New Tesla Models Kill The Gearshift On Major Overhaul – Review Geek

TeslaTesla wants to fix its inferior interiors on both the Model S and Model X, a welcome change from expensive cars. But while the new design is usually a step up, the jury is out on the Knight Rider style steering wheel and lack of turn signals or gear lever.

The new redesign “Plaid”

; is the first for Model S since its launch in 2012. The name is probably a reference to Spaceballs and a sequel to ridiculous speed. That’s partly because a properly configured Model S can now reach 0 to 62 mph in less than two seconds. Tesla says it earned that new stat thanks to a lower drag coefficient from the newly designed exterior and a new powertrain.

Side by side, you’ll find yourself playing “spot the differences” when it comes to the new Model S exterior design, and the Model X sees no changes at all. The new standard glass roof is probably a welcome change. However, the interior is a different story, and the differences are immediately noticeable.

The steering wheel is one of the most noticeable changes. Gone is the usual circle-style steering wheel found in most cars, and instead there’s a new ‘butterfly steering wheel’. It looks like something out of a Formula 1 car or Knight Rider. The thumb wheels are probably a welcome addition, but what you won’t find are stems, not even a turn signal or a shifter.

Instead, according to Elon Musk’s tweet, the car will guess the direction of travel based on obstacles it can see, context and the navigation map. You can overwrite with the touchscreen. When you are parked in a space and can only reverse, the Tesla should sense this and shift for you when you tap the gas. “Would” be the keyword.

No more stems. Auto guesses the direction of travel based on the obstacles it sees, context and navigation map. You can overwrite on touchscreen.

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021

Another noticeable change is the touchscreen. Tesla dropped the portrait screen and went horizontal, as with Model 3. However, you still get a second screen instead of odometers. Thanks to updated internals, it can play more games than before, such as Witcher 3. You can even pair a wireless controller. And now the rear seat passengers also get a touchscreen for entertainment.

The Model S now comes in three preconfigured levels: standard, “Plaid” and “Plaid +.” It starts at $ 79,990 and goes up naturally. But when you pay for more, you get faster speeds and longer travel times. While the standard model can reach 412 miles, the Plaid + can reach 520 miles. Likewise, the standard version has a top speed of 250 km / h, while the Plaid and Plaid can reach + 200 km / h, albeit with “the right tires”.

The Model X starts at $ 84,690 and goes up to $ 114,690 for the Plaid version. You can order the newly updated vehicles today, although the Model S won’t ship until March and you can wait until April for the Model X.