The Tesla Model S Plaid is the quickest Tesla yet. We take a look around both the exterior and interior of this one to see what the Plaid gets you above and beyond a regular Model S. Plus, a dive into the interior gives us a chance to look at the yoke, all of the screens inside and the interior design. With the Model S being a hatchback, we check out the storage spaces in both the rear and front, where it proves to be a rather utilitarian vehicle.
TranscriptZAC PALMER: Sup, guys. I'm Zac Palmer with Autoblog. Right here, we have a Tesla Model S Plaid. Let's take a quick look around on the outside and eventually hop on in to this super sedan.
Up front, you have a front end that, well, is very normal for Tesla. There's not much of a grille at all. It's just a flat expanse. However, you do have one little air inlet down there so you have some airflow. Move to the corner, and we have the classic Tesla headlight look. It's a nice little LED surround there, really nice glow, good, clean look
Now on the side also really close to the headlight, we have the fender that bulges out real nicely to fit those wider wheels and tires, 21-inch wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber on this thing. You need it for how quick it is.
Now of course, this is a Tesla, so you've got cameras galore, camera here. You move on over to the pillar, more cameras. You go ahead and tap the door handle, and that guy should pop on out on command, boom. There it goes.
Moving on to the back, of course this is-- we have the nice teardrop shape that this car has. And you get a nice little carbon fiber spoiler on the end. That is a Plaid exclusive there.
And then when you look at the badging and logos that you get on this thing, of course you get the classic Tesla logo and name there. But you also get "Plaid" right in the corner there, nice and subtle. Nothing too flashy there like AMG's or BMW cars that'll really shout that at you.
Where you really see the plaidness come through is the wider body, all of the small amount of carbon fiber. And well, you'll know it when you see it go, too, because it is really, really quick. So yeah, I think that a lot of the changes made to the Plaid are a really, really great thing, that it just sort of spices up and levels up the Model S over the base model.
So now that we've gone over the outside, how about we hop in? First thing that hits me, of course, is this yoke right here, the steering yoke. It's no longer a steering wheel. So you lose the top half of your rim. Pluses and minuses there. Of course, one plus that I have here is the instrument cluster. Now, the Model 3 and Model Y do not have that, but I appreciate that Tesla still puts it on the Model S.
Another big important screen is your actual infotainment system here. A lot of functionality-- frankly, pretty much all of the functionality of the car is on there if it's not on the yoke as well. You have a couple wireless phone chargers down here. You can see this is also where the Tesla car goes if you're going to start and drive it using that.
You have storage spaces there and inside your center console, along with some cupholders here. These can, of course, be pushed out of the way if you don't want them to create a very large cubby. You have your glove box up and under there.
All of your air vents are pretty much invisible. You don't get to see them. You can adjust them via the screen itself. So that's what we have up here. How about we hop on into the back?
So hopping into the back seat of the Model S, first thing that strikes me here is, well, just how high my knees are versus what a normal sedan or SUV would be like. That's all due to the height of the floor here, which is just the case for the Model S. That's where we're at.
Now, you do have your own touchscreen infotainment here in the back. You can adjust the climate control through here, where you want your fans to be going. You can watch shows on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube on this little screen. You can also adjust the music playback, so radio, whatever phone you have plugged in and whatnot.
Below this screen, you have a couple of USB-C ports to charge. And then all the way above, you have your glass roof which, being in the back seat, is definitely the place to be if you want to look out it, because it's a very expansive view.
So let's check out the trunk of the Model S here. It's a power electric trunk. You just tap a little button in there, and the hatchback goes up. Yes, it's a hatchback. I love that. That gives you a whole lot of space, really easy loading here.
You notice you have this sort of suede covered privacy shade as well. This can be flipped up and taken out if you want even more space. And then when you get maximum space is when you utilize the undertrunk storage here all the way in the floor. Super deep in there. This thing can fit a lot.
If you remember, when the Model S launched so many years ago, there was actually a rear facing third row seat. It doesn't have that anymore. It's all for cargo now. And there's even more cargo in the front in the frunk.
Now in the front here, I just pop the hood, you can bring that on up, and, boom, there is your frunk. Now, it's not a huge frunk, but I think that something is better than nothing. You can expand this big sedan's storage and get both front and rear. I think that's great.
If you guys are interested in the full review of this Tesla Model S Plaid, make sure you check out the link in the description below.
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