Lucid's powerful Gravity SUV offers one hell of an electric ride
This second child from the Californian newcomer is another sign that things are changing at the upper end of the SUV segment.
While the established luxury brands still hesitate to electrify their large SUVs, Lucid hopes the Gravity will attract all those customers for whom high-performance cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 9, the Kia EV9 or the Volvo EX90 are not powerful enough.
The seven-seater will come to Europe from the US in autumn and pricing will probably start at around €130,000. The initial ticket will later fall to just under €100,000 with a slimmed-down entry-level model.
Yet this is not just a king-sized Lucid Air with three rows of seats. Yes, it is certainly big at 5.03 metres, but not overbearing or covered in plastic cladding like some of the competition.
It would easily pass off as a cool van and looks sleek, fresh and friendly. The shape is more streamlined than most other off-road vehicles which prompts Lucid to claim a range of more than 700 kilometres, according to the European measuring standard.
Inside, the Gravity entices with a spread of modern luxurious materials and an elegant screen landscape. The Gravity's blade-like screen is located higher, making everything visible at once.
There is an amazing amount of room in this SUV whether with the five- or seven-seat arrangement. Anyone can get comfortable in row two, while full-size humans can fit into the third row without having to pull up their knees and risk bumping their heads.
The perches will not massage or ventilate your back, but they are at least heated. Since the Gravity is meant to be a touring car, there is ample luggage space. The boot will swallow up to 3,200 litres and the frunk under the front bonnet has another 200 litres.
The Gravity offers not just space but plenty of pace too. The name hints at the heft which sends this car charging ahead.
The SUV tips the scales at just under three tonnes and provides blistering performance from its two engines rated at a total of 609 kW/828 hp and with some 1,200 Nm of torque on tap.
The stats are from the world of sports cars. The Gravity accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, and tops out at 270 km/h. This makes its faster than most combustion engines in this class.
Even when standing still, the Gravity outperforms the competition: because its 123 kWh battery runs at a voltage of 926 volts. This means it charges at a previously unrivalled 400 kW, providing enough juice for 400 kilometres in less than 15 minutes.
These enormous forces which this car can unleash are kept in check by a solid braking system with a high recuperation rate, air suspension with incredibly fast adaptation and steering that shrinks the turning circle thanks to the active rear axle.
Now if only they had fitted a round steering wheel instead of an odd rounded square one (automotive pundits call it a "squircle").
Once the driver gets used to this, he or she will be happy to leave the motorway behind, switch to a twisty country road and carve up some tight corners.
Remember though, even if the back seat passengers start off looking relaxed, some may quickly go queasy if you take the bends too fast in this big car.
When it comes to power, the Lucid has few competitors in its class and its remarkable technology makes the Gravity an attractive alternative in the luxury class.
It is, however, still an outsider and in Europe, the company's sales staff will have their work cut out persuading buyers to part with so much cash for a fledgling brand car.
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The Z-137's launch rails appear to be the same APU-73 adapters that provide the usual interface between the R-73 and an aircraft pylon. Unclear is whether or not the pilot has a helmet-mounted sight, often used in conjunction with the R-73 aboard fighters to make the most out of the missile's high-off-boresight capabilities, but integration of the missile without this item would not be a big problem. It would be limited to a fixed field of view though, with the launching aircraft needing to maneuver the target into that window so the seeker can lock on. Perhaps the ultimate goal is to integrate a targeting system on the aircraft, bearing in mind the considerable Ukrainian experience in working with these kinds of improvised air defense solutions. Having a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) on the plane would be one option and would instantly add a day/night search and targeting capability. The armed agricultural plane is another example of Ukraine leveraging existing capabilities within its existing arsenal — in this case, together with a civilian asset — to help rapidly provide badly needed additional air defenses. In particular, the Z-137/R-73 combination will be intended to deal with Russian long-range kamikaze drones. Without sensors, the aircraft would be primarily of use during hours of daylight, although night-vision goggles would provide a possible workaround. Ultimately, the missile-armed Z-137 could also be integrated within the well-established Ukrainian system for tracking drones, which includes acoustic sensors, spotters, and radar information, among others. The system is already widely used by Ukrainian drone-hunting mobile fire teams and ground-based air defense units. Where a data connection is possible, the Z-137 could also be plugged into that system, or otherwise work with ground-control intercept (GCI) via radio. In particular, the scale of Russian drone activity over the country means that Ukraine is employing a wide range of air defense systems to counter them. Putting aside non-kinetic options such as electronic warfare, these extend all the way from mobile fire teams equipped with machine guns and searchlights to Patriot air defense systems with their long-range surface-to-air missiles. While the Z-137 seen in the one video is fitted with R-73s, it's also possible that the aircraft could be adapted to fire other missiles provided to Ukraine, such as the ASRAAM or U.S.-made AIM-9L/M Sidewinders, and even the much more advanced AIM-9X, all of which Ukraine has also received. At this point, it's worth noting that we don't know whether the adapted Agro Turbo is in operational service. It may well still be undergoing trials, and it's by no means certain that such a modification will begin to be more widely fielded. However, the appearance of the Ukrainian Yak-52 primary training aircraft armed with a hand-held gun underscores the lengths that the country is willing to go to combat the drone menace. Russia, too, has at least tested a very similar solution, albeit with a fixed underwing shotgun. Ukrainian Yak-52 which is used to hunt down Russian reconnaissance UAVs over the southern Ukraine. Video from a Russian drone. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 8, 2024 Regardless, the new development reinforces the fact that Ukraine has plentiful stocks of R-73s and suggests that these missiles are judged to be a very useful addition to its air defense arsenal, with the versatility to be launched from a variety of platforms, in the air, on land, or at sea. It should be pointed out that slow-moving aircraft of another kind, namely helicopters, are growing in importance for counter-drone work. Israel has long used attack helicopters to deal with drone threats, and the U.S. Army is also increasingly looking at the potential of its AH-64 Apaches to target uncrewed air systems (UAS). At the other end of the scale, crewed fighters are being called upon for counter-drone missions with notable regularity. This is especially Ukrainian Air Force jets that have been tasked with hunting down Shahed drones since they first emerged on the battlefield. Compared to these, an armed agricultural plane offers a much longer response time, meaning it has far less ability to run down multiple targets quickly. Nonetheless, it could be useful in more of a 'picket' role, patrolling certain sectors of airspace. In the past, TWZ has suggested that the aforementioned OA-1K might also have value in this kind of mission. At the same time, the sight of a missile-armed crop-duster over the Ukrainian plains is a further reminder that Ukraine is in desperate need of all kinds of air defenses. While Western allies have provided some very capable air defense systems, these have been small in number, and their capabilities are best employed against higher-level threats. As long as Russia keeps up its drone bombardment, platforms armed with R-73s will continue to provide a useful stopgap. We will await with interest further news of the armed Z-137 and its potential success in this role. Contact the author: thomas@
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