Tesla SUV coming Q3 2016

Tesla Motors Australia has confirmed that it will launch its first SUV, the Model X, in the third quarter of 2016, a year after it goes on sale in the US next month.

Customers can now pre-order the Model X in Australia with a $6000 deposit to cement their place in the queue, and although pricing has not yet been confirmed – in Australia or the USA – it's expected to start above six figures locally.

Tesla Motors Australia's marketing and communications manager, Heath Walker, told motoring.com.au the Model X will arrive here in roughly 12-months, with a new right-hand drive (RHD) allocation process already in place at the company's global base in Palo Alto California, virtually guaranteeing the local arrival time.

"We've got a set time for [the arrival of] RHD Model X vehicles in Australia and it's quarter three," he said.

He conceded that the two year wait for the Tesla Model S sedan in Australia was due to global retail development into different RHD regions. This won't be an issue with the Model X.

"Model X production for RHD markets, like Australia and the UK and others, is in the bag. The allotment is there," he stated when quizzed over potential delays due to massive demand in the US.

And how much can Aussie customers expect to pay for the luxury seven-seat electric SUV?

"Pricing hasn't been finalised yet," Walker explained, but said it'll be "similar in price to the Model S".

For reference the Model S vehicle starts at $106,900.

The new Model X electric SUV will have a range of around 400 to 500km depending on the battery chosen and like its sedan sibling, it'll be fast. Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO, has previously stated the SUV will accelerate from 0-96km/h in under five seconds, and with a range of luxury features it'll go head-to-head with the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5.

But as Walker notes, it's not just the instant acceleration and electric drivetrain that sets the Model X apart.

"Another signature of the vehicle are the falcon wing doors, which open upwards and out. They offer extra accessibility to the third row while the front trunk and a traditional boot offer more storage capacity than its rivals."

Detailed specifications for the new high-performance SUV, such as its cruising range, storage capacity, features and functionality are still to be revealed – even the final production design is not yet public with these Tesla Model X spy pics the best we've seen.

In its second quarter 2015 shareholder letter released today, Tesla Motors stated for the first time that US customers will begin taking delivery of the Model X SUV in September.

It also confirmed that late in 2015 it will increase the production and delivery of Tesla Energy products, "and in Q1 2016 we plan to reveal the Model 3 design, with first deliveries expected in late 2017".

The Model 3 will be a smaller vehicle than the S and X and more affordable too, as it looks likely to rival vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jaguar XE and BMW 3 Series.