Tesla Model X P100D Review
Car Tested: Tesla Model X P100D; Road Test No. 961; Test Location: Virginia, USA
Price USA: $80,700 – $1,41,200 (Rs. 55.40 – 96.94 lakhs)
The Tesla Model X is a genuinely practical 7-seater SUV with stonking performance
SUV craze has increased globally and how! We’ve seen carmakers like Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Maserati jump into the SUV bandwagon but these SUVs come powered by huge petrol/diesel powertrains unlike the SUV we’re reviewing today. Tesla too joined the fray via the launch of the Model X and this ladies and gentleman, is a very different SUV. First of all, this is an all-electric SUV and second, it doesn’t have an intimidating presence which SUVs in this price range boast of. The American automaker claims that the Model X is ‘the best SUV’, ‘the safest SUV’ and ‘the quickest SUV’, we’re in the United States to find out just how much of these claims are true.
The Model X gets a clean, no nonsense styling
Exteriors – The Tesla P100D being an SUV, doesn’t really look big in person. The design is simple yet classy. The design highlight of the Model X has to be the panoramic windshield which looks really cool and the falcon rear doors which when open look like the car’s got wings. Also, contributing to the clean design are the flush door handles that pop out when the car is unlocked and go inside when locked. Clearly, the design isn’t really intimidating as its rival the Range Rover. In fact, the Model X looks like a crossover more than an SUV.
The centre mounted screen in the dashboard is massive and feels very intuitive to use
Interiors – The cabin of the Model X follows the same approach as the exterior. The dashboard is simple yet classy and what catches your attention immediately is the large laptop-like 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This kind of screen size is something we haven’t come across in any car. Everything with regards to the car can be controlled via this screen. Next, is the all-digital instrument cluster that looks modern and beautiful. There are good amount of storage spaces in the cabin but due to the falcon doors at the rear, there are no bottle holders in those doors. However, one good thing about the falcon doors is that the ingress and egress are so much easy and that includes the process of getting into the third-row of seats as well. Speaking of which, the Tesla Model X is available in 5, 6 and 7-seater configurations. The 5-seater does not have the third row of seats, the 6-seater gets captain seats in the second and third row while the 7-seater gets a proper bench in the second and third rows.
The panoramic windshield is the largest we’ve seen on any car till date
The falcon doors of the Tesla Model X look space age and incredible
In terms of features, the Model X gets ventilated and heated (front only) seats, heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, keyless entry, ambient lighting, power folding, auto dimming and heated ORVMs, 360-degree cameras and a second trunk in the front for the extra luggage. The cabin is very smartly engineered, for instance, if you want to get into the last row seat, the press of a button will not only move the second row seat, the first row seat will move forward as well. The front and the second row seats are comfortable and supportive. There is ample headroom and legroom in the second row. Leg space is slightly tight in the third row and under-thigh support isn’t all that great. With all the three rows of seats up, there is little space for your cargo, however, if you need more space, you can always fold down the third row seat (not foldable electrically!). SUVs in the US in this price range also come with the option of foldable second row seats which isn’t offered in the Model X and this is quite shocking.
Acceleration in the electric SUV is insane, it pulls, pulls and just pulls
Performance – Earlier, the Tesla Model X was available in more than three variants but currently, the number of variants are limited to just three – 75D, 100D and the P100D. The 75D trim comes powered by a 75 kWh battery while the 100D and the P100D get a 100 kWh battery pack. We drove both the 100D and the P100D and the difference between the two is that the latter gets boosted performance and a Ludicrous mode. Talking of which, the 75D and the 100D produce 259 HP and 329 Nm of torque while the P100D makes 611 HP of power and 960 Nm of torque. All the three variants use a 350 V lithium-ion battery. Remember this is an EV and EVs are known for the instant torque available throughout the rev range. Apart from the Ludicrous mode, the Model X also comes with Comfort and Sport modes. In the Comfort mode, the power delivery is gentle, linear and calm whereas shift to the Sport mode and the vehicle literally takes off leaving you pinned back to the seat. In the Ludicrous mode, the car really goes mad and accelerates with a lot of ferocity and you can also take it one step up with the Ludicrous+ to do a massive mad launch. 0-100 km/hr comes up in just 2.9 seconds (in the P100D) putting some of the best sports cars to shame. The 75D and the 100D take a slightly longer time of 4.9 seconds and 4.7 seconds respectively to hit the ton.
The Model X has a drag co-efficient of just 0.24
The acceleration is so strong that the Model X belies its weight
The different modes not only alter the performance but also the range of the SUV. The company claims 237 miles (381 kms) range in the 75D grade, 295 miles (475 kms) in the 100D and 289 miles (465 kms) range in the P100D (all figures are EPA). The Tesla Model X is the fastest SUV in the world right now because of the massive acceleration and performance. There is no transmission as such though Tesla calls it a single-speed gearbox and this is a good thing. The insane acceleration of the car keeps pulling and pulling hard. Since this is an EV most of you might be wondering what is the charge time. Well, charging the vehicle at the supercharging station takes under one hour from zero to full. However, at home, the charge time is around eight hours. Charging at the supercharging stations is free for a lifetime for Tesla Model S and X owners (Model 3 owners will have to pay for the charging). Talking about the NVH levels, the motor is extremely silent and absolutely nothing can be heard from inside the cabin except for some wind and tyre noise.
The suspension is slightly on the stiffer side
Driving Dynamics – Since this is an electric motor, it comes with regenerative braking which can be switched off as well. But the thing here is when you lift your foot off the gas pedal, the car automatically stops or it starts decelerating. It decelerates so fast that you need not use the brakes unless and until you want the car to completely halt. Though the suspension is on the stiffer side, ride quality is good for most parts and this is mainly due to the super good quality of roads here in the US. There is some amount of body roll because the car is heavy but again, Tesla has done a good job of placing the batteries in the centre which reduces the centre of gravity. The steering offers rich feel and feedback and the braking performance is just commendable.
The autonomous driving tech is unlike we’ve seen on any other car
Autonomous Driving – There are a lot of autonomous functions in the Tesla Model X. If you want to remove the car from a tight parking spot, all you need to do is press a button on the remote and we know this does remind you of the BMW 5-Series and the 7-Series. But, honestly, Tesla’s systems are way better and technologically advanced mainly due to the less lag and better Wi-Fi range. The Model X also gets Auto Park Assist and this is better than any other car we’ve seen. Then there is the Cruise Control on offer which really makes the Model X stand out. There are three levers placed on the left of the steering. The top one is for the indicators/blinkers, the one below it is for adjusting the steering reach and height whereas the last one is for the Cruise Control. When you pull it once, the Cruise Control gets activated but when you pull it twice, autonomous driving is activated. When autonomous driving is activated, the car’s speed can be adjusted via moving the lever up/down and it will maintain the speed and when it senses an object in front of you, the car will automatically brake and also will pick up speed when it senses no objects at the front. Then, the best part about this autonomous driving feature is that it will also steer automatically and in order to make it more safer, every minute the system asks the driver to place his hands on the steering and if the driver is not responding or has fallen asleep, the car will, by itself, steer to the corner/side of the road and stop.
Tesla has taken care of the safety aspect by offering a host of safety features in the Model X
Safety and After Sales Service – The Tesla Model X gets a 5-star rating from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and is the first SUV to get so. Besides that, there are multiple airbags, Traction Control, Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist, Speed Assist and Auto High Beam. In terms of after sales service, the EV maker has a wide reach across the United States, Europe and the Middle East and is currently increasing its presence in China.
The Model X is completely a different kind of an SUV
Verdict – The Tesla Model X is an SUV unseen before. There is a lot of engineering and research that’s gone into making this technological marvel so easy to use. It feels like an Apple product because it is out of the box and yet so simple and usable. The best part of owning the car is you need not do stuff like switching on/off the car. After a drive, if you get out of the car, it automatically switches off and if you want to make a move and get inside the car, it automatically turns on. Everything about this Tesla is so easy, fluid and hassle-free. There’s no SUV that offers this kind of ease of parking, ease of driving (with the autonomous function) and the ease of getting into the last row of seats. Performance is great and so is the range and if we had to nitpick something in this EV, it would be the cost. The Model X is costlier than the Range Rover and if it comes to India, it will cost above Rs. 2 crores which is a lot of money. CKD assembly could bring down the prices but that’s unlikely to happen.
The smoked effect on the headlights with LED DRLs make the front fascia look distinctive
What’s Cool
* Interior is tech-laden
* The electric motor is super fast, accelerates like mad
* 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system
* Panoramic windshield
* Ease of driving and ease of using the car on a daily basis
What’s Not So Cool
* Cost
* Quality of plastics in the dashboard could have been better
The Model X doesn’t look like an intimidating SUV from any angle, but performance is!
Tesla Model X P100D Specifications
* Motor: 3-Phase, four pole AC induction motor with copper rotor
* Power: 611 HP
* Torque: 966 Nm
* Transmission: 1-Speed Drive
* 0-100 km/hr: 2.90 seconds (claimed)
* Top Speed: 250 km/hr
* Range: 465 kms (claimed)
* Suspension: Double Wishbone, Virtual Axis Steer (Front), Independent Multi-Link Suspension (Rear)
* Tyre Size: 265/35/22 (Front), 285/35/22 (Rear)
* Brakes: Discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Airbags, ABS, TCS, ISOFIX child seat mounts
Tesla Model X P100D Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 5036 mm X 2271 mm X 1684 mm
* Boot Space: 2180-litres (with the third row seats down), 187-litres (front)
* Wheelbase: 2967 mm
* Kerb weight: 2439 kgs
The falcon doors of the SUV make ingress and egress a cakewalk
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