Tesla Model S & Model X get light updates heading into the rest of 2023

Tesla has facelifted its Model S and Model X flagships slightly, upgrading hardware across various systems, adding a new color option and tweaking the chasses mildly. There is also a new glass roof that can actually improve steering.

The CPU handling the main data processing workloads has been replaced with a more powerful one, and the radars and cameras all around have been updated, too. The Plaid spec – which needs around two seconds for its 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint – now comes equipped with improved brake pads, which are said to be both more efficient at deceleration and less prone to overheating.

Like before, the buyers can choose from five available paint options, but the old Multi-Coat Red option vacated the lineup to make room for a darker, deeper shade called Ultra Red. If handing over $3,000 for a coat feels like too much, you can go with black, silver or blue ($1,500 each) or just stick with the stock white (no additional fee).

Then there is the reworked panoramic glass roof. Tesla claims it now lets through five times as much sunlight while still blocking every bit as much UV light as before. Being much lighter and thinner, the new glass improves handling thanks to a lower center of gravity.

Last but hardly least, all buyers can now opt for a traditional round steering wheel instead of the much-criticized yoke that Tesla made mandatory in certain high-end specs a few years ago.