- Earlier this year, Tesla updated the Model Y to its new facelifted ‘Juniper’ variant, with deliveries to European customers now well underway.
- We got our hands on the entry-level, Rear Wheel Drive variant of the new model, which now starts at £44,990 in the UK.
- Carrying a number of changes over the previous Model Y we tested last year, can this new EV justify its price premium in a market when many similarly-sized electric SUVs start at under £40,000?
Is the Tesla Model Y still the king of electric SUVs?
The most obvious change in the new Model Y over the previous generation is the exterior design. Gone are the old front and rear lights in favour of lightbars, which certainly makes the new model look sleeker than the quite generic-looking original Model Y.
One interesting thing to note is the discreet badging compared to the previous Model Y. You’ve got small Tesla logos on the wheel hubs and blacked out Tesla lettering below the rear light bar, but absolutely no indication of the Tesla brand on the front (minus the Tesla license plate frame on this press car). Tesla’s design team have previously claimed that the badge will no longer be needed on new Tesla models thanks to their unique designs. However, with existing Tesla owners seen debadging their existing vehicles due to the link with Elon Musk, could there be something deeper behind the decision to take the badge off from the factory? It’s unlikely we’ll ever know.
The Model Y Rear Wheel Drive might be the entry point into the Model Y, but it’s specification and equipment list still remains impressive. This £44,990 model offers a claimed range of 311 miles, whilst 0-60mph is delivered in only 5.6 seconds. Technology such as a 16-speaker sound system, ventilated front seats, all-round heated seats, and a rear entertainment touchscreen are all standard fit.
Battery and efficiency
The previous Model Y already had formidable efficiency, but thanks to some of the technological changes over the previous Model Y, Tesla says the new Model Y to be one of the most energy efficient electric SUVs on the market, with a claimed consumption figure of 13.9kWh per 100km.
On a 150 mile trip around Southern England’s A and B-roads during my week with the Model Y, I can confirm that to be the case, very nearly matching Tesla’s claimed efficiency figure. Over the journey, the Tesla computer showed me an overall efficiency of 223.2 Wh per mile (13.87kWh per 100km). This was achieved with minimal effort to maximise range: The air conditioning (and cooled seats) were running for most of the journey, and there were a number of hard accelerations when pulling out of short slip roads and overtaking slower traffic. Turn a few of those creature comforts off and go even easier on the accelerator, and you could easily exceed Tesla’s claimed range in this car.
That high level of efficiency also pays its way through lower charging costs – particularly important if you’ll be using the more expensive public charging network often, giving it an important edge over rivals.
Onboard technology
The new Model Y takes a significant step up from the previous model when it comes to on-board tech.
Rear passengers are now in for a new entertainment treat, thanks to a new rear touchscreen that has already been introduced on the Model S, X, and 3 cars. This allows those in the rear to watch services such as YouTube and Netflix on the go, whilst also giving them control over the music currently playing in the car (which can be disabled, if your rear passengers have poor taste in music!).
The front infotainment screen seems pretty similar to the pre-facelift Model Y we tested last year, but as they say – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Public EV charging discovery through the navigation system remains superb, and whilst I’m personally hoping for a reversal back towards physical buttons in future EVs (like we’ve seen in Audi’s new design vision), the Model Y’s touchscreen-led interface is still undeniably one of the most intuitive in the business. Whilst it looks the same as the old screen, there’s numerous changes to the computer underneath – cellular and Wi-Fi speeds are now 50% and 300% faster respectively, whilst phone key reliability has been increased tenfold.
On the road
For the new Model Y, Tesla has made a number of tweaks to ride comfort, which include a stiffer body, redesigned suspension geometry, and revised suspension components that come from the also-updated Model 3. On the UK’s often rough roads, this helps the updated model to ride smoother – something the older version struggled with at lower town speeds. Refinement also takes a big step up, thanks to all-round double glazed windows.
The 0-60mph time of 5.6 seconds is not that relevant in the real world, but this low time is still useful when it comes to the torque shove this EV gives you. The 30-60mph time far exceeds many of its similarly-priced rivals, and makes overtaking or merging onto fast A-roads and dual carriageways from a short slip road a breeze.
Conclusion
The combination of energy efficiency, power, and arguably the best car software in the business means that even the cheapest Model Y remains a no-compromises EV, and is one of the best all rounders on the market.
However, the link between the Tesla brand and Elon Musk still remains a contentious point for many buyers, and it’s completely understandable why, particularly in Europe, Tesla sales seem to have dropped across many regions. Norway is an exception to that theory, where the Tesla Model Y remains by far the best selling car (of all fuel types) – outselling the second best-selling car, the Volkswagen ID.4, nearly four times over. It’s clear that Norwegian customers are willing to overlook the Musk link – but can the rest of Europe?
