Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

144 |AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

esla’s Model X starts at
$154,356 for the Long
Range. The Performance,
tested here, is $166,920.
Model X is a big, heavy
(2497kg), electric SUV with
its styling signature a pair of
vertically hinged rear doors —
“Falcon Wing” doors in Tesla-
speak. Five seats are standard;
two rear seats add $4300.
An aluminium frame holds the
liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery
pack — a 100kW/h unit — with
an electric motor at each end
providing all-wheel drive via a
single-speed reduction gear.
Suspension is conventional
double wishbone front/multilink
rear, with air springs permitting
an adjustable ride height.
“Autopilot”, Tesla’s latest
semi-autonomous driving
system, is a $4300 option.
It’s a waste of money. As for
“Full Self-Driving Capability”,
which costs an extra $7100,
Tesla’s disclaimer states that
“functionality is dependent
upon extensive software
validation and regulatory
approval, which may vary widely

by jurisdiction”. In other words,

it doesn’t even exist yet. So how

can they charge you for it?

Around town, especially in

traffi c, Autopilot’s Autosteer

function is erratic, unreliable and

occasionally scary.

The test car would not stay in

its lane or negotiate corners in a

predictable, safe manner.

On the highway, Autosteer

activation was often blocked

because the road markings,

barriers and other reference

points used by its cameras, radar

and ultrasonic sensors were

insuffi cient or indistinct, or the

road was partly in shadow.

In full-power “Ludicrous”

mode, the Model X is claimed

to hit 100km/h from rest in an

entirely believable 3.0 seconds,

comparable with a Ferrari 488.

Even in normal mode, acceleration

is immediate and effortless. And

how’s the serenity? Sublime.

Model X is a taut, agile handler

that will keep a Porsche Cayenne

honest, and it rides smoothly and

comfortably, but there’s some

body fl ex on bumpy roads, it’s

underbraked and, off-road, a

Range Rover will leave it in the

dust. Tesla claims that Model X’s

100kW/h battery provides “542

kilometres of range”.

In any electric vehicle, range

is dependent on several factors,

particularly how you drive and

ambient temperature.

In ideal autumn weather I

never got close to 542km. On

several long distance highway

drives, the test car’s maximum

achievable range was nearer

to 350km, and a recharge took

40-50 minutes at one of Tesla’s

supercharger stations.

On a 10-amp household power

point, it took 48 hours.

“Zero Emissions. Zero

Compromises” motoring is

the Model X deal, according to

Tesla. The zero emissions claim

only fl ies if you recharge from

renewable sources.

The Green Vehicle Guide lists

the Model X’s “fuel lifecycle”

CO² emissions as 203 grams per

kilometre — almost three times

the tailpipe emissions generated

by BMW’s X5 40e petrol/electric

hybrid — if the electricity it uses is

generated by burning fossil fuels.

“Model X is the SUV

uncompromised,” proclaims

Tesla. On the evidence of the test

car’s misaligned panels, wide

panel gaps, poorly fi tted seals

and trim, and general lack of

attention to detail in fi t and fi nish,

I would argue that the Model X is

seriously compromised.

In fact, by current standards,

it’s not even production-ready. It

drives beautifully, but too much

of Model X’s reality does not

correlate with Tesla’s spin.

Jaguar’s I-Pace is a much

better choice. Audi and Mercedes

also have new electric-powered

SUVs due for launch this year.

Save money and grief and buy one

of those instead.

TESLA MODEL X FROM $154,356

THINGS WE LIKE

 Truly amazing performance

 One of the best ride/handling

compromises in large SUVs

 Spacious and comfortable

 Incredibly quiet

 Zero emissions motoring if you

recharged from renewable sources

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

 Substandard build quality

 Excessive body fl ex

 Limited recharging capability

outside capital cities

 Self-driving technology doesn’t work

 Touchscreen is distracting and

ineffi cient

 Overpriced

 Weak brakes

SPEX

 Made in the USA

 Twin synchronous AC electric

motors/100kW/h lithium-ion

battery pack/single-speed

automatic/all-wheel drive

 397kW of power/967Nm of torque

 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds (claimed)

 226Wh/km; fuel lif ecycle CO²

emissions are 212g/km

 Warranty: Four years/80,000km

 Max. towing weight 2250kg

 Standard: Eight airbags, stability

control, blind spot monitoring,

forward collision warning and

mitigation, lane departure warning,

tyre pressure monitoring, front

and rear cameras, 20-inch alloy

wheels, air suspension, LED

headlights, Bluetooth, navigation,

voice control, touchscreen

infotainment, dual-zone air, heated

front seats, power tailgate

 Redbook future values: 3yr: 58%;

5yr: 43%

Safety

Not yet tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

compare with ...

Jaguar I-Pace