The 2021 Tesla Model S is completely redesigned inside the cabin, the look and feel this time is of a true luxury sedan. The infotainment system has also been revamped radically inside with options and capabilities that no other car on the planet possesses today and in the foreseeable future.
Jump to a section:
- Tri Screen
- 10 Teraflops of Gaming & Infotainment Power
- Yoke Steering, No Stalks
- Interior Colors & Accents
- Comfort, Convenience, and Premium Features
- MKBHD Reaction Video
Tri Screen
Long-time Tesla owners, analysts, and writers like me were only right on one thing, Tesla will use a horizontal widescreen in the new Model S, just like the one found in Tesla Model 3 & Y.
But three screens inside the spacious Model S interior were against anyone’s expectations. The screens are placed aesthetically. The main center touchscreen does not stick out like in the Model Y or Model 3. The integrated design gives it a premium look compared to the lower-cost Teslas, differentiating the S and X from their smaller siblings.
With the design refresh, Tesla did not put everything on to the center display, the driving visualizations for the Model S & Model X are still available on the redesigned instrument cluster above the steering wheel.
With an additional screen placed between the two front seats, Tesla has enabled the rear-seat passengers to keep themselves entertained on a long drive. This makes the new Tesla Model S Long Range, Plaid, and Plaid+ on par with any luxury car available on the market today.
10 Teraflops of Gaming & Infotainment Power
To redefine luxury car entertainment, Tesla has powered the new Model S Media Control Unit (MCU) with a graphics processor so powerful that it stands on par with the latest gaming consoles. Tesla Model S/X MCU has 10 teraflops of processing power, the Sony Playstation 5 has 10.28, and the Microsoft Xbox One has a 12 teraflops GPU.
To show off this graphics processing power, Tesla has decided to make modern and resource-hungry games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt available on the new Model S & X. Tesla hasn’t made clear that games like these will be premium options for an extra fee or included in the default list of video games for free.
Of course, Tesla in-car games are only playable when the vehicle is parked. Rear passengers might be able to play games while the car is running but we have yet to see a demo. With the new infotainment system in place, Tesla owners will surely spend more time inside their cars.
The new Model S and X have 22 speakers inside (wow) and with a pair of wireless game controllers, the gaming experience inside a luxury Tesla will be next level.
Audio and Media Features
- Premium 22-speaker audio with active noise-canceling (ANC)
- Multi-device music and media over Bluetooth®
- 17” center display, 12.3” driver’s display, and 8” second-row display
- Gaming computer with 10 teraflops of processing power
- Wireless controller compatibility
Yoke Steering and No Drive Stalks
Yes, this is the Yoke steering wheel as Tesla calls it. It is inspired by the Next-gen Tesla Roadster-style steering which is inspired by the steering of an airplane.
The upper part of the steering circle has been removed to make it look futuristic as well as make the instrument cluster + driving visualizations more visible. There are no stalks attached to this new steering wheel and according to Elon Musk, the car will decide the gear shifting, a manual override will be available on the center display. Musk responded to a couple of questions in this regard in his tweetstorm.
However, many in the Tesla community think that the Yoke steering wheel will not make it to production due to the lack of everyday practicality. Tech YouTuber and Model S P100D owner Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) poured some good thoughts on this matter (video below).
Related Post: 2021 Tesla Model S exterior and performance overview and variant comparison.
Interior Colors & Accents
In addition to the existing Black and Black & White interior color options, Tesla has introduced the Cream interior for an additional cost of $2,000. Only the Black interior is included in the price of the car, Black & White also comes as a $2,000 premium option.
The dash wood trim and wood accents on the door panels shown on the Tesla website and the photos above are only available with the Long Range Model S option. The included wood trim is Ebony and with the premium Cream and Interior options have the Walnut wood trim.
The Carbon Fiber Décor (trim & accents) is only available with the performance Plaid and Plaid+ Model S variant. Carbon fiber has been attached to the sports car world, Tesla has kept that theme for the sportier variants of the Model S right out of the box.
Tesla has recently started offering wooden door panel accents in the Made-in-China Tesla Model 3.
We asked the Tesla Community on Twitter if they liked the Cream or White interior, and most answered white, some wanted Black but only a few wanted to opt for the Cream interior option. Looks like the Cream color is more aligned with ladies and men above their fifties, here are some replies from the Twitter discussion on this topic.
Comfort, Convenience, and Premium Features
Comfort
- Heated seats for every passenger, heated steering, and heated windshield
- Ventilated front seating
- Tri-zone Airwave cabin conditioning
- HEPA air filtration system
- Custom driver profiles with automatic easy-entry and exit
- Ambient lighting
- Tinted glass roof
- Ultraviolet and infrared protection on all glass
Convenience
- Front center console with sliding cupholders and storage
- Second-row stow-able center armrest with integrated storage and wireless charging
- Automatic opening and closing of rear liftgate
- Auto-dimming, power-folding, heated side mirrors
- 28 ft³ of cargo space and secure front trunk
- Wireless and USB-C fast charging for every passenger
- Location-aware automatic garage door opener
- Phone Key
Premium Connectivity, 1 year complimentary
- Live traffic visualization
- Satellite-View Maps
- Video Streaming with access to Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitch, and more
- Caraoke
- Music Streaming
- Internet Browser
- *New features that become available after delivery may be subject to additional charges.
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