More than 1,000 hp, butterfly doors, a 0 to 100 km/h announced in 2”6, a half-flying wheel inspired as much by the world of competition as by aerospace… And yet, faced with these characteristics, not the slightest supercar in the image. Unless she’s hiding behind the austere greyish bus here in the foreground. Not impossible as the Tesla Model X imposes itself with its more than 5 meters long, 2 meters wide and nearly 1.70 m high.
But it is in the driving position of this relatively anonymous SUV that some will take themselves, as they choose, for Tom Cruise in Top Gun or, even more surely, for David Hasselhoff in K 2000. The infamous Yoke (or Joke for dubious bilingual humor lovers) is second to none when it comes to reincarnating anyone as a Hollywood star and impress friends.
To drive, incidentally, it is less convincing. The view of the instrument cluster becomes effectively impregnable. Except that depending on the position of the “captain”, the widened base of the rim encroaches on the lower left corner of the huge 17″ central digital panel, recently reoriented horizontally. To the point that it is sometimes necessary to take off a shoulder from the seat to see certain tabs, such as that of the air conditioning for example.
But it’s obviously maneuvering that this funny “handle” disconcerts the most. Under the combined effects of its asymmetry and the steering reminder, quite marked, it is not uncommon to miss it in flight when disengaging. It may not be a coincidence that Frisbees are round; it is in particular to let oneself be caught. Even if it is certainly a matter of habit, we remain curious to know what it is.This fantasy, now billed at €250, works in an emergency.
That Tesla returns to a more classic “hoop” in series therefore seems reasonable. In any case, much more than the idea of integrating the turn signal controls, tactile moreover, into the spokes of said steering wheel, whatever form it takes, to spin them with it. No need to draw a picture when negotiating the first roundabouts. And the following ones. I will not dwell either on the transmission selector, transformed into a vertical bar on which it is necessary to slide your finger via the left edge of the touch interface… Up to go forward, down to go back.
But this exploratory ergonomics remaining common to all Model X recently, this overpowered Plaid version is easily confused with any other in the catalog. After joining the major axes where its size is no longer a constraint, this family is conducted with a relaxation and in a general comfort intact or almost. The pneumatic damping particularly tries to hide the optional 22” rims with some success.
The mechanics do not attract more attention by responding to the quarter turn, but without any extravagance. Even consumption, and therefore autonomy, in no way betrays a cavalry promised as out of the ordinary. The estimated gross 100 kWh of the battery guarantee just over 300 km in one go on the highway. Or close to 400 on a more varied course.
Rather than at the wheel, one of the main distinctive signs finally appears when turning around on the second row, where the bench seat of the rest of the range gives way to a pair of welcoming individual armchairs, nevertheless easy to circumvent in order to reach the two other seats of the third row, present here as standard.
This Tesla hides its game so well that it makes you wonder if, conversely, the 1000 hp are not an option. The doubt persists until the moment of slipping from the tip of the index finger to the well-named driving program Plaid. It is suddenly a certainty; the Model X unpins, trips, freaks out. Severely crack his underpants if I dared. No words are strong enough to describe the reality.
The slightest response to the accelerator is incredibly brutal. Space-time is literally turned upside down. Recalibrating your brain is sincerely in-dis-pen-sand. Because if it is not teleportation, it strongly resembles it. And obviously, it does not come without neck pain. The momentum is all the more remarkable as it continues up to unmentionable speeds.
Wrapped in carbon for less inertia, the rotors of the three electric machines do not show the shortness of breath that is reproached to them from a certain pace in general.
The distribution of the couple to the four wheels, the authority of the suspension on the movements of body and the precision of the direction make it possible fortunately to guide this missile of 2,5 tons without (too much) missing its target. Even talking about agility isn’t totally out of place when it comes to such a cathedral. But we can’t recommend the detour to a circuit enough to fully grasp these supernatural abilities.
Tesla having little taste for our sense of improvisation and our desire to do battle on a track away from traffic, we will not have been able to go around the question precisely. Damage. On the other hand, a few kilometers on the open road are enough to see that the brakes remain frankly undersized with regard to the performance and weight of the machine. The lack of bite as of power durably cools the ardor. By specifying that the more recent copies than our specimen are now equipped with reinforced pads in the absence of opting for more powerful stirrups.
Extraordinary showcase of electrification in general and of Tesla’s know-how in particular, the Model X Plaid also demonstrates the limits of the concept. Like its finally questionable interest in the face of other versions of the Californian SUV, very far from being feigned by default and offering by nature the same mechanical approval.
Witness the Dragster mode, the one that definitively summons the full 1,034 hp and which would make it possible to achieve the promised times; it is fully active only after conditioning of the battery for a good ten minutes on average during this test and remains a function of the load. Suffice to say that the shooting window does not present itself every four mornings.
Remains a more than aggressive price with regard to the services. To stay true to the thermal world and invest more in a less efficient and more locally polluting machine, you would have to be an idiot. Alas, I never had any illusions about my lack of discernment.
Our Verdict
The Model X Plaid allows you to live an extraordinary experience. It’s not the best though.
WE love
- supernatural performances
- High level general comfort
- Autonomy preserved
We love less
- Fantastic ergonomics
- Exceptional size
- questionable interest
Tesla Model X Throw Pillow Tech Sheet
ACHETER
- Version tested: €131,990
- From €131,990
- Average manufacturer consumption/during the test (kWh/100 km): 20.8/26.9
- CO2/bonus : 0/0 €
- Fiscal horsepower: 21 CV
- Country of manufacture: United States
Range offered
- Electric from 679 to 1,034 hp, from €114,490 to €134,490
CONDUCT
- Motor: three electric motors
- Transmission: all-wheel, 1-speed automatic
- Power (hp): 1,034
- Couple (Nm) : ≈ 1 400
- Poids (kg) : 2 455
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 5,06x2x1,68
- Wheelbase (m): 2.97
- Battery capacity (kWh): ≈ 100
- Autonomy manufacturer/during the test (km): 543-585/350
- Vitesse maxi (km/h) : 262
- 0 to 100 km/h: 2”6
- Standard tires: 255/45 R20; 275/45 R20
- Test tires: 265/35 R22; 285/35 R22, Continental Sport Contact 6
VIVRE
- Chest at 6/4/2 (l): 425/935/2,431 + 183
RECOMMENDED OPTIONS
- Metallic colours: €2,200
- Beige interior: €2,400
MAIN COMPETENTS
- BMW iX M60, from €143,050
- Mercedes EQS 580 4Matic SUV, from €167,750
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