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Tesla will soon update the Model S and Model X, but does anyone care?
The Teslas nobody buys have really stiff competition.
On a recent podcast, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, said the company was set to update the Model S and Model X later this year. While he didn’t provide details on what changes were coming, we’ll speculate that Tesla’s changes will mimic the recently updated Model Y, which notably added a Cybertruck-like lightbar across the front fascia.
Honestly, we’re not even sure why Tesla is bothering. The Model S and Model X sell poorly, and the company’s CEO has been doing it no favors lately. Aleksei Potov - stock.adobe.com
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Tesla’s plans for the Model S and Model X are unknown
On the Ride the Lightning podcast, Moravy simply said that Tesla would give the two models “some love” later in 2025.
"The upgrade a few years ago was bigger than most people thought in terms of architecture and structure. We’ll give it some love later this year. Everyone here has a little place in their heart for S/X. They are not going anywhere anytime soon."
What we expect for the Model S and Model X updates
Remember that the two Teslas that sell well, the Model 3 and Model Y, were updated within the past year to varying degrees. The Model 3 update was limited, offering a range increase, a touch more horsepower, and improved suspension.
Both models saw upgraded interior materials, ambient lighting, more speakers, and acoustic glass throughout the cabin. The Model Y received lightbars across the front and rear but no other exterior updates.
The Model S and Model X have remained stagnant for years, and nobody seems to care. Anything Tesla does with either car will likely be met with shrugged shoulders.
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Musk isn’t helping Tesla anymore
The halo effect Elon Musk provided Tesla is gone. To many, he’s become an iconoclast, not iconic.
Model S and Model X sales are already reasonably poor, which is expected for high-end, expensive EVs. Given Musk’s current behavior and Tesla’s woes, there may be no good reason to update either vehicle.
At its most recent earnings call, Musk was more focused on AI and the robotaxi than the company’s existing fleet. This usually wouldn’t be cause for concern, but Tesla sales are dwindling, and other EV automakers are gaining ground.
The California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) reports Tesla registrations fell 7.8 percent in Q4 2024 and declined nearly 12 percent in 2024. Tesla still commands a 52.5 percent market share for EVs in California, but that’s also down 7.6 percent in 2024.
Final thoughts
The Model S is iconic, and there’s little Tesla could add to it to make it timeless. We expect it’ll upgrade the interior materials and perhaps add some range.
The Model X should get a more significant update. We feel that Tesla should align it more with the Model Y and ditch the gull-wing doors, too, which have given many owners nothing but fits. People want a higher-end SUV, but not one that can’t have closing doors just because Tesla was trying too hard to be unique.
Regardless, an update for both is overdue. We’re just not sure Tesla will, or should, put much effort into the updates. The damaged brand does not make people want to spend six figures on its vehicles anymore.
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