The five-year-old S receives an updated front fascia whose design bears more than a passing resemblance to the Model X crossover. The S ditches the current model’s black oval trim in favor of a more streamlined-looking body-colored bumper, and it gains redesigned headlights with new-look LED daytime running lights. Interestingly, it looks like Tesla has added cameras between the mirrors and the A-pillar. Website Electrek speculates that they feed information to Tesla’s Autopilot software.
While Tesla has remained tight-lipped about the updated Model S, earlier reports fit together like puzzle pieces to provide us with a good idea of what we can expect from it. Notably, the S could get a new range-topping variant called P100D equipped with a 100kWh battery pack. Official technical details aren’t available, but an S with a 100kWh pack should be capable of driving for over 300 miles on a single charge. It will likely be faster than the P90D, too, which hits 60 mph from a stop in 2.8 seconds when Ludicrous Speed is turned on.
The updates will allegedly be accompanied by a higher base price. As we reported last month, several Tesla shoppers were told to place an order before the end of March in order to lock in a lower price. How much of an increase Tesla is planning is anyone’s guess at this point. For what it’s worth, the entry-level S 70D currently starts at $75,000 before incentives and a mandatory $1,200 destination charge are factored in, while the range-topping P90D variant carries a base price of $108,000.
Rumors claim that the updated Tesla Model S will make its official debut later today, and it will go on sale in the coming days as a 2017 model. Stay tuned to DT Cars for more on this developing story.
