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Tesla’s new Sydney store has your first local close-up of the Model X SUV

Deliveries of the Tesla Model X are due to begin by the end of the year, and a little bit of what's in store for buyers is now on show at Tesla's new flagship location in Sydney.


The all-electric luxury SUV will be available with a white interior trim, as well as 20-inch silver wheels or 22-inch black wheels. (Hit the Photos tab above for more images.)

The finishing touches are specific to the Model X and, with its arrival just around the corner, they can be seen and touched at Tesla's new glass-castle on Martin Place in Sydney that opens on July 1, 2016.

Though we haven't seen a Model X in Australia yet, Tesla Australia's marketing and communications manager Heath Walker said he enjoyed getting behind the wheel.

"It’s quite incredible. The falcon wing doors - although many think they’re a little gimmicky when they first see them - when you actually start to functionally use them and see how easy they are to operate, you start to think, 'oh, I can see why Tesla did this', and I think that’s the big thing.

"When you’re spending the amount you are on the car - and it will be slightly more than the Model S in terms of price point - you expect those things to come through, certainly from a company like Tesla that has advanced technology with its vehicles.”

The Tesla retail store is located in the heart of Sydney and won't offer servicing or customer charging points. However, test drives will be on offer and the space is set up like a lounge with a number of design studio stations.

A global first for the new Sydney location is that it has a Powerwall on display, making it the first Tesla store in the world to feature the new system - although there is one on display in a Hawaiian gallery.

The philosophy behind the 'retail' store centres around putting the cars in places where a lot of people will see them.

“The reason specifically for this space is mainly due to foot traffic – Tesla’s model is about taking a retail space to where the people are and making it convenient for the customer and the end user," Walker said.

"So the purpose of this store is to go to where the customer is, and there’re not too many more places outside of here and Pitt Street Mall that generate as much foot traffic and interest in shopfronts like Martin Place does."

Martin Place will likely remain the Australian flagship store, and certainly it will be Sydney's. The electric car maker is looking at other sites, but Walker said the focus is also on shopping centres and pop-up displays.

In the store there are three Model S vehicles on display, an example of Tesla's 'skateboard' chassis as well as merchandise.

CarAdvice joined a media group on a tour of the venue prior to opening, and can vouch for the amount of attention a store in this location attracts. Think people with noses pressed up against the window and others just standing and staring.

In fact, it has a bit of an Apple vibe, from the Mac computers to the massive, two-storey glass facade.

According to Walker, the common thread is simply education.

“Tesla is unique in the fact that we aren’t just a car company. We’re an energy company holistically, our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. It’s no longer just transport, which was our old mission - it's all about energy. What this space provides is an education location for people to come in and learn about Powerwall, Model S, Model X and around owning an electric vehicle," he said.

"We are born out of a tech environment. We’re from Silicon Valley, so I think it is in line with what tech companies do. Not necessarily Apple, because there are multiple tech companies that have a similar layout and design and all of those tech companies try to lend themselves to education of their product and that’s definitely our aim.”

Along with plans to deliver Model X vehicles by the end of the year, Walker confirmed the aim is still to have the much anticipated Model 3 on the ground here during 2018.

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