The Model S 60 is all the Tesla you need for £20k less
Performance dips but it's still got that Tesla magic
The best electric car in the world just got a whole lot more affordable.
Tesla has pulled back the curtain on two new Model S variants, which slash the price in an effort to bring the silent yet speedy saloons to more drivers.
The S 60 and S 60D start at £61,000 and £66,000, some £20k less than the 90D. They also undercut the bonkers yet brilliant P90 D by a massive £40k. Strip off the autopilot features and you can drop the price down to £57,000.
Sure, that might still be more than a 5-series Beemer or Merc, but makes them the most affordable Teslas yet – at least until the Model 3 comes along. Also, autopilot is brilliant, so we can’t see too many customers ditching it to save a few quid.
There have been a few cuts to get the price down so low, though – most notably the distance you’ll be able to go between battery top-ups.
The rear-wheel drive S 60 should squeeze up to 248 miles from a full charge, and the all-wheel drive S 60D gets a slightly better 253 miles. That’s about 100 miles less than the S 90, but if you’ve got £7500 in pocket change you can stump up for a 75kWh range upgrade. That’ll get you to around 300 miles per charge.
The P90 D’s eye-watering top speed and acceleration are gone too; the new models hit 60 in around 5.5 and 5.2 seconds, and both top out at 130mph. You won’t be racing Ferarris and Astons at the traffic lights, but you’ll still be able to give any hot hatch a good scare.
You also get the extra tweaks Tesla added to the Model S range back in April. That means a new front grille, LED headlights, (optional) faster charging, and the "Bioweapon Defense Mode" air filtration system from the Model X.
If you don’t want to wait for the Model 3, or missed the boat on the Model X waiting list, you can order a Model S right now: the new models are already up for configuration on the Tesla website.
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Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
