Tesla Model X

Car and Driver

Tested: two thousand sixteen Tesla Model X

2016 Tesla Model X

• May 2016
• By TONY QUIROGA
• Photography By CHARLIE MAGEE

We half expect Doc, Marty, and Elon to step out as the Falcon Wing doors of the Tesla Model X begin to sway open, activated as they are with two successive shoves on the side of the key fob. The rear doors release with an audible click, and then the electrical motors whir as the doors begin their slow skyward ascent. It’s the Model X’s big trick, and a dubious tie to the hubris of DeLorean, Bricklin, and Icarus.

These aren’t mere gullwing doors, tho’; they’re far more sophisticated. Power actuated and lined with capacitive, inductive, and sonar sensors behind the aluminum skin to keep them from delivering an uppercut to your head or garage ceiling, the doors are hinged above the glass to automatically fold away from parked cars and obstacles. They’re most likely the smartest doors ever fitted to a car. But do you want complicated doors? Mostly you just want doors to open lightly, quickly, and provide a large-enough portal to let you into the cabin. Fully open, the Falcon Wing door provides a large entry, but it’s still effortless to smack your head on the peak of the wing.

There’s a wait, too. The Falcon Wing doors take five and a half seconds to open—six to close—and at times the sensors halt their progress, even when there’s nothing in the way. For as wise as these doors are, it turns out that even semisentient doors with echolocation are pretty dumb. And yet, the dumbest part of the Model X is the very first thing you will showcase off.

The rest of the Model X isn’t dumb—far from it. Tesla’s third act, after the Roadster and the Model S, the Model X is a fully ­electric three-row SUV. Built alongside the Model S in Fremont, California, the X shares much with that hatchback, including significant parts of the chassis and the aluminum structure, plus the electrical motors and the battery pack. Tesla’s SUV might look like the unwanted offspring of a Model S and a BMW 5-series GT, but at least the form doesn’t offend the wind. The claimed haul coefficient is a very low 0.24.

We tested an X P90D, which means it gets Tesla’s largest battery, a 90-kWh lithium-ion pack that provides a claimed range of two hundred fifty miles. In our brief time with the Model X, its onboard computer reported that we used one hundred seven kWh over two hundred forty six miles; that’s the energy equivalent of seventy seven MPGe.

Like the Model S, the X won’t embarrass itself if it lines up next to a supercar on a haul undress. An electrical motor at each axle provides four-wheel drive. Add up the motors’ maximum potential and you get a theoretical seven hundred sixty two horsepower, but the arithmetic isn’t that elementary. Power sent to the wheels is limited by the battery’s capability to transmit current, so the real combined output is four hundred sixty three horsepower for the P90D.

Spending $Ten,000 for the Ludicrous Speed option adds software switches and what Tesla calls a “smart” fuse. That special fuse increases the battery’s output to one thousand five hundred amps (up from 1300), and the available output rises to five hundred thirty two horsepower. With or without Ludicrous Speed, the utter seven hundred thirteen pound-feet of torque is available with every punch of the accelerator below fifty mph. That neck-straining torque certainly gives the sensation of seven hundred horsepower. Or of falling off a tall building.

All Tesla Spectacle models—denoted by the P in front of the 90—have launch control that will impress anyone this side of Colonel Stapp. To activate, select Ludicrous Speed mode, hold the brake pedal to the floor, then quickly flatten the accelerator and release. Do it right and “Launch Control Enabled” comes up on the screen. While maintaining your left foot on the brake, go back to the accelerator with the right and hold it. When you feel the X’s motors tightening against the brakes, release the brake pedal. The acceleration hits so hard that it causes an involuntary and embarrassing “uhhn,” a sound usually reserved for guts exams.

The 60-mph mark arrives in Three.Three seconds, and the quarter-mile flashes by in 11.8 seconds at one hundred sixteen mph. Stabbing the right pedal from a roll at thirty mph results in fifty mph in 1.Trio seconds. It’s almost instantaneous. The 50-to-70 run takes just Two.1 seconds. Even without launch control, the Model X rips through the 5-to-60 test in Trio.Five seconds. Quick by any meas­ure, but let’s pause to consider that the 5594-pound Model X is within seventy six pounds of a Chevrolet Tahoe. We tested the Tesla on the same day that we ran the McLaren 570S and the Porsche nine hundred eleven GT3 RS at the track. Only the Model X’s acceleration caused an unintentional squeal.

After back-to-back zero-to-120-mph runs, the Tesla’s battery heats up and gets stingy with the electrons. Noisy cooling fans kick on, and the acceleration tapers off. To extract the best times, we waited through a lengthy cool-down period. Most owners will never run repeatedly to sixty mph or more, so they can fully expect a Trio.3-second rocket rail when they take their unaware neighbors out for a cruise.

Owners can also expect a rigid, yet convenient rail and supportive seats covered in soft leather. The button-free instrument panel is straight out of the Model S, down to the beautiful 17-inch touchscreen that controls almost all vehicle functions, including the power doors. Because of the X’s virtually silent drivetrain, the rush of wind and the hum of the tires come through louder than in gas-powered cars, but at seventy mph we measured a low sixty five decibels of noise. The aluminum structure is a fortress of solitude despite the massive openings necessitated by the rear doors. Only an unbuckled passenger’s-side seatbelt spanking against the hard seatback disturbs the muffle.

The dazzling companion to the stupid rear doors is the expansive windshield that spreads into the roof. A dark tint commences where the windshield normally finishes and works to keep the cabin from heating up like a greenhouse. Sun visors roll out of the A-pillars and sway into position. We were skeptical of the windshield’s worth until we drove among the skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles. Abruptly, the tops of buildings came into view. We were left dumbfounded, like slack-jawed tourists endlessly looking upward. Lose the Falcon Wing doors, Elon; the windshield is the Model X’s best gimmick.

Tesla has ditched the Model S’s power door treats that present and retract in the presence of the key. The Model X doesn’t truly even have treats. Instead, a flush-mounted chrome spear pops open the doors with a thrust. Like the rear doors, the power front doors open leisurely and cautiously to sniff out potential obstacles. Closing can be done with a thrust, but it’s much cooler to see the doors close themselves when you hit the lock button on the key. We did notice that the front doors tuck through the last few inches of travel. To see if the doors would close on an arm or palm, we placed a plastic water bottle inbetween the jamb and the door. The Model X displayed no grace and crushed it. We’d advise keeping clear of the closing doors.

Second-row seats have power fore-aft adjustments, but no recline. Unlike every other SUV, the Model X’s 2nd row doesn’t fold, which means this isn’t a sidewalk-couch-devouring machine. But also unlike every other SUV, there’s a deep trunk up front. The 2nd row does slide forward and tilts with the shove of a button to permit access to the two-seat third row. Third-row riders get a good amount of space provided the 2nd row stays forward.

Tesla Model X Reviews – Tesla Model X Price, Photos, and Specs – Car and Driver

Tesla Model X

Car and Driver

Tested: two thousand sixteen Tesla Model X

2016 Tesla Model X

• May 2016
• By TONY QUIROGA
• Photography By CHARLIE MAGEE

We half expect Doc, Marty, and Elon to step out as the Falcon Wing doors of the Tesla Model X begin to sway open, activated as they are with two successive thrusts on the side of the key fob. The rear doors release with an audible click, and then the electrical motors whir as the doors begin their slow skyward ascent. It’s the Model X’s big trick, and a dubious tie to the hubris of DeLorean, Bricklin, and Icarus.

These aren’t mere gullwing doors, tho’; they’re far more sophisticated. Power actuated and lined with capacitive, inductive, and sonar sensors behind the aluminum skin to keep them from delivering an uppercut to your head or garage ceiling, the doors are hinged above the glass to automatically fold away from parked cars and obstacles. They’re very likely the smartest doors ever fitted to a car. But do you want complicated doors? Mostly you just want doors to open lightly, quickly, and provide a large-enough portal to let you into the cabin. Fully open, the Falcon Wing door provides a large entry, but it’s still effortless to smack your head on the peak of the wing.

There’s a wait, too. The Falcon Wing doors take five and a half seconds to open—six to close—and at times the sensors halt their progress, even when there’s nothing in the way. For as wise as these doors are, it turns out that even semisentient doors with echolocation are pretty dumb. And yet, the dumbest part of the Model X is the very first thing you will showcase off.

The rest of the Model X isn’t dumb—far from it. Tesla’s third act, after the Roadster and the Model S, the Model X is a fully ­electric three-row SUV. Built alongside the Model S in Fremont, California, the X shares much with that hatchback, including significant parts of the chassis and the aluminum structure, plus the electrical motors and the battery pack. Tesla’s SUV might look like the unwanted offspring of a Model S and a BMW 5-series GT, but at least the form doesn’t offend the wind. The claimed haul coefficient is a very low 0.24.

We tested an X P90D, which means it gets Tesla’s largest battery, a 90-kWh lithium-ion pack that provides a claimed range of two hundred fifty miles. In our brief time with the Model X, its onboard computer reported that we used one hundred seven kWh over two hundred forty six miles; that’s the energy equivalent of seventy seven MPGe.

Like the Model S, the X won’t embarrass itself if it lines up next to a supercar on a haul unclothe. An electrified motor at each axle provides four-wheel drive. Add up the motors’ maximum potential and you get a theoretical seven hundred sixty two horsepower, but the arithmetic isn’t that ordinary. Power sent to the wheels is limited by the battery’s capability to transmit current, so the real combined output is four hundred sixty three horsepower for the P90D.

Spending $Ten,000 for the Ludicrous Speed option adds software switches and what Tesla calls a “smart” fuse. That special fuse increases the battery’s output to one thousand five hundred amps (up from 1300), and the available output rises to five hundred thirty two horsepower. With or without Ludicrous Speed, the total seven hundred thirteen pound-feet of torque is available with every punch of the accelerator below fifty mph. That neck-straining torque certainly gives the sensation of seven hundred horsepower. Or of falling off a tall building.

All Tesla Spectacle models—denoted by the P in front of the 90—have launch control that will impress anyone this side of Colonel Stapp. To activate, select Ludicrous Speed mode, hold the brake pedal to the floor, then quickly flatten the accelerator and release. Do it right and “Launch Control Enabled” comes up on the screen. While maintaining your left foot on the brake, go back to the accelerator with the right and hold it. When you feel the X’s motors tightening against the brakes, release the brake pedal. The acceleration hits so hard that it causes an involuntary and embarrassing “uhhn,” a sound usually reserved for guts exams.

The 60-mph mark arrives in Three.Three seconds, and the quarter-mile flashes by in 11.8 seconds at one hundred sixteen mph. Stabbing the right pedal from a roll at thirty mph results in fifty mph in 1.Trio seconds. It’s almost instantaneous. The 50-to-70 run takes just Two.1 seconds. Even without launch control, the Model X rips through the 5-to-60 test in Three.Five seconds. Quick by any meas­ure, but let’s pause to consider that the 5594-pound Model X is within seventy six pounds of a Chevrolet Tahoe. We tested the Tesla on the same day that we ran the McLaren 570S and the Porsche nine hundred eleven GT3 RS at the track. Only the Model X’s acceleration caused an unintentional bellow.

After back-to-back zero-to-120-mph runs, the Tesla’s battery heats up and gets stingy with the electrons. Noisy cooling fans kick on, and the acceleration tapers off. To extract the best times, we waited through a lengthy cool-down period. Most owners will never run repeatedly to sixty mph or more, so they can fully expect a Three.3-second rocket rail when they take their unaware neighbors out for a cruise.

Owners can also expect a rigid, yet convenient rail and supportive seats covered in soft leather. The button-free instrument panel is straight out of the Model S, down to the beautiful 17-inch touchscreen that controls almost all vehicle functions, including the power doors. Because of the X’s virtually silent drivetrain, the rush of wind and the hum of the tires come through louder than in gas-powered cars, but at seventy mph we measured a low sixty five decibels of noise. The aluminum structure is a fortress of solitude despite the massive openings necessitated by the rear doors. Only an unbuckled passenger’s-side seatbelt spanking against the hard seatback disturbs the muffle.

The dazzling companion to the bimbo rear doors is the expansive windshield that spreads into the roof. A dark tint starts where the windshield normally completes and works to keep the cabin from heating up like a greenhouse. Sun visors spin out of the A-pillars and sway into position. We were skeptical of the windshield’s worth until we drove among the skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles. All of a sudden, the tops of buildings came into view. We were left dumbfounded, like slack-jawed tourists endlessly looking upward. Lose the Falcon Wing doors, Elon; the windshield is the Model X’s best gimmick.

Tesla has ditched the Model S’s power door treats that present and retract in the presence of the key. The Model X doesn’t indeed even have treats. Instead, a flush-mounted chrome spear pops open the doors with a thrust. Like the rear doors, the power front doors open leisurely and cautiously to sniff out potential obstacles. Closing can be done with a thrust, but it’s much cooler to witness the doors close themselves when you hit the lock button on the key. We did notice that the front doors tuck through the last few inches of travel. To see if the doors would close on an arm or arm, we placed a plastic water bottle inbetween the jamb and the door. The Model X demonstrated no grace and crushed it. We’d advise keeping clear of the closing doors.

Second-row seats have power fore-aft adjustments, but no recline. Unlike every other SUV, the Model X’s 2nd row doesn’t fold, which means this isn’t a sidewalk-couch-devouring machine. But also unlike every other SUV, there’s a deep trunk up front. The 2nd row does slide forward and tilts with the thrust of a button to permit access to the two-seat third row. Third-row riders get a good amount of space provided the 2nd row stays forward.

Tesla Model X Reviews – Tesla Model X Price, Photos, and Specs – Car and Driver

Tesla Model X

Car and Driver

Tested: two thousand sixteen Tesla Model X

2016 Tesla Model X

• May 2016
• By TONY QUIROGA
• Photography By CHARLIE MAGEE

We half expect Doc, Marty, and Elon to step out as the Falcon Wing doors of the Tesla Model X begin to sway open, activated as they are with two successive thrusts on the side of the key fob. The rear doors release with an audible click, and then the electrified motors whir as the doors begin their slow skyward ascent. It’s the Model X’s big trick, and a dubious tie to the hubris of DeLorean, Bricklin, and Icarus.

These aren’t mere gullwing doors, however; they’re far more sophisticated. Power actuated and lined with capacitive, inductive, and sonar sensors behind the aluminum skin to keep them from delivering an uppercut to your head or garage ceiling, the doors are hinged above the glass to automatically fold away from parked cars and obstacles. They’re very likely the smartest doors ever fitted to a car. But do you want complicated doors? Mostly you just want doors to open lightly, quickly, and provide a large-enough portal to let you into the cabin. Fully open, the Falcon Wing door provides a large entry, but it’s still effortless to smack your head on the peak of the wing.

There’s a wait, too. The Falcon Wing doors take five and a half seconds to open—six to close—and from time to time the sensors halt their progress, even when there’s nothing in the way. For as brainy as these doors are, it turns out that even semisentient doors with echolocation are pretty dumb. And yet, the dumbest part of the Model X is the very first thing you will demonstrate off.

The rest of the Model X isn’t dumb—far from it. Tesla’s third act, after the Roadster and the Model S, the Model X is a fully ­electric three-row SUV. Built alongside the Model S in Fremont, California, the X shares much with that hatchback, including significant parts of the chassis and the aluminum structure, plus the electrical motors and the battery pack. Tesla’s SUV might look like the unwanted offspring of a Model S and a BMW 5-series GT, but at least the form doesn’t offend the wind. The claimed haul coefficient is a very low 0.24.

We tested an X P90D, which means it gets Tesla’s largest battery, a 90-kWh lithium-ion pack that provides a claimed range of two hundred fifty miles. In our brief time with the Model X, its onboard computer reported that we used one hundred seven kWh over two hundred forty six miles; that’s the energy equivalent of seventy seven MPGe.

Like the Model S, the X won’t embarrass itself if it lines up next to a supercar on a haul disrobe. An electrified motor at each axle provides four-wheel drive. Add up the motors’ maximum potential and you get a theoretical seven hundred sixty two horsepower, but the arithmetic isn’t that plain. Power sent to the wheels is limited by the battery’s capability to transmit current, so the real combined output is four hundred sixty three horsepower for the P90D.

Spending $Ten,000 for the Ludicrous Speed option adds software switches and what Tesla calls a “smart” fuse. That special fuse increases the battery’s output to one thousand five hundred amps (up from 1300), and the available output rises to five hundred thirty two horsepower. With or without Ludicrous Speed, the utter seven hundred thirteen pound-feet of torque is available with every punch of the accelerator below fifty mph. That neck-straining torque certainly gives the sensation of seven hundred horsepower. Or of falling off a tall building.

All Tesla Spectacle models—denoted by the P in front of the 90—have launch control that will impress anyone this side of Colonel Stapp. To activate, select Ludicrous Speed mode, hold the brake pedal to the floor, then quickly flatten the accelerator and release. Do it right and “Launch Control Enabled” comes up on the screen. While maintaining your left foot on the brake, go back to the accelerator with the right and hold it. When you feel the X’s motors tightening against the brakes, release the brake pedal. The acceleration hits so hard that it causes an involuntary and embarrassing “uhhn,” a sound usually reserved for guts exams.

The 60-mph mark arrives in Three.Three seconds, and the quarter-mile flashes by in 11.8 seconds at one hundred sixteen mph. Stabbing the right pedal from a roll at thirty mph results in fifty mph in 1.Trio seconds. It’s almost instantaneous. The 50-to-70 run takes just Two.1 seconds. Even without launch control, the Model X rips through the 5-to-60 test in Three.Five seconds. Quick by any meas­ure, but let’s pause to consider that the 5594-pound Model X is within seventy six pounds of a Chevrolet Tahoe. We tested the Tesla on the same day that we ran the McLaren 570S and the Porsche nine hundred eleven GT3 RS at the track. Only the Model X’s acceleration caused an unintentional shriek.

After back-to-back zero-to-120-mph runs, the Tesla’s battery heats up and gets stingy with the electrons. Noisy cooling fans kick on, and the acceleration tapers off. To extract the best times, we waited through a lengthy cool-down period. Most owners will never run repeatedly to sixty mph or more, so they can fully expect a Three.3-second rocket rail when they take their unaware neighbors out for a cruise.

Owners can also expect a stiff, yet convenient rail and supportive seats covered in soft leather. The button-free instrument panel is straight out of the Model S, down to the beautiful 17-inch touchscreen that controls almost all vehicle functions, including the power doors. Because of the X’s virtually silent drivetrain, the rush of wind and the hum of the tires come through louder than in gas-powered cars, but at seventy mph we measured a low sixty five decibels of noise. The aluminum structure is a fortress of solitude despite the massive openings necessitated by the rear doors. Only an unbuckled passenger’s-side seatbelt spanking against the hard seatback disturbs the muffle.

The dazzling companion to the stupid rear doors is the expansive windshield that spreads into the roof. A dark tint starts where the windshield normally completes and works to keep the cabin from heating up like a greenhouse. Sun visors roll out of the A-pillars and sway into position. We were skeptical of the windshield’s worth until we drove among the skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles. Abruptly, the tops of buildings came into view. We were left dumbfounded, like slack-jawed tourists endlessly looking upward. Lose the Falcon Wing doors, Elon; the windshield is the Model X’s best gimmick.

Tesla has ditched the Model S’s power door treats that present and retract in the presence of the key. The Model X doesn’t truly even have treats. Instead, a flush-mounted chrome spear pops open the doors with a thrust. Like the rear doors, the power front doors open leisurely and cautiously to sniff out potential obstacles. Closing can be done with a shove, but it’s much cooler to see the doors close themselves when you hit the lock button on the key. We did notice that the front doors plunge through the last few inches of travel. To see if the doors would close on an arm or palm, we placed a plastic water bottle inbetween the jamb and the door. The Model X showcased no grace and crushed it. We’d advise keeping clear of the closing doors.

Second-row seats have power fore-aft adjustments, but no recline. Unlike every other SUV, the Model X’s 2nd row doesn’t fold, which means this isn’t a sidewalk-couch-devouring machine. But also unlike every other SUV, there’s a deep trunk up front. The 2nd row does slide forward and tilts with the shove of a button to permit access to the two-seat third row. Third-row riders get a good amount of space provided the 2nd row stays forward.

Related movie: