was the name of the single model launched by the now-bankrupt Fisker Automotive, which was the last American startup that dared to challenge the Model Y. It didn’t even last a year. Talk about a knockout.