It’s been a full year since Tesla first announced the Model S Plaid and this ultra-fast family sedan is still on everyone’s lips. To be fair, deliveries only got underway back in June of 2021, and when it comes to performance, you’ll need a Rimac badge in order to get the upper hand on the flagship Model S.
What’s ironic is that we haven’t heard all that much about its larger sibling, the Model X SUV, which is also available in Plaid specification, putting down the same 1,020 hp and 1,050 lb-ft (1,420 Nm) of torque as the Model S Plaid.
Pricing for the Model X Plaid starts from $120,440, for which you get an EPA estimated range of 333 miles (536 km) if you take it easy on the throttle. Otherwise, you can hit 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.5 seconds, before covering a quarter mile in 9.9 seconds.
Here’s the kicker. Those 2.5 seconds, which is the official figure provided by Tesla, include the customary one-foot rollout, so it stands to reason that in real- life conditions, the Model X Plaid should be a little slower than advertised.
Well, the joke is on... actually on nobody, because during a recent review by Vehicle Virgins, the Model X Plaid hit 60 mph from a standstill (no rollout), in a blistering 2.3 seconds. That means it’s just as quick as a Bugatti Chiron, which boggles the mind when you think about how this is a midsize-to-large family SUV.
Bottom line, the new Model X Plaid is clearly quicker than its predecessor, the Model X Performance (0-60 in 2.6 sec), and it costs just $3,000 more than a 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe – safe to say, it would absolutely obliterate the Merc in a straight line.
As of today, there isn’t an SUV on Earth that could beat the Model X Plaid over a quarter mile, not the Urus, not the Bentayga Speed, not even the Durango SRT Hellcat or the smaller yet very quick Mustang Mach-E GT.
Pricing for the Model X Plaid starts from $120,440, for which you get an EPA estimated range of 333 miles (536 km) if you take it easy on the throttle. Otherwise, you can hit 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.5 seconds, before covering a quarter mile in 9.9 seconds.
Here’s the kicker. Those 2.5 seconds, which is the official figure provided by Tesla, include the customary one-foot rollout, so it stands to reason that in real- life conditions, the Model X Plaid should be a little slower than advertised.
Well, the joke is on... actually on nobody, because during a recent review by Vehicle Virgins, the Model X Plaid hit 60 mph from a standstill (no rollout), in a blistering 2.3 seconds. That means it’s just as quick as a Bugatti Chiron, which boggles the mind when you think about how this is a midsize-to-large family SUV.
Bottom line, the new Model X Plaid is clearly quicker than its predecessor, the Model X Performance (0-60 in 2.6 sec), and it costs just $3,000 more than a 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe – safe to say, it would absolutely obliterate the Merc in a straight line.
As of today, there isn’t an SUV on Earth that could beat the Model X Plaid over a quarter mile, not the Urus, not the Bentayga Speed, not even the Durango SRT Hellcat or the smaller yet very quick Mustang Mach-E GT.