Tesla Cybertruck review, first drive - more than a hype machine?

You have cars and then you have something like the Tesla Cybertruck. Everyone seems to have an opinion on this; you only need one look at it to understand why. And since you might just be able to get your hands on one in India soon, we thought we should see for ourselves.

Tesla Cybertruck styling, dimensions, exterior features, load bay

The way the Cybertruck looks is so polarizing and evokes such differing views depending on whom you ask, it's safe to suggest that Tesla has achieved what it set out to do. With its air-formed steel panels, there isn't a curve in sight, which furthers this retro-futuristic space-buggy theme.

This stainless steel construction is bare, which lets the metal reflect its surroundings and give the car a different hue every time you look at it. It's quite a sight and will give you a sense of invincibility on our roads if or when the Cybertruck lands here, with it being up to 1.8mm thick and resistant to bullets. But look closer and you realize that there is a trade-off to this. Stainless steel is not an easy material to work with on a large scale, and it shows with the uneven panels and gaps.

But you don't exactly pay too much attention to this with all the other outlandish things the Cybertruck does. Like the fact that the laminated glass panels happen to be impact-resistant, including the gigantic flat windscreen that seems out of a building's facade. It's big enough to need the world's largest wiper.

Another surprise is that the Cybertruck isn't quite as large as the traditional full-size pick-ups it competes with in the USA. But in the Indian context, this thing is absolutely massive, large enough to take up nearly an entire lane on our roads. At 5,683mm long, 2,413mm wide, and 1,946mm tall, it overshadows something like an X7 easily. Because of this, the 20-inch 'Cyber wheels' don't look as large as they are. But the ridges for the aero-cover on them and their chunky tread complement the Cybertruck's sense. They seem as India-ready as the Cybertruck's ground clearance, which can range between 201 to 406mm, depending on the ride height setting you choose for the air suspension.

Tesla seems to have gone out of its way to not make the Cybertruck look like a car. You don't have door handles, just a button that pops the door open and makes you leave smudges on the steel, and the lighting is discreetly hidden.

All said, the Cybertruck is still based on an EV skateboard architecture, which means there is good practicality. The powered frunk seems at just the right height and shape for you to use as a seat, but it can hold 200 litres and 100 kgs, although large strollers don't fit. The powered function makes it easy to use regularly for soft luggage then.

But really, the point of the Cybertruck was to re-invent the pick-up truck. Again, the Cybertruck doesn't quite match a traditional rival in the outright practicality of its bed, but in isolation, there's enough drama here as the rest of the car. The powered tonneau cover is a great party trick. The controls for it are easy to access, and there's some drama to the way it unfolds. This aside, the cover reveals a long, flat 6-foot-long enclosed space that can hold 1,591 litres and over 1.1 tonnes; that's more than a D-max. You even have numerous power outlets, bottle openers, and smartly integrated lighting to fully use this space for work or play.

Tesla Cybertruck interiors, touchscreen, practicality

As wild and wacky as the Cybertruck looks from the outside, the inside is as starkly minimal. There are simple flat surfaces layered tightly together and the softest edges, but it's done smartly enough to give off a sense of quality at first glance.

You have swathes of suede on the dashboard and pillars while all the panels feel soft to the touch. The stainless steel from outside is smartly mirrored, with the panels in the doors and floor and pedals. That being said, these panels could have been better screwed together and felt sturdier in places.

But here too, there's that sense that Tesla doesn't do things like the others. The scuff plate has the welded Cybertruck logo etched on, and the air vents are hidden behind the central band. There are no buttons to speak of aside from ones on the compact 'full yoke' steering wheel. Although there are physical controls for the windows and seat adjustment. You set the wheel and mirrors using the screen and these rollers. Even the glove box is a drawer hidden from view and operated via the screen.

In most other cars, the screen still largely feels like a luxury feature. But in the case of this Tesla, it really is the nerve-centre of the car. The screen controls all of the car's functions, right down to adjusting the mirrors and AC vent controls. It is a bit intimidating at first with the vast amount of menus and controls, but the screen is especially responsive and is laid out smartly, so it becomes second nature quickly enough. Most things are a few swipes and taps away.

Tesla has a great sense of humour, which you see in the Easter eggs scattered across the screen. Like the taps that crack the window of the Cybertruck display, the Mars theme, and odd horn sounds. There are also games you can play using the actual steering wheel and brakes as well as video streaming.

But there is quite a bit of sensibility in the rest of the cabin. The EV architecture gives you a flat floor and a large shelf on the floor big enough for backpacks. The floating centre console holds two wireless chargers and a deep closed storage space, all within easy reach. The door pockets too are quite large and neatly segmented.

But if the Cybertruck does come to India, most of you will be quite interested in the rear seat. The entry setting for the air suspension makes ingress easy as does the wide door opening. The bed does take away a large chunk of room, but the long 3,645mm wheelbase leaves you with a great deal of legroom. The sharp rake to the roof means that headroom is quite lacking for such a large vehicle, which will be a concern for those over 6 feet tall. This trait also makes the rear windows small, which combined with the dark theme makes for a compact feeling. But the glass roof is a good foil to this and seems adept at blocking out the sharp Indian sun.

Just like the front, the seats are well contoured. They give you good bolstering and thigh support, but as with many other pickups, the seatback is a bit too upright to be comfortable. But the bench is wide enough for three slim adults to sit comfortably. Another neat feature, not very common in India but expected in US-market pickups, is that the seat base folds to make for a flat storage space.

You have another 9.4-inch screen here that controls the climate and entertainment functions as well as a large folding armrest.

Tesla Cybertruck battery, range, charging

The Cybertruck is based on an EV skateboard architecture and isn't a body-on-frame construction like the toughest pick-ups you can find. Powering it is a 123 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is good for nearly 500 km of range in this top-spec tri-motor Cyberbeast version. The Cybertruck can charge at up to 325 kW via the Tesla supercharging network while the AC home charging speed is 11.5 kW.

Tesla Cybertruck performance, driving impressions

Start driving the Cybertruck, and the experience at first is as offbeat as the way it looks. You sit high up like in any other pick-up truck, but the vast pane of glass in front and the massive quarter glasses give the sense that you are driving around sitting out on your balcony. This panoramic view is great for spotting objects further away, but the odd shape makes judging at close quarters quite difficult. Thankfully, you have a great set of cameras for support.

A few other unique bits about the Cybertruck's driving experience is that you don't have an instrument cluster in front of you. But Tesla has got the layout of the screen quite right. The speed, gear control, and ADAS functions show up in your field of vision, making it easy to get used to.

There are also no indicator stalks, but thankfully the buttons on the steering wheel are tactile. It's still not as easy as a traditional car but helps.

The version here is the top-spec Cyberbeast tri-motor that makes 857 PS and what Tesla calls 14,000 rpm. But in a more realistic measurement that everyone else uses, it's around 1,000 Nm. It'll do 0 to 96 kmph in 2.6s and reach a 210 kmph top speed.

But as with most of these wildly powerful EVs, the Cybertruck is surprisingly docile in its calmer modes. This is the most familiar bit about the car, in how refined it feels as you start to gain pace in that reserved calm sense like in any other high-end EV. The especially impressive sound-deadening has a role to play in this. You barely hear anything from the outside, aside from the Cybertruck sound profiles. There is a predictable sense to the power delivery which turns into a similarly composed regen effect. Even in its highest setting, the Cybertruck doesn't do anything abruptly.

As you might expect, even in the base chill mode, this Cyberbeast gains pace rapidly when you press on. We understandably didn't push someone's precious car too hard, but you know that madcap performance is all there. You can play with the Cybertruck's drive modes quite a bit. There is a Chill and Standard power mode along with two modes for the suspension, one focused on ride, the other on handling. You can also choose the ride height for these settings. Finally, there is a Beast mode that fully unleashes all the performance.

Further, there are three off-road modes where you can raise the truck further. These are slippery, overland that cover sand, gravel, and snow, and a wade mode.

But the one thing that you notice the most with the Cybertruck is the steer-by-wire. There is no physical connection between the steering and the wheels, which lends the Tesla a sharp, direct, and artificial feel. This steering is probably quicker than many supercars; a slight nudge is enough to change lanes. But this is in a good way, you don't feel the massive 3-ton mass at all, and there is still some sense of cohesion to the experience.

The Cybertruck's air suspension complements the smooth feeling from the rest of the drivetrain. Yes, there is firmness with the chunky 20-inch wheels, but nowhere near as much as you expect. The Tesla stays level over these surfaces, and as the road smooths out and you start going faster, you have that calm composure that you get from big EVs.

Tesla Cybertruck approximate price, verdict

The Tesla Cybertruck could be priced around Rs 1 crore in India, with this Cyberbeast version inching closer to 1.5 crores. For that money, there's nothing that draws as much attention or feels as futuristic. Yes, we would have liked it to be better made overall and a bit more space in the back, but you are still getting a competent EV with a comfortable cabin with that massive bed. But clearly, the Cybertruck isn't something you make sense of. Just savour the spotlight.

A big thank you to Gopin Developers for letting us use their Cybertruck for this story.