Tesla Model X Test Drive
The electric crossover has such dynamics that it darkens in the eyes - the Model X is gaining 100 km / h faster than the Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG GT and Lamborghini Huracan. Looks like Elon Musk really reinvented the car
Tesla Motors doesn't sell cars in a traditional way. For example, walking through a mall in America, you can stumble upon a boutique with electric cars in the showroom. The company's marketers believe that this format is better suited for large gadgets.
There are also traditional car dealerships. Going into one of these in Miami, I automatically grabbed a look at a bearded man in shorts and almost immediately recognized him as a compatriot. He came up, introduced himself and asked if he bought a Tesla or was just going to do it.
In response, a casual acquaintance said that he already owned a Model S and Model X and handed me a business card. It turned out that this is the director of the Moscow Tesla Club Alexey Eremchuk. It was he who first brought the Tesla Model X to Russia.
Tesla is not officially on sale in Russia, but the number of imported cars has already exceeded three hundred. Enthusiasts deserve medals for stubbornness - it is not possible to officially service these cars in Russia.
Those who have bought a "European" car and live in central Russia have the option of going to Finland or Germany. For the owners of "American women" the situation is much more complicated. European dealers refuse to service such machines, and commercial repairs are expensive. But our craftsmen have learned how to service their electric cars themselves, and Alexey contributed a lot to this process.
It is no coincidence that this time he ended up at a Tesla dealer. “One of Tesla's weak points is the bonnet lock, which breaks and jams if not properly closed. Tesla refuses to sell parts, and every time they have to explain that I cannot bring the car from Russia, ”he explained.
While we were talking, a car dealership employee brought out the ill-fated lock assembly with two long cables. It turns out that it is also very difficult to bring a new Tesla to Russia. We have to resort to a trick - to register the car in the country of purchase and only then import it into the territory of the Russian Federation, as formally used. The cost of customs clearance adds about 50% to the price of the car.
The United States is another matter. It is not necessary to buy a car here for real money - you can lease it with a monthly payment of 1 to 2,5 dollars, depending on the configuration, which is quite comparable with competitors.
The first time I drove a Tesla was about three years ago, when the all-wheel-drive Model S with two electric motors came out in the P85D version, capable of 60-3,2 mph in XNUMX seconds. Then there was a double impression of the car. Of course, the Tesla Model S has a wow effect, but not in terms of the quality of the finishing materials.
The top Model X P100D is built on the same platform as the "Esca" and is available in six versions with a total capacity from 259 to 773 horsepower. Marketers not only decided to go into the popular crossover format, but also tried to endow the car with even more "chips".
The crossover will friendly open the door when it senses the driver with the key approaching, and graciously close it as soon as the owner touches the brake pedal. The doors can also be controlled from the central 17-inch monitor.
The interior is still minimalistic, so you can't expect luxury from the Model X. But the quality of workmanship has grown in comparison with the Model S. From the pleasant little things there are pockets in the doors, ventilation of the seats, and the pillars and the roof are now trimmed with Alcantara.
The Tesla Model X also has an incredibly large windshield. At first, you don't notice the scale because of the tinting in the upper part, but when you look up, you understand how huge it is. This solution turned out to be very useful at intersections when driving through a stop line - the traffic light is visible from any angle.
But there is also a problem: there was no room for the sun visors, so they were placed vertically along the racks. They can be transferred to the working position by attaching a rear-view mirror to the platform, and the fixing magnet snaps off automatically.
The front seats from the "working" side look traditional, but the back is finished with glossy plastic. The second-row seats do not know how to change the angle of the backrest relative to the cushion, as in many crossovers, but it is still comfortable to sit in them.
To access the gallery, it is enough to press a button on the second row chair so that it, along with the front seat, moves and dives forward. You don't have to bend over too much - the open "falcon wing" removes the roof over the head of the passengers.
The doors can be opened in a confined space, determining the distance to the obstacle, and are able to change the angle of deflection. This is where they differ from the gullwing style doors, which have a fixed angle at the elbow.
The third row seats are located on the border of the passenger compartment and the trunk. They can no longer be called children's, and they are installed in the direction of travel, unlike the Model S. I was placed on the third row quite comfortably, even with an increase of 184 centimeters. If you have to carry not only passengers, but also luggage, then the third-row seats can be easily removed to the floor. By the way, do not forget that in place of the traditional engine compartment, Tesla has one more trunk, albeit a very tiny one.
Once behind the wheel, I hastily adjusted the seat for myself, forgetting about the steering wheel and mirrors - I really wanted to get out as quickly as possible. Hit the Mercedes gear lever, let go of the brake pedal, and the magic began. From the first meters, I got the impression that I had been driving this car for more than one month.
After 500 m, Tesla Model X found itself on a dirt road - there are bad roads not only in Russia. It turned out that the highway was being repaired, but it was not possible to block it due to the lack of alternative routes. An excellent reason to test the crossover in action.
Even at low speed, the body began to sway. At first it seemed that the suspension was "clamped" in sport mode, but no. Most likely, the reason is that the front seats are located too high - on an uneven surface, the effect of a pendulum is created. The higher you sit, the greater the swing amplitude. As soon as we drove onto a flat section of the road, all the discomfort immediately went away. But the silence was periodically broken by the rustle of climate control.
Ahead there was a straight and deserted section - it was time to feel the very dynamics at the level of supercars. Imagine that you are standing at a traffic light, and as soon as the green light comes on, a truck crashes into the back of the car at high speed and pushes you into the intersection. Unaccustomed to, such acceleration is even frightening. Incredible agility is a consequence of the fact that the electric motor delivers maximum torque (967 Nm) in almost the entire rev range.
At the moment of acceleration, a quiet "trolleybus" rumble is heard mixed with the noise of the wheels, but what is definitely clear is a feeling that cannot be compared with anything else. Very fast and virtually silent. Of course, Tesla's dynamics are not endless, and decreases with increasing speed. My feelings confirmed the superiority of the Model X over the twin-engined Model S I drove a couple of years ago. Tesla crossover gains a hundred in 3,1 seconds - faster than the Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG GT and Lamborghini Huracan.
On the highway, you quickly forget about the power reserve - you would rather activate the autopilot! The system definitely needs a markup or a car in front, to which you can "cling". In this mode, you can really take your feet off the pedals and release the steering wheel, but after a while the car will ask the driver to respond. There was one fatal accident last year when a Tesla owner was run over by a truck on a side road. Such cases cause serious damage to reputation, so the autopilot algorithm is constantly being improved.
Difficult weather conditions like snow or heavy rain can blind the autopilot, so you only need to rely on yourself. I can't say that I felt comfortable passing control to autopilot. Yes, it brakes and accelerates, and the car rebuilds on a signal from the turn switch, but when the Tesla Model X approaches an intersection, it gives reason to get nervous. Will it stop?
The first patent for an electric vehicle was issued over 200 years ago, and the world still uses combustion engines. Concept cars with a "space" design, coming into series, are deprived of all their advantages for the sake of conservative tastes of the public. It would have been like that for a long time until the guys at Tesla decided to reinvent the car. And they seem to have succeeded.
| Length, mm | 5037 |
| Height, mm | 2271 |
| Width | 1626 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2965 |
| Drive unit | Full |
| Drag coefficient | 0.24 |
| Maximum speed km / h | 250 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 3.1 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph, s | 2.9 |
| Total power, h.p. | 773 |
| Power reserve, km | 465 |
| Maximum torque, Nm | 967 |
| Curb weight, kg | 2441 |
