CEO Elon Musk officially unveiled the Tesla Model X SUV earlier this week and focused on safety for the better part of the presentation.
According to the Green Car Reports, the absence of a front engine allowed Tesla engineers to put a longer distance for the crumple zone achieving good frontal-impact protection. The Model X is also protected against side impact.
"Also because of the low-set battery pack and resulting extremely low center of mass, it has half the rollover propensity of any SUV or minivan," GCR said.
Because of its innovations, the tech billionaire reportedly expects the Tesla Model X to get five-star safety ratings in all categories.
Then again, the SUV is also equipped to avoid an accident.
"The Model X includes automatic braking, using the camera and sensors to detect oncoming obstacles, as well as the ability to steer away from cars coming toward the car's side by using ultrasonic detectors," per Tech Times.
The seven-seater SUV is so safe in fact that it also protects its occupants against airborne contaminants.
"The Model X's air conditioning system has a 'Bio-weapon Defense' mode that prevents any bacteria or viruses from entering the vehicle," CNN said.
"If there's ever an... apocalyptic scenario, of some kind, hypothetically, you just press down the [button]... this is a real button," Musk said, as quoted by GCR.
The Model X is available in two guises, the 90D and the P90D. The latter is the base car rated between 90 and 94 MPGe and 257 miles of range, according to Tech Times. The flagship P90D is rated between 89 and 90 MPGe with a 250-mile range. With ludicrous mode, 0 to 60 MPH is dispatched in 3.2 seconds.
The Tesla Model X Signature Series, with all the bells and whistles including safety features, costs $132,000. However, Musk already clarified "regular" versions will cost around $5,000 more than a similarly-spec'd Model S.
Musk took to Twitter to stress the pricing again and said the lower cost versions will follow later.
Btw, price of Model X is actually only $5k more than S. Lower cost versions coming later.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 30, 2015
