The grille is gone, that is one noticeable difference.
DETROIT, MI - Tesla Motors has officially launched its all-electric Model X crossover vehicle, and with the arrival of the production version we now know that few styling cues have changed from a concept seen a few years ago in Detroit.
The grille is gone, that is one noticeable difference.
Otherwise, much is intact, including one notable and unique feature: The "falcon wing" doors.
Tesla calls them falcon wings (rather than "gull wing" doors, such as the ones found on the DeLorean DMC-12s of the early 1980s) because of hinges that allow them to adjust to different scenarios. There are sensors that tell the doors how far vertically or how wide to open based on constraints of a garage ceiling or other cars parked too close, for example.
Tesla founder Elon Musk demonstrated the doors opening and closing during presentation Tuesday night, when Tesla revealed the production Model X and presented some of its first customers with keys to the electric crossovers.
You can see that video on Tesla's website: www.teslamotors.com/modelx.
But enough about the doors. Musk and Tesla are referring to The Model X as the fastest and safest SUV ever made.
It goes 0-60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 155 mph. The all-wheel-drive vehicle is powered by a 90kWh battery with 250 miles of driving range.
The Model X has the equivalent of 259 horsepower, and is capable of towing 5,000 pounds.
Musk said Tuesday it is the first SUV with five stars in every category of NHTSA's ratings.
The SUV is pricey.
Musk said it's priced about $5,000 above the Model S sedan, which starts at $71,100, though Reuters reports that the first models have so far been going for upwards of $144,000.
Musk said there are some 25,000 customers on a waiting list for the Model X, and it could take 8-12 months for them to receive their electric SUVs, Reuters reported.
Tesla is banking on sales of the Model X to help the California electric vehicle maker reach a goal of delivering a total of 55,000 units (including all models) this year. The company delivered 11,507 Model S cars in the second quarter of this year. In the first half, it delivered a total of 21,552 units.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.