The $80,000 Game Changer: Lucid Gravity Touring Orders Finally Open

It has been a long road for Lucid Motors, paved with breathtaking engineering, critical acclaim, and the persistent, nagging question of volume. But as we close out November 2025, the Newark-based automaker has just played its most significant card yet. Orders for the Lucid Gravity Touring—the more accessible, sub-$80,000 version of its flagship SUV—are officially open.

For years, industry analysts have argued that while the Lucid Air sedan is a technological marvel, the company’s true test would be the launch of a luxury SUV. In a market obsessed with ride height and third-row seating, the Gravity isn't just another model; it is the lifeboat, the growth engine, and the brand definer all rolled into one. With the Grand Touring trim already turning heads, the arrival of the Touring trim at a starting price of $79,900 signals Lucid’s aggressive entry into the heart of the premium EV market.

Lucid’s 2025 Report Card: A Year of Grit and Growth

To understand the importance of this launch, we must look at how Lucid has fared throughout 2025. The year has been a mixed bag of operational success and Wall Street skepticism.

Production numbers have seen a healthy uptick. In the third quarter of 2025, Lucid produced nearly 3,900 vehicles and delivered over 4,000, a significant improvement year-over-year that suggests their manufacturing woes in Arizona are largely behind them. The supply chain has stabilized, and vehicles are moving from factory to driveway with greater efficiency than ever before.

However, the stock market has been less forgiving. LCID shares have struggled to gain momentum, hovering in the mid-$13 range as investors remain wary of the company’s cash burn rate. Despite record deliveries, the cost of scaling production and developing the Gravity platform has kept profitability at arm's length. The narrative in 2025 has shifted from "can they build it?" to "can they sell enough of them to survive?" This makes the Gravity Touring not just a product launch, but a fiscal necessity.

Broadening the Automotive Portfolio

Until now, Lucid has been a single-product company. The Air sedan, while winning virtually every award for efficiency and range, competes in a shrinking segment. The luxury sedan market is a sliver of the automotive pie compared to the massive slice occupied by SUVs.

The introduction of the Gravity transforms Lucid from a niche sedan manufacturer into a full-spectrum luxury brand. It allows Lucid to retain customers who might have loved the brand's technology but left the showroom because they needed space for three kids and a golden retriever. This expansion is crucial for brand loyalty; a two-car Lucid household is now a realistic possibility for wealthy families.

By offering the Touring trim at $79,900, Lucid is also broadening its demographic reach. While still expensive, this price point is psychologically distinct from the six-figure sticker shock of the Grand Touring or Sapphire models. It opens the door to the "aspirational affluent"—buyers who can stretch for an $80,000 vehicle but for whom $100,000 is a hard ceiling.

The Popularity Prediction: Why This SUV Will Sell

How popular will the Gravity Touring be? In a word: very.

The demand for three-row electric SUVs remains high, but the supply of truly compelling options is surprisingly low. The Gravity Touring hits a sweet spot of utility and performance that is hard to ignore. It offers seating for up to seven, a projected range of over 337 miles, and 0-60 mph acceleration in just 4.0 seconds.

But the real draw is the "Space Concept." Lucid’s proprietary miniaturized powertrain components—which allow the Air to have such a massive frunk—do even more work here. The Gravity offers interior volume that rivals full-size ICE SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade, yet it sits on a footprint that is far easier to park and maneuver.

Furthermore, the Touring's starting price of $79,900 is strategic. It sits right on the edge of potential federal tax credit eligibility caps (depending on final configuration and evolving 2025 tax guidance), which could effectively lower the price for many buyers. In the current economic climate, value-for-money—even in the luxury segment—is a major driver. A sub-$80k SUV with this level of tech and range is arguably the best value proposition Lucid has ever offered.

The Heavyweight Bout: Gravity vs. Tesla Model X

You cannot discuss a luxury electric SUV without addressing the falcon-winged elephant in the room: the Tesla Model X.

For nearly a decade, the Model X has been the default choice for buyers wanting a high-performance, three-row electric SUV. However, in 2025, the Model X is showing its age. While it has received facelifts and tech updates, the fundamental architecture is a generation behind Lucid’s 900-volt system.

Here is how the match-up looks:

• Range & Efficiency: The Lucid Gravity Touring offers 337 miles of range, comparable to the Model X, but it achieves this with a smaller, lighter battery pack. This efficiency translates to better driving dynamics.
• Charging: This is where Lucid lands a knockout blow. The Gravity can add up to 200 miles of range in about 15 minutes at a 350kW DC fast charger. The Model X, while supported by the excellent Supercharger network, is limited by its 400-volt architecture. Note, however, that the Gravity now comes with native NACS support, meaning it can use those same Tesla Superchargers, neutralizing Tesla's biggest moat.
• Interior Luxury: The Model X is known for its minimalism, which some find stark. The Lucid Gravity offers a more traditional "post-luxury" aesthetic with tactile materials, better soundproofing, and a more substantial feel.
• Utility: The Gravity’s traditional rear doors are less flashy than the Model X’s Falcon Wings, but they are infinitely more practical for roof boxes and low-ceiling garages.

The Gravity Touring essentially offers the freshness of a Rivian R1S with the on-road refinement of a Mercedes EQS SUV, all while undercutting the Model X on price and outclassing it on charging tech.

Trajectory and Survival: The PIF Lifeline

Despite the optimism surrounding the Gravity, questions about Lucid’s long-term survival persist. The company is still burning cash to fund its operations and expansion. However, the outlook in late 2025 is more stable than it was two years ago.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia continues to be the ultimate safety net. In late 2025, Lucid and PIF agreed to increase their credit facility, securing billions in liquidity. This signals that the majority shareholder is not ready to let Lucid fail. They view Lucid not just as an investment, but as a key pillar in their "Vision 2030" economic diversification plan.

With the Gravity now entering the volume production phase, Lucid has a clear path to becoming cash-flow positive. The company doesn't need to beat Tesla in total volume to survive; it needs to reach a sustainable scale where it can fund its own future development. The Gravity is the vehicle capable of getting them there. If the Gravity fails to sell, the company faces an existential crisis. But early order numbers and critical reception suggest that is unlikely.

Who is the Gravity Buyer?

So, who is clicking "Order" on the Gravity Touring today?

It is the Tech-Savvy Family. These are buyers who early-adopted Teslas in 2016 or 2018 but have grown out of the brand or grown tired of Elon Musk’s polarizing persona. They want the best technology—specifically range and charging speed—but they also want a vehicle that feels like a sanctuary, not a spaceship.

It is also the Legacy Luxury Convert. This is the BMW X5 or Range Rover owner who has been waiting for an EV that doesn't feel like a compromise in build quality or range. They didn't buy the Rivian because it felt too "outdoorsy" or truck-like, and they didn't buy the Mercedes EQS SUV because of its polarizing "jelly bean" styling. The Gravity offers a handsome, normative SUV shape with hypercar engineering underneath.

Wrapping Up

The opening of orders for the Lucid Gravity Touring marks the start of Lucid’s second chapter. They have proven they can build the best electric sedan in the world. Now, they are attempting to prove they can build the best electric SUV—and sell it in numbers that matter. With a price point that undercuts key rivals and specs that outshine them, the Gravity Touring is poised to be the most important car Lucid has ever built. For the sake of the company’s future, it has to be.

Disclosure: Images rendered by Artlist.io

Rob Enderle is a technology analyst at Torque News who covers automotive technology and battery developments. You can learn more about Rob on Wikipedia and follow his articles on Forbes, X, and LinkedIn.