Tesla Reveals Full Details on 2016 Model X

Tesla released full details on the Model X, an all-wheel-drive electric SUV, which shipped to its first customers Sept. 29.

The initial models for sale (reservations, at this point) are the 90-kilowatt-hour P90 and P90D, with a Ludicrous Speed upgrade that's optional on the latter. Both models employ front and rear electric motors with 259 horsepower apiece on the P90, or 259 hp up front and 503 hp in back on the P90D. The P90 hits 60 mph in a still-quick 4.8 seconds, while the P90D trims that to 3.8 seconds. The P90D Ludicrous Speed cuts that to a supercar-like 3.2 seconds.

Related: Tesla Model X is Fast, Expensive and Arrives Sept. 29

Walk up to Tesla's new Model X and the front doors automatically open. The second-row "Falcon Wing" doors, also powered, go through an elaborate up-and-out sequence, and Tesla sensors in all four will detect an obstruction to stop before hitting it, whether an adjacent car or a low garage roof. Ultra-luxury cars have offered power-closing doors for some time, but these are the first doors we've seen that power open — and aren't on a minivan. The Model X, of course, is no van. But it could schlep the kids to soccer practice with seating for six or seven depending on the configuration you choose.

Tesla said it expects the Model X to receive a maximum five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration across every category. That would be a first for an SUV, mostly because virtually every SUV gets fewer than five stars in the agency's rollover ratings. Tesla says the Model X's battery lowers the SUV's center of gravity to improve its rollover score, but as of this writing NHTSA has yet to publish official ratings.

Some other details Tesla revealed:

• With no conventional engine, the hood opens to offer a second trunk. Tesla claims it can hold two golf bags.
• The automaker says the Model X is the most aerodynamic SUV in the world, with a self-adjusting, three-position rear spoiler.The P90 has an EPA-estimated range of 257 miles, while the P90D's range is 250 miles. Maximum towing capacity tops out at 5,000 pounds.
• The climate control includes a massive high-efficiency particulate air filter, which enables "air cleanliness levels which [are] comparable to a hospital operating room in the car," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the SUV's Sept. 29 unveiling. A "bioweapon defense mode" maxes out the filtration, Musk continued, adding that "this is a real button." Zombie apocalypse, do your worst.
• The second-row seats tip forward, like in the Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti JX-turned-QX60, to enable third-row access without having to remove a car seat from the second row. Here, they're powered.