Update: The story has been updated with Lucid Investor Day details, including the confirmed Cosmos name, design, interior, efficiency, charging, production, and autonomy information.
Following the Lucid Air and Gravity models, California-based startup Lucid Motors is developing a midsize SUV that will directly compete with the Tesla Model Y. The company has now confirmed that the first model on its new midsize platform will be called the Lucid Cosmos.
Design
The Lucid Cosmos’ crossover-like character should have a wider appeal, including regions where streamlined designs are more popular with buyers. At the front, the upcoming EV features a sleek, sloping hood with a prominent central ridge and block-lettered brand inscription.
We expect a pair of super-sleek, horizontally arranged headlights right below the hood shut line. Lucid Motors prefers elegant designs, so we don’t see it going for split headlights. An X-shaped apron with a concave central portion would not surprise us either.
The Cosmos has a sloping roofline, complemented by a flattish rear windshield with a similar angle. The side mirrors and greenhouse are curvy, in line with the sleek look. Unlike the Gravity, this model’s belt line swiftly rises toward the rear. The door handles are expected to be flush with the body, adding to the streamlined character.
The rear section appears unusually tall for a coupe-inspired SUV, a result of its high-set, flattish windshield that enhances the vehicle’s powerful stance.
The tail lamps seem to be slim individual units rather than a full-width light bar, which feels refreshing at a time when many new luxury EVs, including Lucid Motors’ own Air and Gravity, rely on that familiar design trope. A bold, block-lettered brand script sits confidently between the lamps, giving the EV an upmarket look.
It starts with a very sleek, emotional silhouette, really concentrating on enhancing the dynamics of the vehicle. We put more movement, more muscle, more sportiness. We give the car that planted stance.
Derek Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Design and Brand, Lucid Motors, at Lucid Investor Day 2026
Interior
The Cosmos will have a high-tech and spacious interior that gives a futuristic but still comfortable living room-like feel.
It will have again the same amazing technology performance combination, the drive, handling, the driving comfort, space, all the things people know from our Air and Gravity, we also will pack again into our midsize vehicles.
Marc Winterhoff, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Lucid Motors, about the company’s midsize models at the 53rd Annual NASDAQ Investor Conference on December 10, 2025
Lucid has confirmed that the midsize models will use an evolved Clearview Cockpit layout. The company has moved to a single high-mounted 36-inch screen, which will serve both the driver and front passenger.
Lucid will retain physical controls for fan speed, temperature, and volume. The steering wheel will also retain tactile controls. The Cosmos will also feature mechanical analog door handles inside and outside, which should be welcomed by buyers who prefer physical controls over fully digital layouts.
Lucid UX 4.0 & AI Assistant
The Cosmos will debut Lucid UX 4.0, which will focus on energy, navigation, entertainment, productivity, and natural voice interaction.
The energy functions will include widgets that help the driver understand efficiency and range. The navigation system will use a more three-dimensional experience, improved wayfinding, and better turn-by-turn guidance. Lucid is also working to layer turn-by-turn navigation over the ADAS visualization.
Lucid has also previewed its Lucid Intelligence AI assistant. The system will be available before Cosmos arrives, starting with the Air and Gravity. It can control in-car functions, answer complex questions, recommend destinations, and help plan a trip.
Autonomous driving
Lucid will start with leveraging NVIDIA DRIVE AV for eyes-on, point-to-point driving for Lucid Gravity and upcoming midsize vehicles, advancing Lucid’s technology edge and market demand.
From Lucid’s Q3 2025 earnings release on November 5, 2025
Lucid Motors plans to introduce the midsize platform with a new ADAS hardware platform. The company says the Air and Gravity can reach Level 2++ capability, including hands-free highway and city driving in the Gravity, without hardware changes.
The midsize platform will go further with upgraded compute and added sensors for future Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy.
Now, when you switch to level three and level four autonomy, that is not a smooth evolutionary step. That’s quite the disruptive step in terms of compute needs, also the amount of sensors needed to address especially a very complex in city and urban driving scenarios. So for Lucid midsize platform, you will see for the first time a new ADAS hardware platform and we’re ready to launch that in 2028 that has an upgraded compute and additional sensors.
Kay Stepper, Vice President of Autonomy, Lucid Motors, at Lucid Investor Day 2026
Specifications
New midsize car platform
During the Q2 2024 earnings conference call on August 5, 2024, Rawlinson confirmed that the company’s new midsize platform would feature a simpler electrical architecture compared to the Air and Gravity.
We have 16 in-house ECUs, all of which are over-the-air updatable, and a midsize platform will introduce our next zonal architecture. We will further reduce the number of ECUs down to single digits.
Peter Rawlinson, former CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors (Q2 2024 earnings conference call on August 5, 2024)
Our new architecture takes all these same body electronics and merges them into three ECUs.
Zach Walker, Chief Engineer of Midsize, Lucid Motors, at Lucid Investor Day 2026
Lucid says the architecture uses 40% fewer wires than competitors. It also says the simpler wiring reduced the installation time for the first midsize wire harness to just four minutes.
The midsize platform will also use commonized front and rear drive units. Lucid says this contributes to 30% fewer parts and a 37% reduction in drive unit cost compared to the Gravity.
Lucid also says the midsize platform delivers 24% more cargo space than the average of its competitors. The packaging benefits come from smaller drive units, a smaller battery, and integration of major components into the body.
‘Atlas’ motor
Expect the Cosmos to come in RWD and AWD (dual-motor) variants. Lucid has confirmed that it has developed a new ‘Atlas’ drive unit for the midsize platform. Designed and manufactured in-house, it is developed for low cost, high volume, lower weight, and a reduced part count.
The Atlas drive unit produces 335 horsepower, which should be more than sufficient for the base- and mid-configurations that mainly serve customers who prioritize lower pricing and high energy efficiency over exhilarating performance.
Lucid says Atlas has 40% higher power density than the best comparable drive units. The company also says the midsize platform is projected to be more than 10% more efficient than the newest optimized EV platforms from the U.S., Germany, and China.
Range & Charging
Lucid says the Cosmos would need 69 kWh to travel 300 miles. Rival vehicles shown in Lucid’s comparison needed 73 kWh, 82 kWh, and 86 kWh for the same distance.
While Lucid hasn’t provided the final numbers, we expect the vehicle to deliver an EPA-est. range of 360-400 miles. Lucid Motors should equip it with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging port to give U.S. customers access to the expansive Tesla Supercharger network in the region.
The midsize battery and high-voltage system will support bidirectional charging. Lucid mentioned vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-home capability for the new platform.
If you look, we shared about 14 minutes adding 200 miles, which actually doesn’t necessarily show the full picture because the battery, which we can’t share, the size today is quite small and compact. The 10 to 80% time is super competitive and will be best in the U.S. here.
Emad Dlala, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Software, Lucid Motors, at Lucid Investor Day 2026
Price & Release Date
The Lucid Cosmos will retail for under USD 50,000 in the base configuration. The company has built prototypes and is testing the vehicle in the U.S. A full public reveal is still expected around mid-2026 if the company sticks to its earlier guidance.
We have a tentative official reveal date, so somewhere mid next year.
Taoufiq Boussaid, Chief Financial Officer of Lucid, at the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference on December 3, 2025, on the reveal of the midsize vehicle
“We don’t want to do reservations, we will go straight for orders,” said Taoufiq Boussaid, CFO of Lucid, at the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference in December 2025. Orders are expected to open 4-6 months ahead of the start of production.
Production
Lucid Motors plans to start production of the Cosmos in late 2026. Lucid’s overseas factory in King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh (Makkah), Saudi Arabia, will be the initial production hub for the model. The company will later add production in the U.S.
At the Private Sector Forum 2026 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 9, 2026, Faisal Sultan, President Lucid Middle East, said that the local plant, which has an annual capacity of 150,000 units, plans “to send vehicles out of Saudi Arabia to the full globe.”
At the end of this year. We’re neck and neck and we basically have the midsize platform that is our volume product. The prototypes are available being tested actually in United States and they will be launched end of this year out of this plant. So we’re looking forward to that.
Faisal Sultan, President, Lucid Middle East, at the Private Sector Forum 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 9, 2026, talking about the midsize model’s rollout
Deliveries on a wide scale should be observed in 2027, and achieve full capacity utilization around 2029.
Lucid midsize SUV FAQs
What is the Lucid Comos’s release date?
The midsize SUV will enter production in late 2026, as confirmed by Lucid.
What will be the Lucid Cosmos’ price?
It will cost under USD 50,000 in the base configuration, says Lucid.
Which models will compete with the new midsize SUV?
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the Lucid Cosmos midsize SUV.
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
