2022 Tesla Model X Plaid

When the Tesla Model S Plaid sedan came out, it rewrote the performance rulebook - not just for sedans, but for everything else too. Such was that car's record-breaking acceleration that the Tesla Model X Plaid which arrived later, itself with a 1,020-horsepower tri-motor electric powertrain, has almost flown under the radar. And we really mean it when we say it has flown. Here is a six-seater SUV with the ability to decimate the 0-60 run in just 2.5 seconds. Up to that speed, not even an Aston Martin DBX707 will keep up from its combustion rivals, while on the electric front, the forthcoming Mercedes-AMG EQS SUV will be almost pedestrian. Perhaps the Lotus Eletre will provide a sterner test when it arrives. Despite the Model X Plaid's immense power and performance for a heavy SUV, it still has a range of over 300 miles and a spacious, versatile cabin. It costs almost $140,000 and doesn't feel as luxurious as it should for that price, but as a high-performance electric SUV, it's untouchable.

Considering that it's been seven years since the Model X arrived on the scene, the basic design has aged exceedingly well. A recent facelift and a few sporty add-ons for the Plaid like those 20-inch Cyberstream wheels make for quite a sleek SUV. LED lighting and flush-fitting door handles are nice touches, and although some might find the smooth lines rather plain, it's precisely this approach that has kept the Model X fresh. There is an active spoiler at the back, and the standard wheels can be upgraded with 22-inch Turbine wheels, although these do impact the range. The Falcon Wing doors are the Model X's party piece and still draw stares when they're opened.

Tesla supplies approximate dimensions for the Model X based on a vehicle with 20-inch wheels. In this guise, the SUV measures 199.1 inches in length, 89.4 inches in width including the mirrors, and 66.1 inches in height. The wheelbase stretches to 116.7 inches. With its substantial size and heavy batteries, the Model X Plaid weighs 5,390 pounds.

Tesla's usual limited color palette also applies to its top SUV. Pearl White is the only no-cost option, and $1,500 will get you Solid Black, Midnight Silver Metallic, or Deep Blue Metallic. The last color choice is Red Multi-Coat. While Tesla's usual stealthy look works well, we think the quickest-accelerating SUV deserves something a bit more flamboyant. In red with the black Turbine wheels, the Model X Plaid looks faster, if not as fast as it actually is.

There is only one Tesla Model X Plaid configuration, but you'll need to have actual gas running through your veins to be dissatisfied by the performance on offer. Three electric motors produce a combined 1,020 horsepower and direct it to all four corners. The result is shattering performance, with a 0-60 mph sprint of 2.5 seconds with rollout subtracted. The quarter-mile is claimed to be 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 163 mph is possible.

No matter how many times you experience it, this kind of acceleration never fails to amaze. The Plaid's ability to obliterate some supercars in silence is astonishing. It isn't as stimulating to the senses as the roar of a V8 from the tailpipes of a Lamborghini Urus, but that doesn't take away the Plaid's shine. When it arrives, the electric Lotus Eletre will be similarly rapid, but until then, the Model X Plaid stands alone. If you aren't too concerned about your range, you can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Like the Model S Plaid, the Model X Plaid has three independent electric motors. Each motor has a carbon fiber-sleeved rotor that Tesla says maintains peak power all the way up to the SUV's maximum speed. Besides the instant torque on tap, the 1,020 hp makes this one of the most powerful vehicles on the road. A direct-drive transmission doles out the prodigious power.

The power dominates the driving experience, pushing you and your five passengers into the seatbacks at will. Sitting higher up than in the Model S Plaid simply bolsters the impression that you're untouchable. The Plaid has absolutely no issue bolting from one traffic light to the next, overtaking at even higher speeds, or carting around six people and their stuff.

Like a normal Model X, the Plaid is a refined and pleasing SUV to drive on normal roads. It will cruise on the highway all day long with no fuss, soaking up enough bumps and abrasions so that it doesn't tire you out on long trips. But Teslas have generally not struggled to impress in a straight line, and not all roads are straight, so how does the heavy Plaid perform in the corners? Surprisingly, it's not bad at all. The SUV stays flat and manages its considerable weight better than expected. The low center of gravity enabled by the placement of the batteries helps, and the steering doesn't feel entirely disconnected from the front wheels - which is a good thing.

On the downside, the steering yoke - which looks quite cool, we'll admit - still takes getting used to. For some drivers, it may never become natural. Yes, it's no problem when taking on longer, less acute curves, but three-point turns in tight spaces will leave you hunting for the top half of the steering wheel when it simply isn't there.

Although the brakes are good enough in normal use, they start to take strain if you are constantly using the full extent of the SUV's performance. Because the vehicle gathers pace so quickly, you'll need those brakes more often than in many other SUVs.

Often, high-performance EVs fail to match the range of their less powerful counterparts. That remains true for the Model X Plaid, which is 15 miles behind the regular Model X. Still, 333 miles when wearing 20-inch wheels isn't bad at all. The range drops to 311 miles with the optional 22s. As far as efficiency goes, the Plaid returns 103/93/98 MPGe city/highway/combined with the smaller wheels and 94/88/91 MPGe with the larger ones.

Using a Tesla Supercharger, you can add 175 miles of range in only 15 minutes. With a 240-volt outlet, charging from empty will take around eight hours so this is ideal for overnight charging, but you'll need a high-power charger connector. Without this and the same 240-volt outlet, charging could take up to 14 hours.

Tesla has made a couple of changes to the Model X's interior recently. Chief among them is the fitment of the unusual yoke steering wheel. The touchscreen, meanwhile, now has a landscape layout. In Plaid guise, the Model X only comes as a six-seater vehicle. With its Falcon Wing doors and extended windshield, the vehicle still feels quite futuristic years later. The absence of physical controls has been taken a few steps too far, but for anyone who hates clutter and loves a clean interior layout, this is it. Although some of the cabin materials are nice, attentive drivers and passengers will still notice the odd misaligned piece of trim, something that you would battle to find in a German SUV of the same price. Heated seats for every occupant, tri-zone climate control, and auto-closing/opening front doors are some of the standard features.

The six seats in the Model X are comfortable and trimmed in attractive leatherette. Both front rows have enough legroom and headroom for six-footers, and you can get to the third row easily by stepping between the two individual second-row seats. The third row is fine for kids but taller adults will feel cramped back there, and the complex rear door mechanisms impinge on headroom. As for ingress and egress, the Falcon Wing rear doors make it easy, but you'll need to be careful if you're opening them in a garage with a low-hanging light. Visibility is enhanced by that panoramic windshield, and we like that you can fold the sun visors to the side for a truly airy feel when the sun isn't trying to blind you.

We also appreciate the supportive, comfortable seats. Every occupant has a heated seat, which is a nice touch.

Leatherette upholstery is standard and covers all the seats. It comes in black, a striking combinaton of black and white, or black and cream. The white looks the best but can be challenging to keep clean. Also, both the white and cream interiors will add an extra $2,000 to the bill.

All of these colors are paired with carbon fiber decor. This gives the Plaid a sportier ambiance than the normal Model X, which has walnut inserts. At first glance, the cabin's quality appears sound, but too many Teslas still have trim pieces that simply pop off or don't align, and that's not acceptable in a vehicle at this price point.

This is a usefully practical SUV with a lot of cargo space. Behind the third row is a space measuring 15 cubic feet, so in daily use, many owners will be able to leave the third-row seats in their upright position. Behind the second row is 33 cubes, and there is 85.8 cubes when both the second and third rows are folded. While folding down the third row is easily done by pressing a button on the seat and simply giving it a gentle nudge, raising them again is much harder as you have to physically lean into the trunk area and pull the seats back up. It's an experience that the average Mercedes driver would find unacceptably primitive. Underfloor storage at the back is surprisingly generous, and the front trunk measures 6.5 cubes, enough for a few sports bags or a quick run to the shops.

Interior storage space consists of dual cupholders in front that can be covered, and in front of these, you will find another covered storage compartment for phones or wallets. Another center storage space lies beneath the padded armrest. Second-row occupants have another two cupholders, and those in the third row have two cupholders embedded into the space between the two seats.

Tesla isn't known for providing many options or packages but this does mean that almost everything is standard. Driver convenience is bolstered by automatic closing and opening of the front doors, a location-aware automatic garage door opener, a phone key, as well as heated side mirrors with power-folding and auto-dimming functions. Every occupant has a heated seat, and those in front also have seat ventilation for warmer days. A heated steering wheel is included too. Cabin temperature is moderated by a tri-zone climate control system, and second-row occupants can control their zone via a second-row touchscreen. Power-adjustable front seats are equipped too.

Tesla's hit-and-miss Autopilot suite uses several sensors and cameras for partially autonomous driving. Lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and a rearview camera are standard, but a lot more comes via the options menu.

Tesla pushes the capabilities of a central infotainment system to the absolute limit. In the Model X Plaid, as in other Teslas, almost every vehicle setting is managed via a central tilting 17-inch display. The physical window buttons and central button for the hazards are still there, but one almost feels Tesla would've removed these too if it could.

The touchscreen is responsive and colors are bright, though, so there are no complaints there. Not every Tesla's software has been glitch-free, but issues that persist are usually resolved via an over-the-air update. The central display is complemented by a 12.3-inch digital driver's display and another eight-inch touchscreen display for second-row occupants. Tesla makes navigation standard but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren't included. Internet streaming radio, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and a 22-speaker sound system are all standard.

A few features you won't find in the average SUV include a gaming computer with 10 teraflops of processing power. Tesla will also let you stream content from popular platforms like Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch, or you can fine-tune your karaoke skills with the "Caraoke" system. Not all of these features are absolutely necessary, but when combined with the unusual Falcon Wing doors, they create that unique crowd-pleasing Tesla ownership experience that many seem to find irresistible.

The Tesla Model X's reliability record doesn't exactly make for pleasant reading. At the time of writing, the 2022 Model X already succumbed to eight recalls. Many recalls related to safety systems, such as a failure of the vehicle to stop at a stop sign because of a fault with the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software, and a seat belt chime that may not activate. A further two recalls related to obscured pedestrian warning sounds, and the rest of the issues encompassed overheating that could cause the center display to fail, a missing body reinforcement bracket that could affect the safety of second-row occupants, side airbags that may not deploy correctly, and a windshield defroster that doesn't work.

Nine recalls were announced for 2021 models for nearly all the same issues.

With all these problems, the four-year/50,000-mile warranty becomes crucial. Electric powertrain components have more generous coverage of eight years regardless of miles traveled.

The NHTSA hasn't yet tested the 2022 model, but the 2021 Tesla Model X returned a five-star overall safety score. In every single category, it emerged with a five-star rating. The SUV hasn't been evaluated by the IIHS yet, but considering that the smaller Model Y walked away with a Top Safety Pick Plus award, we wouldn't be surprised if the Model X did the same.

The Tesla Model X Plaid is packed with some of the most advanced driver-assist features around. Autopilot uses a series of cameras and sensors that enables the SUV to accelerate, brake, and steer automatically. Other features like cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and forward-collision warning are standard. The more advanced Full Self-Driving Capability suite costs $12,000 and adds navigation on Autopilot, auto lane change, auto park, summon, a full self-driving computer, and traffic light/stop sign control. Autosteer on city streets is coming at a later point. Because Tesla is continuously updating these features, they can be improved over time with over-the-air updates.

Although these features are impressive, Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving suite have been at the center of some controversial accidents and recalls, so they should always be used with caution.

More conventional safety equipment includes a rearview camera, stability control, and a full suite of airbags. This includes curtain airbags and knee airbags for both front occupants.

Even if the rest of this SUV was terrible, the Model X Plaid would still be an engineering feat because of its extremely powerful tri-motor powertrain and miraculous acceleration. In that aspect, it blows every other SUV out of the water, and the fact that Tesla has been able to retain a range of over 300 miles makes it even better. The Model X Plaid also has a spacious cabin, some unusual features that create a unique ownership experience, and has proven to be exceedingly safe in a crash.

At almost $140,000, we have a few concerns. The build quality should be nothing less than peerless at this level, but it isn't. The over-reliance on the touchscreen, the awkward yoke steering wheel, and a spate of recent recalls are also worrying. When everything is working, the Model X Plaid makes most SUVs from Europe feel decidedly outdated. If Tesla could nail some of the basics more convincingly, this could've been the best SUV in the world. As it stands, it's a typical superhero - they can do things nobody else can, but they all have one or two glaring weaknesses.

At the time of writing, the Tesla Model X Plaid carried a price tag of $138,990. But since Tesla keeps hiking its prices, it seems inevitable that the Plaid will soon surpass the $140k mark. This price excludes a destination charge of $1,200.

Although it is the most expensive you can buy, it could be considered a performance bargain since conventionally-powered SUVs from Aston Martin and Lamborghini are both slower in a straight line and cost over $200,000.

The Model X Plaid is a single-trim high-performance derivative that sits above the regular Model X. It comes with AWD and a tri-motor electric powertrain producing an astonishing 1,020 hp. The 0-60 sprint takes 2.5 seconds, the quarter-mile can be blitzed in under 10 seconds, and it can reach a top speed of 163 mph. The range is 333 miles with the standard wheels.

Design features include 20-inch alloys, a panoramic windshield, power-closing doors, and upward-opening Falcon Wing rear doors. The tailgate also opens automatically.

Being the Plaid, there is only one interior configuration with seating for six across three rows. Standard features include a 17-inch cinematic touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital driver's display, and another eight-inch touchscreen for second-row passengers. There is a tri-zone climate control system, heated seats for everyone, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The advanced Full Self-Driving Capability suite bundles together features like auto park, auto lane change, and summon.

There is only one main package and it's the $12,000 Full Self-Driving Capability suite. With updates over the air, these features are constantly updated. The package includes navigation on Autopilot, auto lane change, summon, a full- self-driving computer, auto park, and traffic light/stop sign control.

Larger 22-inch wheels cost $2,000, an interior color upgrade is $2,000, and premium paint costs up to $2,500.

As there is only one trim available, the choice of which Model X Plaid to buy becomes quite simple. While we still think that the normal Model X is a better buy due to its lower price, longer range, and still-phenomenal performance, the Plaid provides a standard of performance that is untouchable for an SUV. We think that performance like this deserves to be flaunted, at least a little, so we'd have ours with Red Multi-Coat paint and the 22-inch Turbine wheels. The black and white interior isn't as practical but looks so much better than the standard black one, and ticking the box for Full Self-Driving gives you access to some truly advanced driver-assist features. We only wish these features worked well more consistently.

In this spec, the Model X Plaid costs $162,190 including destination. That is a lot of money, but the Model X Plaid is an SUV like no other.

For $24,000 less, you can get behind the wheel of the regular Model X which loses one motor but retains all-wheel drive. The base Model X is 1.3 seconds slower to 60, but still completes the benchmark sprint in under four seconds. More importantly, it has a range of up to 348 miles, 15 miles more than the Plaid. The regular Model X can be configured to seat seven occupants, but other than this, it has access to the same options, most notably the Full Self-Driving Capability suite. The Plaid is special, but if it didn't exist, we'd still marvel at the performance of the base Model X. The dual-motor SUV is fast enough and has a lower price, so it's the one we'd take.

Do you want your record-breaking performance delivered as a more conventional sedan or a taller SUV with quirky Falcon Wing doors? That's the main question you need to answer here, as the two Plaid twins are priced within $3,000 of each other (the Model X Plaid is more expensive). While the SUV has an extra seat and more overall cargo volume, the Model S Plaid is faster (0-60 mph in a frankly absurd 1.99 seconds), cheaper, and has a significantly longer range (up to 396 miles with smaller 19-inch wheels). The sedan is sleeker to our eyes and its lower driving position feels more appropriate in something this quick. Unless you need the extra space, we'd suggest going for the Model S Plaid, the fastest production car on the planet.