Here is a paradox: Electrical automobiles are throwing down 0-60 mph acceleration occasions that might’ve boggled your thoughts a decade in the past, but on the similar time, EVs are making this ubiquitous efficiency metric much less and fewer related. Because of the joys of immediate torque from electrical motors, nearly each EV feels fast once you stomp on it. Three seconds? 4 seconds? Who cares; it is nonetheless enjoyable, is not it?
Which brings me to the 2023 Lucid Air Touring. At $109,050, together with a $1,650 vacation spot cost, it is the brand new entry level into the Air lineup, undercutting the $139,650 Grand Touring and $180,650 Grand Touring Efficiency. With 620 hp, 885 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60-mph time of three.4 seconds, the Air Touring is much less highly effective and subsequently slower than its costlier counterparts. However does that basically have an effect on issues in the actual world? Not one bit. It’s nonetheless a lot quicker than nearly all of automobiles in the marketplace.
The key mechanical distinction that separates the Touring from different Airs is its battery. Reasonably than utilizing the 112- or 118-kwh lithium-ion packs discovered within the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Efficiency, respectively, the Touring has a 92-kwh battery that it will share with the upcoming (and even cheaper) Air Pure.
2023 Lucid Air Touring
Just like the extra highly effective variants, the Air Touring has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain, although it is tuned to make much less energy than the Grand Touring, which spins up 819 hp and 885 lb-ft, and the Grand Touring Efficiency with its 1,050 hp and 921 lb-ft. Additionally like these automobiles, you’ll be able to spec this trim with both 19- or 20-inch wheels.
Because of its 700-volt automobile structure, the Air Touring can settle for DC quick charging speeds of as much as 250 kw, assuming you could find one of many uncommon 350-kw public chargers, and likewise assuming the factor, you understand, works. Lucid estimates the Air Touring has a spread of 425 miles with the 19-inch wheels, or 384 miles with the 20s. No, that is nowhere close to Lucid’s headlining vary of 516 miles for the Air Grand Touring, however 425 miles nonetheless beats something provided by every other carmaker.
All Lucid fashions solely ship their most thrust in hold-onto-your-butt Dash mode. When driving within the Clean and Swift settings, the Air Touring sends 347 hp to the wheels, and the GT solely pumps out 468 hp. Even the GTP is restricted to 754 hp in these modes.
The Touring’s 3.4-second 0-60 time is 0.4 second slower than the GT’s and an extra 0.4 second off the GTP’s 2.6-second time. However once more, the speedy torque supply makes for 3.4 tremendous thrilling seconds. In addition to, once you’re darting via site visitors or passing slowpokes on the freeway, the Touring by no means feels underpowered. A wallop of oomph is a toe faucet of the throttle away. Until you routinely flooring the Air from stoplight to stoplight—and please do not be that particular person—the variations in acceleration between the Air trims is not one thing you are prone to discover. Effectively, possibly when you personal multiple…and drive them again to again…which you don’t and gained’t.
2023 Lucid Air Touring
All of Lucid’s fashions have the identical nice chassis setup, with adaptive dampers entrance and rear, and glorious electrically assisted energy steering with a hard and fast 13.0:1 ratio. The suspension and steering tunes differ barely between the drive modes, however at its core this automotive is about up fantastically. I initially chuckled to myself when Lucid’s executives put up photos of the E39 BMW M5 and 991-generation Porsche 911 GT3 as benchmarks for the Air’s dealing with. Nonetheless, whereas I gained’t say the 4,987-pound Air replicates the experiences of these sweethearts. I’ll simply say that, man, the oldsters at Lucid actually know what they’re doing.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, the Air Touring rides like a bona fide full-size luxurious sedan. Over nice distances on easy California freeways, the Air is an absolute peach, with Clean mode offering the identical form of financial institution vault serenity that is an indicator of teutonic full-size luxurious sedans such because the BMW 7-Collection and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The Air’s means to strike such a rewarding steadiness between easy serenity and well-balanced cornering composure is arguably its finest on-road attribute. Touring, Grand Touring, or Grand Touring Efficiency, it is a high quality you will get pleasure from in each Air.
2023 Lucid Air Touring
Likewise, the Touring’s inside does not skimp on the plush creature comforts or beautiful design of Lucid’s costlier trims. I dig the robust mid-century fashionable vibe contained in the Air. As an added bonus, as a result of the Touring has a smaller battery pack than the GT and GTP, the rear seats are positioned decrease within the automotive’s physique, making them simpler to get out and in of, and giving backseat riders extra headroom, too.
2023 Lucid Air Touring
2023 Lucid Air Touring
2023 Lucid Air Touring
2023 Lucid Air Touring
Lucid’s been fine-tuning its in-car tech recreation ever for the reason that Air launched in 2021, and whereas the Touring makes use of the perfect iteration of this software program but, it nonetheless has its quirks. The central iPad-like show that homes nearly all of automobile, local weather, and infotainment controls is colourful and responsive, however the menu construction is a bit overwhelming at first blush—particularly if you wish to modify any of the usual driver-assistance applied sciences like adaptive cruise management or lively lane management. It is also extremely annoying that the mirror changes and steering wheel tilt and telescope controls are housed within the pill.
On the dashboard, one single curved housing incorporates three screens. The leftmost show has headlight and wiper controls, the center one is your typical gauge cluster and the best display exhibits multimedia data. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—smartphone mirroring applied sciences which can be commonplace on nearly each automotive at this level—are nonetheless MIA from the Lucid expertise, which is a bummer.
Even so, the 2023 Lucid Air Touring’s professionals vastly outweigh its cons, and it is all wrapped up in a package deal that is actually stinkin’ fairly; this is without doubt one of the best-looking full-size sedans on sale in the present day. The Touring retains the entire GT and GTP’s rhythms intact, and the efficiency compromises it asks you to make are, at finest, a lack of bragging rights. Drive one and also you’ll see: A Touring is all of the Air you’ll ever want.
—Steven Ewing