Tesla recently announced it would debut its long-awaited Model Y crossover SUV in March, which is ... [+]
Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk surprised industry observers during a recent company earnings call by confirming the long awaited Model Y crossover sport-utility vehicle would debut in March. With production already underway, this is seven or eight months sooner than was previously announced. Based on the wildly popular Model 3 sedan, it will be smaller and considerably less expensive than Tesla’s other SUV, the Model X, and could eventually become the brand’s top seller.
But will the Model Y be worth the price premium over the Model 3, not to mention what could be a long wait for delivery?
For starters, the Model Y essentially looks like a somewhat taller hatchback version of the Model 3 with a sleek-looking coupe-like profile that gives the crossover a bit of visual pizzazz. As such, the Model Y sits a bit larger than most of the other electrified crossovers, including the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro Electric, and the revamped 2021 Kia Soul EV.
The interior looks to be quite similar to the Model 3’s, and is likewise dominated by a dashboard-mounted 15-inch touchscreen used to control the vehicle’s various systems. Standard features will include 12-way power front seats, a 14-speaker audio system, and a tinted glass roof. The Model Y will launch with two-row seating, with a third-row option coming in 2021, though we’d expect legroom in the rearmost bench would be cramped.
As with its showroom siblings, the Model Y will come in multiple variations, though the base model won’t be part of the launch. The line will initially start with the $52,990 dual-motor Long Range all-wheel drive model that promises 315 miles of range on a charge, with a 0-60 mph time at 4.8 seconds, and a top speed of 135 mph. By comparison, the Long-Range AWD Model 3 is more affordable at $48,990, with a slightly longer 322 miles on a charge, and 4.4 seconds to 60 mph. A rear-drive Long Range Model Y was originally announced, but there’s no mention of it on Tesla’s website.
Also available will be an AWD Performance model at $60,900 that delivers the same 315-mile range, but with a speedier 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 145 mph. That’s about $4,000 costlier than the 322-mile Model 3 Performance that can make the run to 60 mph in 3.2 ticks. The Model Y Performance can be fitted with an upgrade package that comes with a lowered suspension, performance brakes, 21-inch wheels and tires, aluminum brake and accelerator pedals, and a felonious 155 mph top speed.
A base Standard Range model is expected – though not until next year – that should cost upwards of $40,000 and deliver an estimated 230-mile operating range.
Like other Teslas, the Model Y will be able to use the automaker’s extensive network of fast-charge Supercharger stations. It will also come standard with the basic version of Tesla’s controversial Autopilot system. It enables the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from the traffic ahead via automatic throttle and braking inputs, and keep the car centered between the lane markers via ongoing steering adjustments.
A $7,000 upgrade, the system’s so-called Full Self Driving Capability. This includes Navigate on Autopilot, which enables semi-autonomous driving from on-ramp to off ramp, with the ability to traverse interchanges, automatically change lanes, and overtake slower-moving vehicles. It also comes with a self-parking feature that can automatically guide the vehicle into both parallel and perpendicular parking spaces. A Summon function will autonomously pull the vehicle out of a garage or parking space and will "come find you anywhere in a parking lot" from a modest distance via a button on the car’s key fob.
Tesla is promising to add the ability to recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signs, and enable autonomous driving on city streets, but those upgrades were initially promised for late 2019 and have yet to surface. As it is, full hands-off driving (the current system requires the driver to either maintain hold of the steering wheel or at least grab onto it every so often to let it know he or she is paying attention) remains a question mark at best in terms of both federal regulations and corporate liability. General Motors’ Super Cruise system comes the closest, allowing hands-free driving on certain highways, but it monitors the driver and hands control back if he or she isn’t paying sufficient attention to the road.
So what’s the bottom line? In Long Range and Performance versions the Model Y beats its closest rivals, the Audi e-Tron and Jaguar i-Pace, on price, operating range, and acceleration. Unlike those EVs, however, Model Y buyers won’t be eligible for the federal one-time $7,500 tax credit. At that, initial demand will surely out pace supply, so be prepared to wait a while for delivery or consider the alternatives.
Those with deposits already down on the standard version won’t reportedly see a Model Y in their driveways until early 2021; you’ll wait longer if you don’t already have money down on one. There’s also a chance Tesla will encounter a production snag along the way or decide it can’t build enough of the costlier units by next year to meet demand. If you’re looking for an affordable Tesla at this price point, you might want to consider buying a Model 3 Standard Range Plus model now, with 250 miles on a charge at $39,990, instead of waiting a year and a half or more for a Model Y.
Or you might want to wait to take a look at the Mustang-inspired Ford Mach-E expected this fall, with the first model off the line starting at just over $50,000, and the base model coming out in 2021 priced at about $44,000.
