Every form of the Air has stunningly quick straight-line acceleration, which earned it two extra points here. Ride and handling attributes well above average earn it another two points. That sums to a 9; but if we could separately rate the Sapphire—just, wow, it’s a 10.
Base Air Pure models come with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout. Much of the Lucid Air lineup offers a dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout, though.
The top-performance Sapphire provides all-wheel drive, too, but with three motors—one in front, two at the rear wheels.
How fast is the Lucid Air?
About the fastest a production model can be in 2025, that’s how fast. The tri-motor Sapphire provides 1,234 hp and 1,430 lb-ft of torque altogether, delivering it without the complexity of an air suspension. Don’t worry, it subs in bigger brakes, retuned steering boost, grippier tires and a more advanced stability system. Lucid claims just 1.95 seconds for the Sapphire—or 3.9 seconds to 100 mph.
Looking at either the 620-hp Touring or 819-hp Grand Touring dual-motor Lucid Air models, they’re very quick. Although lacking the sheer punch of the Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S from a standing start, they make up for it with blistering passing performance and a 0-60 mph time of 3.0 seconds for the Grand Touring.
Don’t write off base, single-motor Air Pure versions for lack of enjoyment, though. They still make 430 hp and can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and with the smaller of the battery packs (84 kwh in that case), it provides more of a light, dynamic impression on backroads at real-world speeds.
Across most of the lineup, handling is graceful and a pleasant surprise for those expecting a big, soft sedan. This isn’t a pillowy luxury car, and it’s firm enough to feel athletic when it’s asked to be, while composed and easy to control but not sharp-edged. The Air weighs around 5,000 pounds or a bit more in its dual-motor variants, yet it damps out harshness and heaves without the complexity of an air suspension, but with semi-active dampers and a mechanically variable steering rack.
Brake pedal feel and feedback are also especially satisfying and precise. Lucid, like Tesla, sets its motors to recoup energy when you lift off the accelerator, not to blend more in as you press on the brake pedal. Drivers get two levels of regenerative braking, plus Smooth, Swift, and Sprint modes, which really do as promised, varying the calibration of some of the systems. The Sapphire performance model also gets Sapphire, Track, Drag Strip, and Endurance modes, with only Drag Strip allowing the full 1,234 hp.
