If you know about Tesla Model 3, you already know a lot about Model Y.
It completes Tesla’s original line-up of S, 3, X, Y models (Ford will not disclose the name of its proprietary model E) and is effectively a crossover version of the Junior sedan.
It will obviously cost some more grand, with UK prices starting at £ 54,990 (101,679) and delivery set to begin early next year. Australian prices are still being announced.
It is larger than the Model 3 – only 50mm in length (so it is 4.75m long) but a full 181mm height. Its only 27mm increases the ground clearance to 167mm, so the body height is more than 150mm, which should be done in favor of the headroom.
How to describe the look? I won’t stay too long, because you can make up your own mind, but a videographer colleague described it as a generic car that you’ll see in Grand Theft Auto video games that look different but not exactly so; Or maybe from an insurance ad where they take a real car and digitally remove its most distinctive features.
Maybe we’re still getting used to the grill-less future. Among Tesla owners, it turns heads, a few.
what Did you get in Model Y?
The Australian price and specification have not been confirmed yet, but we can use the Model 3 as a guide.
The Model 3 Long Range includes the following:
- 19 inch alloy wheel
- Heated back seat
- Premium audio
- Live traffic updates
- Music / media streaming in the car
- LED fog light
- Interior floor mats
It tops the list of Model 3 Standard Range Plus equipment, which includes:
- 18-inch alloy wheel
- Adjustable front seat for 12-way power
- Heated front seat
- Stained glass roof
- Upgraded audio
- Power folding mirror
- 15-inch touchscreen
- Satellite navigation
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keeping assistance
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Reversing camera
- Parking sensor
Model 3 includes standard safety equipment:
- AEB with pedestrian / cyclist identification
- Forward collision warning
- Lane departure warning lane-keep assistance
- Adaptive cruise control
- Auto high beam
- Blind spot monitoring
- Intelligent speed is limited
- Reversing camera
- Tire pressure monitoring
How about the inside of the Tesla Model Y?
The extra body height gives a really great headroom. There’s also a huge non-opening sunroof,
And a relatively low window line that makes for an airy cabin.
A strip of light-colored matte wood around the front of the dashboard, some brushed aluminum and the same silver-plated plastic fitted in the latest Model 3, lighter and less recognizable than the piano-black plastic.
It’s hard to criticize the quality of the switchgear, because there’s so little in it.
If the mechanics of the Model Y are familiar to the Model 3 drivers, so will the driving environment.
It has an exceptionally clean cabin that is delivered with a 15-inch landscape-based touchscreen in the center of the dashboard, in addition to door switches, window switches, two-column stalks and two multi-function dials on the steering wheel. Everything from showing the speed of the car to opening the glovebox is here.
If you think that Tesla seems to be asking a screen to adjust a lot, you will be right.
In some ways, I get the argument. Why is there a separate button to move the door mirror or steering wheel, if you should do it before the ride? So tap a menu and then an icon on the screen and use the steering wheel dials to do it.
It looks clean, runs low and is cheaper than individual levers and buttons. But some controls have a level of complexity that will not be there if there is a button right where you put it. I especially like a single temperature dial.
That said, no one does Tesla work as well as the functionality or presentation of Tescreen. The resolution is great and the system is neatly arranged and responsive. The SAT-NAV set is a doodle and Tesla’s great supercharger is a great way to integrate with a fast charging network.
Due to its architectural nature, the Model Y provides a lot of luggage space.
A 117-liter frank (or fruit, or just boot, or whatever) on the bottom of the bonnet and an 854-liter boot on the back, with more underfloor space than the Model 3, because the floor is high. You can use a QB below to save the charging cable.
Fold the rear seats to the front and add weird storage – which has plenty in it – and you end up with 2100 liters of cargo space.
At the moment, all models for the UK are Ys five-seater. Elsewhere there are seven-seat options but there is still no word on when it will come.
How much does the Tesla Model Y cost?
As mentioned earlier, prices for the Australian market have yet to be confirmed, such as more specific launch times.
Unlike the Model 3, the Model Y will only launch with two dual-motor variants, meaning the entry price will probably be much higher than the single-motor Model 3 Standard Range Plus ($ 59,990).
In the UK, the Model Y Long Range starts at £ 54,990 ($ 101,679), which is more popular than the Model 6500 ($ 12,018) equivalent Model 3 Long Range.
The Model 3 Long Range is currently listed in Australia for $ 73,400 plus on-road costs, so expect the entry-level Model Y to start at around $ 80,000. If the Model Y starts in that price bracket, it will be significantly more affordable than the premium-brand EVs of the same size.
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