See All 79 Photos Tesla's Cybertruck has been one of the most hyped vehicles in recent memory, having landed like some kind of extinction-level asteroid amid a mostly static and boring truck market way back in 2019. This was before the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the Ram 1500 Rev, or the GMC Hummer EV had seen the light of day or gone on sale. Since then, all of those trucks have debuted and many have reached paying customers' driveways. Meanwhile, the wild stainless-steel-bodied, doorstop-shaped Cybertruck suffered through myriad production challenges and delays, even morphing from its original design as the realities of building pickup trucks in this century closed in on this truck seemingly sent back from some dystopian future. 0:00 / 0:00 At long last, the Tesla Cybertruck has been finalized, production is in swing, and the truck is making its way to customers. First announced nearly to the same week four years ago, the Cybertruck has been both lauded and castigated throughout its long and very public gestation for its controversial looks and huge promises. So, what does the actual production Cybertruck look like, and which of the original (big) promises for it were kept? Tri-Motor Power See All 79 Photos The first thing we noticed is that the actual production Cybertruck is much smaller than the prototype we saw in 2019 and the early example that was displayed during the Tesla exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The prototype was a larger truck with a taller suspension and even taller tires. The production truck is not only lower to the ground but also physically smaller. It's even more in line with a Ford F-150, coming in at 223.7 inches long, 70.5 inches tall, and at most 80.0 inches wide (without its door mirrors, though folded that still puts the width at 86.6 inches). Why "at most?" Federal regulations dictate anything wider has extra marker lights on the roof; the Cybertruck lacks those, so we figure it tops out at the same 80-inch width as most other full-size pickups. The suspension consists of an adaptive air suspension system, just like other upper-level Tesla models, but Beast mode will give the Cybertruck "up to 17 inches of ground clearance," according to Tesla. Based on the Cybertruck order page, it looks like that's only for Extract mode, but still. The tires are unique-sidewall Goodyears on the larger wheel. We've also seen that an 18-inch wheel will be optional for the Cybertruck, potentially to provide more sidewall for off-road tires. The stock tire will be made by Goodyear with a 35-inch overall diameter on 20-inch wheels. The Cybertruck Has Fit and It Has Finish See All 79 Photos One of the leading story lines coming into the Cybertruck's production reveal has been the shoddy-looking build quality of the multitudes of prototypes spotted in the wild. In the context of Tesla's past issues with fit and finish on its other models, as well as the obvious challenges the stainless steel bodywork poses for manufacturing, this seemed damning. Then again, most other automakers' test mules and prototypes aren't endlessly dissected for indications of build quality and ridiculed, and only the final product matters. This being the final product, it appears as though Tesla made great strides in the Cybertruck's fit and finish, though it isn't known whether the trucks shown at the debut event were specially prepped or line-fresh builds typical of those later customers will see. We just don't know. From what we could see on the first trucks delivered to customers, there are still some wavy panels and odd joints between body panels, but again, much improved over the prototypes we've been seeing for years. On a Cybertruck we inspected in person at a local Tesla showroom, some of these imperfections are rather glaring. We also found panel misalignments and gaps around the A-pillars where it meets the fenders, between the fender and the front nose panel, and many other panels. Massive Monoblade Wiper, Pointy Mirrors, and More See All 79 Photos The Cybertruck is also sticking with a monoblade wiper mounted to the driver's side of the windshield. This is easily one of the largest wiper blades your author has seen, including their time as a technician and servicing used Mercedes-Benz cars with their famous centralized mono-wiper. It needs to be large to wipe across the entire windshield, and the good news for Tesla techs is that you won't need to remove and replace the glass to replace the wiper motor, as there is a panel to access it. That means there is a round cutout on the driver's side of the windshield with a matching one on the passenger side, potentially allowing for RHD models to get its blade placed there—if there will be any, that is. See All 79 Photos We're also curious about just how well the triangular mirrors will work on the Cybertruck. Just from what we were able to see on the L.A.-based truck, the steep angle it forms when terminating to the outside of the mirror offers a potential blind spot when using them. Yes, we know that Tesla is using a camera system for FSD and Autopilot, and you'll have vision of what's around you when looking at the screen. But if the mirrors are going to be there (as required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), at least make them useful. These mirrors will also extend outward and make the standard 86.6-inch maximum width grow to 95 inches for towing. Speaking of useless mirrors, the interior rearview mirror is absolutely tiny. We wonder just how useful it will be considering that the Cybertruck is meant to be driven with the tonneau cover closed. It's possible the mirror is a screen, like how GM trucks have been optioning out their interior rearview mirror. With a camera on the tailgate of the Cybertruck, this isn't out of the realm of possibility. If you're thinking the angular glass roof could allow it to be used as a traditional interior mirror, think again. It terminates on the same line of sight as the interior rearview mirror. The Issues Of Such An Angular Roof See All 79 Photos It also looks like roof and cargo racks are planned for the Cybertruck. We could see removable panels on the outer edges of the roof and bedsides, marking provisions for rack mounts. The angle of both the roof and bed will be tricky to deal with, especially when trying to make something visually work with its angled surfaces or when it needs to be straight to hold cargo or a tent. Under the bed floor is a storage area like that in the Honda Ridgeline. It gives you additional 67 cubic feet of storage. The bed will also have a 2,500-pound payload capacity for whatever can fit within its 4-foot-wide by 6-foot-long bed. The bed also doesn't have any wheelwell protrusions like regular truck beds, thus that is its real usable size, and the cargo capacity when the tonneau cover is in use is still a massive 120.9 cubic feet, according to Tesla. It Has A Yoke-ish Steering Wheel See All 79 Photos While not following in the footsteps of the Model S Plaid with its wacky airplane-style yoke, the Cybertruck does feature a squircle-shaped wheel. It has a flat top and bottom of the rim while its sides remain round-ish. At least it gives you something to hold on to when making hard turns, unlike the yoke wheel. We hope that a round steering wheel will be an option on the Cybertruck, as it is on other Teslas. That yoke-ish wheel still isn't an easy or intuitive shape to use in the 2.5 turns lock-to-lock ratio that a standard rack-and-pinion steering will have, so it's good news that Tesla is going with a variable steer-by-wire system here, which should work more like Lexus' implementation of the yoke idea and require less hand flailing. Tesla is not the first to market with steer-by-wire, as Infiniti has had a system since 2014, though it isn't clear whether there is a mechanical backup for emergencies like the Infiniti's redundant clutched steering column. The one good part is that it will have a four-wheel steering system for good maneuverability. It's Probably Going To Be A Hit For Tesla See All 79 Photos Look, there's still a long way to go before Tesla is delivering these trucks en masse to customers. Could the stainless steel bodywork pose issues down the line (both literally, at the factory, and figuratively), and will the less expensive versions appear any time soon? Maybe and maybe. The Cybertruck is late to the electric pickup truck party it helped spur, and the competition's only getting stronger. But never underestimate the impact of eye-catching style, out-there features (bulletproof!), and of course, high performance. The Cybertruck is finally here, and it really looks like that. There will be people who will purchase one because they love the unusual looks and are fully bought into the Tesla story. We also predict that the Cybertruck will be more than compelling enough to less Tesla-savvy buyers to outweigh the truck's delays, challenges, and other snafus in getting here. You can order your Tesla Cybertruck now, and pricing starts at $60,990 for the RWD version (available by 2025), $79,990 for the standard AWD version, and $99,990 for the Cyberbeast. Your wait times may vary. Justin Banner Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.