• Offers five-, six- or seven-seat options
• Third row of seats better suited to children
• Large boot plus extra space under front bonnet

Unusually for a high-end SUV, the Model X can be specified in five-, six-, or seven-seat configurations depending on the buyer’s preference. Given its size and the ease in which the third row seats fold into the floor, that’s the format we would recommend. Adults can fit in them, but they’re better suited for children in terms of their physical size and access to them.

Whichever version you choose, the middle row seats are all individual chairs that slide back and forth electrically for convenience. Unusually, on six-seater Model Xs, the middle row seats aren’t brought nearer the centre of the car to maximise comfort, although that full chair-width gap between them means it’s easy to access the third row. Those falcon wing rear doors are also rather thick, making the those outer middle row seats a little tight for broader adults.

Feels enormous in small spaces

There’s no escaping that while the Model X is relatively low-slung for an SUV, it’s still a large car overall, so while the steering’s light for nimble manoeuvres around town, you still have to negotiate the Tesla’s girth. However, the car does much to assist the driver in this regard with a suite of external cameras and sensors to help you manoeuvre around tight spaces without incident.

Open the enormous tailgate to access the main boot area – it’s electrically operated, naturally – and there’s up to 2,180 litres of luggage space to play with, plus the lack of engine allows for a 187-litre storage area beneath the bonnet.

There’s also a handily-placed compartment behind the rear seats, perfect for storage of charging leads or any other kind of bric-a-brac which is usually left to rattle around the boot floor.

Note however that while the third row of seats (where specified) does fold away flush with the floor, the second row cannot be laid flat, so carrying very large loads may be tricky – it’s not as flexible for carrying large loads as almost every other SUV is.

Big on safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP crash test score
• Vast array of standard safety features
• Advanced autonomous driving tech

Euro NCAP finally crash-tested a Model X towards the end of 2019 and, given the excellent result the smaller Model 3 achieved earlier in the same year, it was no surprise that the electric SUV also achieved a full five-star rating.

Tesla offers up to four Isofix attachments for child seats, although it’s worth nothing that Audi provides six in its seven-seat Q7.

All-wheel drive and a battery pack positioned low down between the axles (placing weight low down increases agility and reduces the likelihood of a rollover incident) means the Model X is an inherently well-balanced and stable SUV.

The Model X is fitted with 12 airbags as standard, with head and knee items in the front, two side curtain types, four seat-mounted side ones and two door-mounted airbags. Active safety features include automatic emergency braking and side-collision avoidance, both of which intervene to stop the vehicle if an accident is deemed likely.

Tesla’s driver-assistance technology explained

Tesla is well known for its cutting-edge – and sometimes controversial – driver-assistance systems, some of which go a long way towards full autonomy.

The Enhanced Autopilot function, for instance, includes four cameras and 12 ultrasonic sonar sensors to monitor traffic and obstacles 360 degrees around the car. Enhanced Autopilot automatically matches speed to the traffic flow, ensures the vehicle doesn’t veer from its lane, automatically changes lanes and even self-parks, plus it can be summoned from your garage using a smartphone app.

It’s worth noting that fully autonomous self-driving cars are not legal in the UK, requiring the driver to remain in control of the vehicle and use these for assistance only.

Watch: Tesla Model X Euro NCAP crash test video