Finally, new electric SUV options are on the way. Some of them, like the Kia EV9, are relatively inexpensive. Some, however, are luxury options — like the Lucid Gravity. It joins the Lucid Air in Lucid’s growing lineup as a top-tier, premium electric SUV that could be the car to beat. But it has some tough competition — like the more established Tesla Model X.
The Tesla Model X has long been one of the go-to electric SUVs (although you could debate if it’s actually an SUV) — and for good reason. It offers some unique design traits, a long range, and more. But Lucid has been the king of long range since the launch of the Lucid Air, which can go more than 500 miles on one charge.
So, is one of these cars better than the other? Here they are, head-to-head.
Design
The design of these two cars is pretty different. If you’ve seen the Tesla Model X, you’ll immediately recognize some of the tried-and-true Tesla design traits that can be seen on every Tesla except the Cybertruck. That includes the slim headlights, the Tesla logo on the front, and the curved roofline.
The Model X does have one unique design trait compared to both other Teslas and the Gravity — the gull-wing doors. These doors open up rather than out, making the opening into the car larger — which can come in handy for loading baby seats, cargo, or simply getting in and out.
The Model X may not necessarily be all that unique-looking in Tesla’s lineup, but it is a little more unique compared to the other cars on the road. The Lucid Gravity, perhaps slightly less so. The Gravity is a great-looking car, and it brings the curved light bar and modern look from the Lucid Air. It kind of looks like a taller Air, which is far from a bad thing. The back also has a long light bar and Lucid logo that extends across the back. It’s very sleek-looking.
Ultimately, of course, design comes down to personal preference. Both cars are relatively sleek, and this one’s a tie.
Winner: Tie
Interior and tech
The interiors of both of these cars are modern too. The Tesla Model X has two displays at the front, unlike Tesla’s cheaper cars, which only have one. There’s a large infotainment display for mapping, climate controls, and more, and there’s an instrument display behind the steering wheel. The rest of the interior is quite minimalistic. You’ll get an option of an all-black, all-white, or “walnut” decor, and they all have classy-looking wooden accenting around the car. The Model X offers up to seven seats.
The Lucid Gravity is very modern too — and has a slightly different approach to infotainment. There are also two screens in the Gravity, but one of them is divided into a few sections along the dashboard for instrument monitoring, wipers and lights, and mapping. The secondary display is located a little lower, and offers access to driving modes and settings, seat controls, and other in-car settings. The seats are covered in a brown leather, and you’ll get up to seven of them in the Gravity.
The interiors of both of these cars are quite premium, with modern features. This one’s another tie.
Winner: Tie
Performance
Both the Tesla Model X and the Lucid Gravity have a lot going for them in terms of performance.
The Tesla Model X, at the time of this writing, is available in two variants — the standard Model X and the Model X Plaid. The standard model is a dual-motor all-wheel drive, and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The Model X Plaid is a tri-motor all-wheel drive, and it ups the acceleration to only 2.5 seconds. Yeah, it’s very quick.
Unfortunately, not all the details about the Lucid Gravity have been revealed just yet. We do know that the base model will have two motors, and that it will accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in “under 3.5 seconds.” We assume that’s for the top-tier model — and that’s notably longer than the fastest Model X.
For that reason, the Model X is getting the win here, but over time, it’s possible that Lucid will release versions of the Gravity that do beat the Model X, like it did with the Lucid Air.
Winner: Tesla Model X
Range and charging
Both Tesla and Lucid are known for building longer-range cars — and the Model X and Lucid Gravity are no exception to that rule.
The standard Model X has a range of 348 miles, while the Model X Plaid lowers that to 333 miles. Neither of those two figures are bad, of course. The Model X can charge at up to 250 kilowatts, which is relatively fast. According to Tesla, that rate can give your car 200 additional miles in 15 minutes, which is pretty quick.
The Lucid Gravity steps things up a little though. The Gravity has a range of “over 440 miles,” howeve,r we suspect that figure is for the higher-end versions of the Gravity. Still even the lower-end models will likely have a higher range than the Model X, given Lucid’s track record. The Gravity can charge faster too, at up to 350kW — which is among the fastest charging speeds out there right now.
Given the Lucid’s longer range and faster charging speed, it’s the clear winner here.
Winner: Lucid Gravity
Pricing and availability
The Tesla Model X is available for purchase right now — so if you want one, you can get one. It starts at $79,990 for the standard Model, with the price going up to $94,990 for the Model X Plaid.
The Lucid Gravity is a different story. The Gravity has been announced, but it’s not yet available — and it won’t ship to customers until late 2024. It has a starting price of “under $80,000,” which is very similar to the Model X.
The cars have a similar price, but only one of them is available right now — the Tesla Model X. It’s the winner for now.
Winner: Tesla Model X
Overall winner: Tesla Model X
There are pros and cons to both of these cars. Right now, it seems like the Model X is a better-performing car, but the Gravity has a longer range and faster charging speed. There’s one decision-maker right now, though — the Model X is the only car that’s actually currently available. You can pre-order the Lucid Gravity — but you won’t actually get it until the end of 2024.
