The Lucid Air Pure review: Lower weight, better steering, amazing efficiency

Enlarge / At just under $70,000, the Lucid Air Pure is closer to the company’s original target for an entry-level model than the “under $80,000” it told us in 2020. (credit: Evan Willams)

It’s the lowest-priced entry from an automotive startup, so I wasn’t expecting the world.

Too many EV startups do a great job on the electric side but not so great on the car side of the equation—and sometimes they don’t do either particularly well. But the Air Pure wasn’t just good; it was excellent. It’s the rare car I had trouble finding flaws with, even after it locked me out in a parking lot.

The Pure RWD is the filtered version of the Lucid Air. It doesn’t have two motors, and it doesn’t offer a glass roof. It doesn’t have more horsepower than a Lamborghini, and it definitely doesn’t offer the 512 mile (824 km)) range of the Air Grand Touring.