On Tuesday, the company made an effort to give its Model X a slight bump in marketing with a base model refresh featuring an upgraded 75kWh battery and an additional 17-mile driving range per charge.
The company announced Tuesday morning on Twitter that the baseline Model X 75D now features more range than its predecessor and retains the standard all-wheel drive (AWD) from the original 70D units. Unfortunately for its marketing ambitions, the upgrade comes at a time when the company is recalling all of its 2,700 Model X units – including units currently delivered and waiting to be shipped – due to a safety problem where a faulty latch is failing to hold the third-row seating arrangement upright. The company is advising current Model X owners not to let any passengers sit in the third row until the owner’s vehicle has been serviced and the latch has been replaced.
Tesla Model X seven-seat layout (other options include a six-seat and five-seat layout)
The company is currently building 750 Model X vehicles per week as of March 2016, however many of these vehicles built were too late to be delivered to owners before the end of Q1.
Tesla’s Q2 2016 refresh for the baseline Model X crossover SUV replaces the previous 70kWh battery unit with 220-mile range with a 75kWh battery featuring a 237-mile range. Of course, there is a tradeoff for the extra juice, as Tesla claims top speed performance will decrease from 140 miles per hour (225kph) to 130 miles per hour (209kph) with the slightly larger battery unit.
Aside from the battery upgrade and slight top speed reduction, the vehicle still features all the same design characteristics and specifications as the Q4 2015 base model. This includes “active safety” which scans the surrounding roadway with cameras, radar and sonar to provide the driver with real-time environmental feedback. Other options include a third row of seats ($3,000 / €2,641) for six-seat arrangement and $4,000 for a seven-seat arrangement), autopilot upgrade ($2,500 / €2,201) and a towing package ($750 / €660). Of course, Tesla also offers its highly critiqued High Efficiency Particle Attenuation (HEPA) filter ($3,000 / €2,641) that prevents 99.97 percent of ozone particles from reaching the inside of the vehicle, and of course, Tesla’s signature falcon-winged doors.
From Q4 2015, the Tesla Model X base price has also increased from $80,000 USD (€70,426 euros) for the Model X 70D to $83,000 USD (€73,067 euros) for the Model X 75D. Meanwhile, the more expensive Model X 90D is priced at $95,000 USD (€83,630 euros) while the dual-motor Model X P90D runs for $115,500 USD (€101,232 euros).
The all-electric crossover SUV is now available as a 75D option, 90D option and P90D option and is available for customization on Tesla’s website.
