Entry-Level Lucid Air Pure Has 410-Mile Range And A Misleading Price

Lucid says its new entry-level Air Pure sedan can travel 410 miles (660 km) on a single charge, reminding us yet again just how far EVs have come – and can now go.

That 410-mile figure does however mean that the Pure has the shortest driving range of any Air model. The 819 hp (830 PS) Grand Touring is good for 516 miles or 830 km (469 miles / 755 km on 21-inch wheels) and the 1,050 hp (1,065 PS) Grand Touring Performance is rated at 446 miles (718 km). But the Pure isn’t far behind the new Touring, which features a 620 hp (629 PS) drivetrain and can travel 425 miles (684 km) on 19-inch wheels.

Those models are between 0.4-1.2 seconds faster to 60 mph (96 km/h) than the Pure, but the entry-level car’s 3.8-second showing is hardly shabby, and its $96,900 price makes it the only car in the range that starts at less than $100k, even if that price is way above the $69,900 Lucid suggested the model would cost back in November 2020.

Related: Lucid Gravity Is Brand’s First Electric SUV

A glance at Lucid’s website might have you thinking that the Air Pure actually costs $87,400 plus destination, but that’s for the single-motor, rear-wheel drive version that won’t be available until next year. So for now you’ve got no cost but to “option” the bi-motor drivetrain and shell out $5,500 for the privilege. Another option that is compulsory for now is the Surreal Sound Pro hifi package, which costs a hefty $4,000.

And by the time you’ve done that you’re within $10,500 of the Touring and its extra 140 hp (142 PS). At least theoretically, because you can’t order a Touring until early 2023 unless you specify the $10,000 Dreamdrive Pro driver assistance pack. Jeez. The pricing structure is about as transparent as a bank vault door.

https://youtu.be/PfXjYpQLM4c

Both the Pure and Touring miss out on certain pieces of luxury equipment to keep the price well under the $154k the Grand Touring starts at, most notably the panoramic glass roof, which will set you back another $4,500. But their arrival in the Air range does at least give Lucid suitable cars to field against the Mercedes EQS and Tesla Model S, both of which cost just over $100k.