Lucid Motors became the only electric vehicle manufacturer to place models on both of Car and Driver‘s 10Best lists for 2026, with the Gravity SUV earning recognition in its first year of eligibility and the Air sedan returning for a third consecutive appearance.
The nomination comes as the EV maker increases its focus on tackling software issues affecting both its models.
The awards follow increasingly frequent criticism from both customers and professional car reviewers over software issues with key fob and infotainment systems, despite widespread praise for the vehicles’ handling.
Lucid has said it is prioritizing fixes.
The company began rolling out a software update for the Gravity over the weekend, days after its vice president of communications Nick Twork acknowledged bugs identified by reviewers and promised fixes were imminent, as EV reported.
The Gravity was named to the 10Best Trucks & SUVs list while the Air Pure secured a spot on the 10Best Cars roster.
Car and Driver convenes its entire editorial staff for two weeks of back-to-back driving and instrumented testing to determine the winners.
This year’s competition evaluated more than 100 contenders across measurements including acceleration, braking, cornering, interior noise levels, and EV range on a 75-mph highway loop.
Each of the publication’s 20 evaluators scores every vehicle on a 100-point scale based on three criteria: how well the vehicle performs its intended mission, value for money, and driving enjoyment.
To qualify, vehicles must have a starting price no higher than $115,000 and be on sale by the end of January 2026.
“With the same battery cells as the new Gravity SUV, the [Air] Pure in our test was the quickest-charging Lucid yet, going from 10 to 90 percent in 34 minutes,” the publication said.
“Both of Lucid‘s products are on the 10Best list this year,” said Tony Quiroga, Editor-in-Chief of Car and Driver. “The Air returns for the third year and continues to offer luxury, refinement, sophistication, range, and driving excitement in a practical and spacious sedan package.”
Quiroga said the Gravity impressed editors with its range, charging speed, acceleration, and handling. “Lucid‘s attention to detail shows throughout, from the spaciousness of each row of seats to the large frunk to the way the tailgate closes,” he said.
The Gravity Grand Touring achieves up to 450 miles of EPA-estimated range and supports peak charging speeds of 400 kilowatts, allowing the vehicle to add approximately 200 miles of range in less than 11 minutes. The base Touring trim starts at $79,900 and offers 560 horsepower with an EPA-estimated range of 337 miles.
The Air Pure, which starts at $70,900, delivers up to 420 miles of EPA-estimated range.
“It’s a tremendous achievement to have both of Lucid’s vehicles named to Car and Driver’s renowned 10Best — in the first year of eligibility for Lucid Gravity and a three-peat for Lucid Air,” said Emad Dlala, Lucid‘s Senior Vice President of Engineering & Digital.
Other 10Best Cars winners for 2026 include the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda Civic, Mercedes-Benz E450, Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman, Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86, and Volkswagen Golf GTI/Golf R. The 10Best Trucks & SUVs list includes the Ford Ranger Raptor, Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, Porsche Macan, and Ram 1500.
Earlier this week, the EV maker announced its first certified pre-owned vehicle program applicable to single-owner vehicles with fewer than 62,000 miles on the odometer.
Each vehicle undergoes a 160-point inspection and receives mechanical and cosmetic reconditioning using only Lucid-approved parts before being listed for sale.
