Elon-gated. There’ve been a few Elon-gate moments in this brand’s career, but for new-car customers, this is possibly the most important, literal take on that.
That’s because the Tesla Model Y L is exactly that – a stretched out version of the standard Model Y five-seater SUV, with a different interior layout allowing buyers a bigger cabin space and more practicality.
That’s the promise, anyway.
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This model is about $81,000 drive-away in NSW, so it’s not cheap.
But it has a huge battery allowing almost 700km of claimed EV driving range, and also comes with dual-motor all-wheel drive as standard.
For those in the know, that means loads of performance – it’ll do 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds flat, if you need it to.
Inside and upfront? Much the same. So we won’t dwell on that.
But this Model Y has three rows of seats – in a 2+2+2 arrangement – with the middle section comprising captain’s chairs with terrific features, like electronically deployable armrests, heating and ventilation, and electric seat adjustment. And there’s a touchscreen in the middle with YouTube, Netflix and video games for the bored back-seaters.
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But the second-row is also the biggest encumbrance for this three-row model, as while the seats fold down flat, they aren’t capable of tilting/sliding to allow easy third-row access like most other three-row models.
Instead, the central area between the second-row chairs is your hallway to the rear zone.
And once back there, it’s not as accommodating for adults as some big electric SUVs like the Volvo EX90 and Kia EV9. It’s not as big as those cars, either, so we’ll cut it some slack.
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But even with the middle row seats set to a comfortable position for me (at 182cm), I had to wedge my feet in under them, and my knees were up, and hard-up against the seat ahead.
All told, it’ll take some compromise from middle-row riders to make it comfy enough for those in the very back.
Unless they’re kids, that is, because there are ISOFIX points and top-tethers for all four rear seating positions. Which is great, but again, the access to the third row isn’t easy for big humans to help smaller ones into their booster.
Another concern is the glass roof – which is actually the boot hatch’s glass – above, as it is close to occupants’ noggins, and lets in a good deal of heat.
Thankfully there are rear-row seat vents that work very well, and if it’s a cooler day, those rear spots are heated.
The controls for the heating and ventilation are managed by the screen upfront.
Tesla has done wonders in terms of boot space packaging. All the rear seats can be folded down flat to make a bedroom area (if you want that), and otherwise there’s a huge amount of space with the third row lowered down. If you need them up, a well behind the backrests – with a clever magnetised opening – allows loads of space.
That means there’s no spare wheel, but you do get a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, which gives another 116 litres of cargo space. Good for your charging cables, perhaps? You’ll have to pay for those, too …
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The drive experience includes some tailored elements for this model, with the standard adaptive adjustable suspension giving the driver a choice of a comfort-focused ride for those behind, or a balanced setting with a bit more firmness.
The difference is noticeable, but thankfully it’s not rough in either setting.
More generally, it’s a great thing to drive. Comfortable, easy to manage, and with adjustable settings for the steering, regen braking and acceleration. Just be aware that the longer wheelbase has increased the turning circle a little (now 12.5m) meaning it might require the occasional three-point turn instead of a U-bolt.
There’s ample power, probably more than enough in fact. And the battery specs are good – a claimed range of 681km (WLTP) might be wishful, but I saw decent efficiency on test (14.6kWh per 100km – matching the claim).
Of course there’s the safety gear on board, with Sentry mode, dashcam tech, a good camera system for parking, and adaptive cruise with an Autosteer system, which I didn’t really find all that agreeable. If you pay for it, it can do Full Self Driving (Supervised), which might be good for the distance commuters out there.
VERDICT
There’s no doubt the Model Y L makes a strong case for those who want the added practicality of additional bonus seats in the back, even if it’s not the most practical choice as a full-time three-row model.
Even so, it might be just the shot in the arm the brand needed at a time when there’s bound to be a flock of competitors offering something similar with 12 months.
Four stars
