Tesla’s minor Model S and X refreshes cost $5,000 more

Tesla is relaunching its Model S and Model X with minor changes as the EV maker struggles to address plummeting demand. The updated vehicles are launching in the US today with a $5,000 price increase applied across the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and high-performance Plaid versions of both models, but judging by the comments on the announcement Tesla posted to X, customers aren’t particularly impressed by the upgrades.

Prices for the Model S now start at $84,990 for the AWD version, or $99,990 for the Plaid. The Model X AWD and Plaid have jumped to $89,990 and $104,990, respectively. These are Tesla’s latest vehicle updates since launching the refreshed Model Y earlier this year.

Tesla says the highlights of the Model S and Model X refresh are:

• Frost Blue paint color (which costs an additional $2,500)
• Quieter cabin noise
• New wheel designs and improved aerodynamics
• Front fascia camera for better visibility
• Dynamic ambient lighting along the dash and doors
• Redesigned bushings and suspension
• Adaptive driving beams

The Model S Long Range can now drive up to 410 miles when equipped with 19-inch wheels, according to Tesla, but that’s only a five-mile improvement compared to the previous version. The Model S Plaid also has some minor exterior styling tweaks that are “optimized for high-speed stability,” and the Model X has an additional 2.5 cubic feet of space for third-row passengers and cargo. The ambient LED lighting along the dash and doors mirror the same feature that’s available on Tesla’s more affordable Model Y and 3 vehicles, but Tesla says the Model S and X versions provide “unique animations” upon entry.

The update also comes with some downgrades: the Model S Plaid is now 26 pounds heavier than its predecessor, and its top speed has been reduced from 200mph to 149mph. The Model X Plaid is even more egregious, weighing 183 pounds more than before, but the advertised top speed remains the same. The controversial yoke steering wheel is no longer available on the base AWD versions of either model, and can only be purchased as a $1,000 add-on for the Plaid package.

The refresh seems to have people fired up, but not in a way that benefits Tesla. “Go look at what Rivian, Lucid, Escalade IQ and EV9 are doing and copy that,” one commenter said on Tesla’s X post. “People want real 3 row SUVs with more range and tech and this isn’t that.” 

There was some expectation for Tesla to bring the steer-by-wire and 48-volt electronic architecture technology it had introduced on the Cybertruck to its flagship Model S and X cars. Tesla is currently struggling to sell all three of these pricey vehicles, not helped by the political crisis surrounding the company.