SYDNEY: Tesla has unveiled its new all-wheel-drive dual-motor Model S 70D sedan, joining the more powerful 85D and replacing the entry-level Model S 60.
In Australia, the 70D is priced from $102,400 before luxury car tax, stamp duty and on-road costs.
Although it carries a much heftier price tag than the Model S 60 that it replaces – pitched at around $97,000-103,000 with on-road costs included – the 70D is a much improved offering.
The first clues as to the 70D’s enhancements are in the name, representing a more powerful 70kWh lithium-ion battery pack and the introduction of the same Dual-motor system that debuted with the flagship P85D model.
That upgrade brings a number of significant improvements.
Power increases from 225kW to 245kW, while driving range grows from 390km in the Model S 60 to a new 440km range with the 70D.
The 0-100km/h time is shaved, deeply, from 6.2 seconds in the 60 to a new 5.4 seconds in the 70D. (That makes the 70D quicker than the 85 that held up the middle of the range when the Model S hit Australia last year.)
That swifter acceleration time is thanks largely to the addition of a second electric motor, adding driving power to the front axle for a new all-wheel-drive layout.
Standard features with the 70D will include the new Autopilot system and hardware, along with the new trip planner and range assurance applications, satellite navigation, lane departure warning, parking sensors, automatic emergency braking and automatic keyless entry.
Access to Tesla’s Supercharger network – currently made up of one location in Sydney but scheduled to expand between Melbourne and Brisbane in the years ahead – is also included.
Lastly, there’s three new colours on offer across the Model S range: Ocean Blue (pictured top of article), Warm Silver and Obsidian Black.
Australian delivery dates for the 70D are still to be confirmed. TMR has contacted Tesla Australia.
