For today’s review we are driving the Tesla Model X 100D, the first electric SUV of the American manufacturer. We are shooting our pictures into “L’Andana”, a luxury hotel near Castiglione della Pescaia, not far from Grosseto in Tuscany. A fantastic place, where nothing is left to chance and all the comforts are at the highest levels.
This location has not been chosen by chance, in fact it is one of the hotels in Italy that is part of Tesla’s Destination Charging network. This is an important convenience for Tesla owners. Thanks to the Tesla Destination Charging, in fact, it’s possible to charge the car directly inside the resort. Tesla Model X is an SUV designed for the family.
This is immediately noticeable thanks to the different seat configurations that you can choose when you buy it. Configurations starts from the most classic five seats, to the biggest with seven, with the Tesla Model X with six seats in the middle. The last one is the configuration we are testing in our review. In the six-seat configuration, the second-row seats have plenty of space between them. This is due to the total absence of the central tunnel and this extra space make this car even more comfortable. As for the Model S, both the rear and front boot are present, which in the case of this SUV are slightly larger than the sedan.
As I approach the car with the keys in my pocket, the driver’s door opens by itself, projecting me into a futuristic cockpit. The interior is dominated by a huge 17-inch central touch screen and the only two physical buttons in the center console are present. For the interiors, the biggest difference from the sedan we have already tested is the huge windscreen that arrives right behind the driver’s head. This solution assures lot of light into the cockpit.
One of the reasons why I couldn’t wait to test drive the Tesla Model X are the Falcon Wings. This special type of doors, introduced by Tesla on the Model X, envelops the entire rear of the car and are equipped with two hinges. One that unites the entire structure to the car body and another to the roof that allows a second degree of freedom. Equipped with sensors, they always know how to open themselves, in order to never be worried about involuntary bumps towards walls, other cars or the ceilings. Thanks to this mechanism in just thirty centimeters the doors open completely, with a scenic impact effect.
The design has been created with efficiency in mind, it reaches a Cx of 0.25, a record for the category and that’s big surprise if you think about the size of the car. The design anyway has not been sacrificed, thanks to the huge 22-inch wheels in the same color with the Model X bodywork does not go unnoticed on the road. On the front the full LED headlight offer effective lighting in all conditions. The car’s line continues the rear, where we find a wing positioned at the end of the rear window and a beautiful extractor.
Going on board, silently I drive through the beautiful streets around the resort L’Andana to better understand the dynamic skills of Tesla Model X. The performances are very respectable for a car like that, it cover the 0-100 in just 4.9 seconds with the unmistakable acceleration that only an electric engine can give. Equipped with air suspension, able to save the right configuration depending on the GPS position of the car, the roll in the curve is not marked and despite the huge rims the road bumps are optimally damped. The four-wheel drive is achieved with two engines, one for the rear wheels and one for the front ones.
The use of two engines allows the torque to be distributed on the driving wheels in a very short time, as it’s all managed by the electronics, without using additional mechanical components. Something I don’t like? For the mass and performance of the car I expected more powerful brakes. The real autonomy of this car is about 450km. However, this value should not cause any anxiety, the Tesla Superchargers are constantly growing in number, and if you plan the trip correctly, you can really go anywhere!
Like on Model S, I can find all the technology and driving assistants, starting from the navigator based on Google Maps, up to the famous Tesla Autopilot, through the integrated browser in the car and the ability to use Spotify for free. Unfortunately Apple Carplay and Android Auto are missing, but with such a complete infotainment you will never really feel the need of them. Tesla Model X passed our test for sure! Great performance with lots of space! We tested a car that can be used every day and will never be unnoticed on the road. So much quality and technology have their cost, Tesla Model X is priced around € 135,000. An high price, justified in part by all the innovation made by Tesla in such a fantastic vehicle.
Testo: Federico Schipani
Foto: Edoardo Mascalchi, Federico Schipani
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