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Pros: Rapid performance, efficiency, fast charging.
Cons: Unforgiving suspension, loud.
Tesla Model Y Design
The Tesla Model Y has been on sale in Ireland since 2022 and is designed as a larger SUV to the ever-popular Model 3. It hasn’t yet come in for the same facelift as the 3, though that’s likely to be on the way in 2025.
With its sleek, aerodynamic styling, the Model Y looks cool and modern. It’s taller and a bit more muscular than the Model 3 and comes with chunkier alloy wheel designs, 19-inch as standard. The frameless doors are a stylish addition, while the sloping roofline gives the illusion of a sporty coupé while also helping the great aerodynamics. White is the standard colour, but there’s also black, red, blue and silver to choose from.
Tesla Model Y Interior
Just like every Tesla that came before it, the Model Y has an incredibly minimalist interior that basically features a steering wheel and a 15-inch touchscreen that controls most of the car's features including basic functions like lights, wipers and door mirrors. Luckily it's well laid out and responsive to use, while shortcuts to adjust features quickly can be set from the steering wheel buttons. And the Y hasn't gone yet the way of the Model 3 and still has stalks behind the steering wheel for the indicators and forward/reverse.
The cabin looks quite austere at first but when you dig deeper, the material quality is good and the optional white leather-style seats give it a classy finish. The seats are comfortable and are heated all round, with power adjustment as standard for the front seats.
It's also larger and more practical inside than the Model 3 saloon, which makes it more suitable for family buyers. There's loads of rear legroom, with Isofix on the two outer seats. All wheel drive models can now be optioned with two extra seats in the rear that effectively turn it into a seven seater for €2500 extra. The boot has a handy hatchback-style opening, with over 800 litres of space when stacked to the roof. Early Ys did not have a parcel shelf but they do now and it can be folded back or removed altogether. The powered tailgate comes as standard and there are also levers to let down the rear seats, which fold completely flat. There’s also generous underfloor storage and a large storage area under the front bonnet.
Tesla Model Y Performance & Drive
The Model Y comes in a few different variants. The most efficient is the long range rear wheel drive with a range up to 600 kilometres. Next up is the long range all wheel drive with up to 533 kilometres. There’s also an ultra rapid performance version with up to 514 kilometres. We tested the long range all wheel drive and it’s superb. It's incredibly quick and responsive for a mid-size electric SUV, with 0-100 in a brisk 5 seconds. The combination of instantaneous power and reassuring grip makes it a confident handler, staying flat and balanced through bends to the point that it's a lot more fun to drive than most of its rivals. Less appealing is the firm suspension, which is noisy on rough surfaces and thuds over imperfections in the road surface, particularly in town. It's not exactly a hushed cruiser either, with plenty of road and wind noise in the cabin at speed.
Charging speeds are rapid with up to 250kW charging possible and access to Tesla’s supercharger network, which can add up to 275 kilometres of range in just 15 minutes.
Tesla Model Y Pricing
The Model Y range starts from €48,021 for the long range rear wheel drive, from €53,397 for the long range all wheel drive and from €63,349 for the performance all wheel drive.
Carzone Verdict
The Tesla Model Y is a fun and rapid electric SUV but not without a few shortcomings. Comfort and refinement issues aside, there's still something really appealing about the Model Y - it looks cool, it's packed with clever technology and is spacious enough to be practical for family buyers.