The 2022 Lucid Air: Already a Car of the Year
Alex Reale
· 3 min read
The end of another year always brings with it a flurry of best-of lists, and
the car world
is no different. Though 2021 brought with it a painful array of supply chain issues
, many outstanding cars still managed to make it off the production line and into the dealership. And one new kid on the block made some major waves. 
Move over, Model S
To be eligible to be their car of the year, says
MotorTrend
, a vehicle has to fall into the category of either “all-new” or “substantially upgraded.” Winners of the past few years include the Chevrolet Corvette
, the Genesis G70, and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Way back in 2013, the Tesla Model S
was the champ, receiving the accolade a year after its highly anticipated release.The Lucid Air, like the Model S, was closely watched as it made its way to market, and also claimed victory a year after its introduction to the world. But unfortunately for Tesla, the Air looks a lot like it’s already the Model S 2.0: it’s another stylish luxury sedan with an eye on conquering the EV market.
And it has some impressive stats to cite. The Air is the current range champion, able to travel an eye-catching 520 miles off of one charge. The Model S still idles in the low 400s.
Not just another nice battery
Reviewers for MotorTrend were not just wowed by the bang for your buck in the Lucid Air’s battery. Look and feel scored big points as well.
A sleek exterior was praised, as was general spaciousness. Both trunk and frunk leave lots of room for carting around all your new exercise equipment for 2022, and the Air’s doors swing nice and wide. The only space complaints appeared to be a result of the car’s narrow front: a bit of low clearance in the rear and a bit of claustrophobia from the side roof rail.
MotorTrend also noted that the infotainment and driver-assist systems could use some sprucing up. They found the use of multiple screens confusing, particularly when manipulating a screen was required to change the height of the rear view mirrors or adjust the steering wheel. Sometimes you just want to feel that sense of security that can only come from an old school lever.
Getting even better
The Lucid Air still has some kinks to work out, including issues with sound and locking systems, pop-out door handles, and some driver-assist features. They confirmed to MotorTrend that these problems are being actively worked on for future versions.
Despite a couple of hiccups, the Lucid Air wowed the judges in one crucially important category: its driving. The Air more than competes. MotorTrend compared it favorably to the performance of the BMW M550i, with the drive quality of a Mercedes. These are pretty impressive peers for a car that hasn’t even had a first birthday party yet. It remains to be seen how the Lucid Air does in 2022, but it certainly left 2021 with a bang.
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