If there’s one thing that get car buyers excited, it’s the release of a new model from a favourite brand.

Manufacturers will often play on this by hyping up new models, “leaking” photos to motoring journalists or adding drama by covering the first showroom examples in black cloth to dramatically remove on the big day.

Tesla’s latest releases didn’t get quite the same fanfare, and for good reason.

Its two newest models aren’t better than the ones that came before them; they’re worse.

This isn’t opinion. It’s objective, measurable fact.

This week Tesla announced new versions of its Model S and Model X vehicles.

They look the same, inside and out. They handle the same. They come with the same stuff.

The only difference is that the new ones offer about 130 kilometres less range than the existing models.

The new models – which Tesla calls Standard Range – are so far only available in the United States and will cost US$10,000 (NZ$16,900) less than the full-range versions.

On the one hand, it makes sense. US$10,000 off makes that Tesla you’ve always wanted more affordable. But here’s the twist: the new models are exactly the same as the old models. Same battery. Same motor. They’re just programmed to travel less distance.

Imagine if Coke brought out a cheaper can – same size, just as much Coke, but a quarter of it was sealed into the can so you couldn’t drink it. Or if Pizza Hutt sold a budget pizza where they cooked the whole thing for you but then threw two slices in the bin before delivering it.

The new models are exactly the same as the old ones. They cost as much to make, including all the often-criticised inputs to EV battery manufacture. They just pretend to run out of power and roll to a halt 130km before they should.

Now there is a glimmer of hope here. Unlike bringing out an internal combustion vehicle with an engine that doesn’t provide quite enough combustion, upgrading the performance of a Standard Range Tesla should be simple. A few lines of code and it’s toot toot chugga chugga, back to full battery performance. But that doesn’t mean Tesla will ever do it, and they could choose to charge more than that initial $10,000 saving if they did.

As a marketer, having an entry-level model is a good idea. It makes the brand more affordable, gives you a lower sticker price to get people into the showroom and can make the top model seem like good value (Just US$10,000 for 25% more range? Bargain).

As a driver, owning a machine that’s had its engineering hobbled in the pursuit of a price point feels, to quote an adjective Tesla fans will be familiar with, ludicrous.