Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S is the American EV’s flagship electric sedan. It boasts a sleek and sharp design, an interior that boasts plenty of features and tech, as well as blistering performance that will put some supercars to shame. We could likely see the introduction of Tesla’s flagship sedan sometime in 2026.

The Tesla Model S was introduced back in 2012, and its design remains quite familiar ever since. It got minor updates in 2016 and another facelift in 2021. In its latest guise, there is no doubt that the Tesla Model S is quite a looker.

The Model S boasts a relatively smooth design with minimalistic design elements. Its swept-back back petal-like LED headlights and the tiny grille, coupled with an aggressively styled bumper, give the fascia a menacing look. 

In profile, the Tesla Model S looks more like a four-door coupe rather than a sedan. This is mainly due to its low-slung stance and the sloping roofline. It also comes with flush-fitting door handles that give it a minimalist look. In global markets, Tesla offers alloy wheels ranging from 19 to 21 inches. 

Meanwhile, the rear-end looks more conventional with split LED taillamps. The rear bumper comes with contrasting black trim to round off the overall design.

The Model S is a large electric luxury sedan that measures 5 metres in length. It’s roughly the same length as the long-wheelbase versions of the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series.

In typical Tesla fashion, the Model S’ interior reeks of minimalism as there are very few physical controls. Almost all of the car’s features are bunched together in the massive 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system. But one highlight inside the cabin ought to be Tesla’s ‘yoke steering’ that gives it a proper fighter jet-like feel.

You can spec up the cabin in three different hues:full-black, black-white and cream.

Features

The main highlight in the Model S’ cabin is the 17-inch touchscreen infotainment, through which you can access almost all of the car’s functions. In addition to that, you can also watch videos and play games on it, which might come in handy when you’re charging the car. The screen also has a left-right tilt functionality.

The driver also has his own 12.3-inch display, through which he or she can view vital statistics of the car. 

And lastly, there is another 9.4-inch screen for rear-seat occupants to control the vehicle’s features as well as for entertainment purposes. This screen also has Bluetooth connectivity, so occupants can connect their Bluetooth headphones for audio purposes. 

Other feature highlights include multiple zones of climate control, a panoramic glass roof, powered and heated front seats, multi-colour ambient lighting, a 22-speaker sound system and a powered tailgate.

The Tesla Model S boasts a full 5-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP.

It comes with safety features such as 9 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), parking sensors all around, a 360-degree camera and an electronic parking brake. 

In addition to that, the Model S also comes with Tesla’s popular Autopilot self-driving capability. With the help of cameras, sensors and radars, it can do all sorts of driving without any driver input. This also includes lane changes, road signs and traffic signal reading, overtakes, pedestrian detection, detours and parking.

The Tesla Model S has a 709-litre boot, which offers plenty of boot space for at least two large suitcases and some smaller bags along with them. One can also fold down the rear seats to open up more space to store longer items.

You also get a smaller storage space underneath the hood to store charging cables and other small items.

Tesla offers two versions of the Model S: all-wheel drive and Plaid. While the all-wheel drive variant gets dual motors, the Plaid gets an additional motor for bonkers performance. There is no doubt that both versions are really quick.

As standard, the Model S produces 685 PS of power, going up to 1020 PS for the Plaid version. Both variants of the Model S offer performance for daily usage and supercar levels of acceleration. The standard Model S can do 0-100 kmph in just over 3 seconds, while the Model S Plaid does it in 2 seconds. 

As for claimed range, the Tesla Model S sit between 560-660 km on a full charge, depending on the version you pick. It gets a 100kWh battery pack with a usable limit of 95kWh.

In international markets, Tesla offers the Model S in two variants: All-wheel Drive and Plaid. If Tesla brings its flagship electric sedan to India, it is likely to be offered in the All-Wheel Drive variant at an expected price of around Rs 1.5 crore (ex-showroom).