Tesla has launched the Model Y, the new model that complements their SUV range next to the model X. Design-wise, the model y doesn’t really surprise. It looks almost exactly like the Model 3, just a little bit bigger and roomier. Also, a little bit more expensive: the Model Y will be priced from USD 47,000.
Elon Musk declared that while the Model Y is a small SUV, it will drive like a sportscar. The range of the Model Y will be 300 miles and it will fit seven. If you go for the performance version, the car will be capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.5 seconds.
The Model Y is planned for the fall of 2020, with the release of the 300 miles range version at USD 47,000. An all-wheel drive, dual motor model will be released at the same time and will cost USD 51,000, with a performance version (the one that goes 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 secs) also joining the party at a cool USD 60,000. Then, in 2021, Tesla will serve the lower end of the market with a standard range model (230 miles) for a mere USD 39,000.
The pains Tesla suffered when trying to build the Model 3 assembly line and get the car produced are almost legendary, and Musk acknowledges this as one of the hardest periods of Tesla. And while the company is not out of the woods yet, the experience and issues they went through and the fact the Model Y is largely based on the Model 3 should really help put the Model Y much faster compared to the Model 3.
Interior
On the inside, the Tesla Model Y follows the same design language as the Model 3: only the essential is there, and all the control functions are managed through the large 15-inch touchscreen.
The list of features available in any model is, quite remarkable:
- 12-way power adjustable front and rear heated seats
- Three independently folding 2nd-row seats
- Premium audio – 14 speakers, 1 subwoofer, 2 amps, and immersive sound
- Satellite-view maps with live traffic visualization and navigation
- In-car internet streaming music & media
- Internet browser
- Location-aware automatic garage door opener
- LED fog lamps
- Tinted glass roof with ultraviolet and infrared protection
- Auto-dimming, power folding, heated side mirrors
- Music and media over Bluetooth®
- Custom driver profiles
- Center console with storage, 4 USB ports, and docking for 2 smartphones
Technology
Tesla is big on being on the cutting edge of car technology, and the Model Y is no strange to that:
All new Tesla cars come standard with emergency braking, collision warning, blind-spot monitoring and more. Model Y will have Full Self-Driving capability, enabling automatic driving on city streets and highways pending regulatory approval, as well as the ability to come find you anywhere in a parking lot.
Combined with a price that is significantly lower to what an Audi e-tron or a Jaguar I-Pace cost, Tesla unique selling proposition for the Model Y is its price. At USD 39.000 for the base model, the Model Y has no competition in the mid-size SUV range, and until the other premium brands manage to bring their price down, Elon Musk will be able to capitalize on the efforts delivered to build the Model 3 production line and roll out the Model Y in a much smoother, and thus, much more profitable way.
