So, in the week Tesla announced its fastest Model S ever, you’ve driven the slowest one. How come?
Because this Model S 60D was our first chance to sample the lightly facelifted Model S, which you’ll spot thanks to the deleted nosecone (there’s now just a Model X-style moustache) and all-LED adaptive headlights. Fortunately, there’s more to it than that.
Tesla Model S 60D (Image: Top Gear)
How so?
Tesla badly needed an entry-level model. The Model 3 is coming, roared on by the 400,000 or so deposit-holders who’ve pre-ordered the new 3-Series-sized EV. But it won’t be ready until at least 2018, so the cheaper, less powerful 60kWh Model S has arrived to keep interest up and cash rolling in.
It’s actually a 75kWh in disguise, with the extra battery capacity available as a sort of optional tune-up extra after purchase if you’ve got the required £7,850.
Ouch. Besides that, how cheap are we talking? It’s still a big 5-Series sized luxury saloon, so I’m not expecting philanthropy.
The asking price for a 60kWh with rear-drive is £53,400, and does 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. This ‘D’ version with dual motors and all-wheel drive adds £4,400 and subtracts 0.3 seconds.
Yes, that’s a mountain of money. But Tesla has got stuck into the murky world of monthly payments in an effort to take more chunks out of the mainstream posh saloon market. The result is you can get a Model S on a PCP deal for £395 a month, if you avoid ticking options.
That’s competitive with the likes of a BMW 330d, and when you factor in far cheaper servicing and running costs, plus free Supercharging and zero road tax, the 60kWh Model S starts to look awfully tempting.
Enough accountancy. Why would I be seen in the slow Tesla?
Because it isn’t slow. In fact, it’s extremely quick. Up until now the only Model S versions I’d driven had been the fastest at the time; first a P85, then a P85D, and most recently a P90D with Ludicrous Mode, which is to-date the only car I’ve ceased accelerating in because it was making me feel genuinely nauseous. So I wasn’t expecting much from the P60D’s 324bhp. Not when it’s saddled with 2.1 tonnes to haul.
Fact is, even this baby Tesla is an obscenely fast car, purely because of the instantaneous nature of the performance. I know you must be bored of reading about electric motors hitting max power from the get-go by now, but honestly, the way this supposedly base-spec Tesla rockets from 0-30mph would destroy a red-blooded super-saloon like an M5. This makes it a terrific urban car, despite the usual Model S girth.
Read more: Top Gear