First they came for the saloon market, then they came for the SUV market. The Model S has already shown what Tesla can do, which is reinvent a market with both style and performance. And here Tesla is doing it again, this time with the effervescent SUV sector.

It’s just so different. Get inside and you get it. To do so, we’ll get in the back which means scissoring up those Falcon doors. They hinge in two places to go up vertically (and slowly) so that you can do this in a tight space and still have full access to the rear seats. Invaluable if you need to get a child, elderly parent or inebriated friend into one of the three second-row seats. And there’s a third row, although you might consign the children to that one.

Now, shut the door and look forward. We get used to manufacturers upgrading from 6.5in to 8.0in infotainment screens and the like. Here the portrait-shaped screen is a 17in one. Virtually everything on the car is controlled through it so the rest of the dashboard is pure minimalism. And well made too, bar the odd and poor panel fit to the cabin.

Now look up. There’s a vast panoramic roof which, this being designed in California, really does a good job of keeping harmful rays away from you. And ahead of it is a huge windscreen letting in a lot of light. Everything just seems – well, bigger, in that American way.

Fire it up and there’s no V8 growl, just some highly tech type noises. And you’re off. Drive is totally linear so acceleration is, and this is the only word for it, awesome. If you’re in Insane mode you’re looking at a 0-60mph time of 3.8sec. In a fair-sized SUV with three rows of seats. This really is insane, dude.

It gathers pace smoothly and very quickly. That’s not surprising since there is a pair of electric motors, one at each axle. Together they whirr out a theoretical 762bhp and 612lb ft of torque. The reality is a combined output of 464bhp which goes up to 532bhp in Ludicrous mode. That’s more than enough for an SUV.

Like all SUVs, the Model X P90D sits reasonably high with a highish roof, but the huge battery pack sits really low in the floorpan, perfect for weight distribution. Add in four-wheel drive and that linear power delivery, and you have a good recipe for motoring on the road.

The reality is that handling is pretty good but not as outstanding as some other elements of the package. Things can be a bit firm and ragged, and that’s without testing it on UK roads. The steering is the usual modern system that turns the wheels but doesn’t tell you what it’s doing, while the traction control stops any dramas or excitement, even with all that power.

As you get used to driving a fully electric SUV, you do have to get used to one other thing. Lift off the throttle and it’s like you just gently dabbed the brakes. Speed comes off quickly as soon as the throttle lifts, which is mostly a consequence of the regenerative braking harvesting energy. You soon get used to it, and it means you spend a lot more time with your foot on the throttle rather than the brake.

Tesla claim a range of around 300 miles by utilizing all the technology at their beck and call – including of course making their own batteries. We know from the Model S that their claims are not pie in the sky.

We should be receiving Model X Teslas in the UK before the end of the year. It would be brilliant if by then they’ve had a look at the interior trim fit and possibly tweaked the suspension for roads that aren’t remotely like long Californian highways. Even so, the Model X seems an advance even on the Model S.

Tesla Model X P90D

Location: Germany

On sale: Late 2016

Price: £65,000 (est)

Engine: Two electric motors, lithium Ion battery pack

Power: 762bhp at 0rpm

Torque: 612lb ft at 0rpm

Gearbox: Single-speed, direct drive

Kerb weight: 2468kg

Top speed: 155mph

0-60mph: 3.8sec

Range: 290 miles

CO2/tax band: 0g/km, 7%