In January, Tesla unveiled the upgrade to the world’s best-selling car, the Model Y electric SUV. At the time, only two variants were available for owners to purchase, the single-motor RWD and the dual-motor AWD, with the Performance variant missing.
Now, Tesla’s fastest Performance-focused SUV has been launched in Europe with multiple upgrades, some even carrying over from the recently launched Model Y L 6-seater launched in China.
In a post on X, the Tesla Europe & Middle East account shared details of the new top-spec Model Y variant, starting with the price, which in right-hand-drive markets like the UK, is priced around $A20,000 above the Long Range AWD variant.
Key upgrades according to Tesla’s UK configurator on the new Performance AWD variant include:
- New Exterior Design
- New Performance Powertrain
- Adaptive Suspension and Unique Drive Modes
- 21″ Arachnid 2.0 Wheels
- Carbon Fibre Interior Trims
- 16″ First-Row QHD Touchscreen
- First-Row Performance Sport Seats With Thigh Extension, Heating and Ventilation
On the range front, the new Model Y Performance sees 580 km of range, which is above the previous Performance variant 514 km.
The acceleration has also been improved, now coming in at 3.5 seconds in a 0-100 km/h sprint, down from 3.7 seconds.
The new exterior design includes a new front bumper with a more aggressive look as well as a rear carbon-fibre lip spoiler.
There is also a new Ludicrous badge on the rear of this variant, which first made its appearance on the Tesla Model 3 Performance, which made its debut in 2024.
Staying on the outside, new 21-inch wheels replace the Uberturbine wheels found on the old cars. These wheels also appear to be similar to 21-inch Arachnid wheels from the tri-motor Model S Plaid, Tesla’s fastest car to date.
Like the Model 3 Performance, the new Model Y features adaptive suspension and drive modes, only offered on top-spec Tesla models.
Moving onto the inside, it features more carbon fibre on the dash, as well as new sports seats with better support and comfort features such as heating and ventilation.
Surprisingly, the Model Y Performance features the larger 16-inch screen found on the new 6-seater Model Y L, which has just been released in China. This provides hints as to what’s to come in its model lineup as it upgrades multiple variants simultaneously.
The new variant is also available across multiple other markets in Europe, hinting at a possible build plant for this variant being Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin plant.
On the pricing front, the new Model Y Performance is expected to be closer to the previous generation car, with prices of around $80,000 before on-roads.
The Model Y currently available in our local market includes the entry-level RWD variant, which starts from $58,900 before on-roads.
That variant can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, making it one of the quickest single-motor cars on the market.
Above that is currently the top-spec dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant, which costs $68,900 before on-roads, slashing that time to just 4.8 seconds. This AWD variant also comes with a bigger battery that has up to 551 km of range, instead of 466 km seen on the single-motor RWD car.
With the exact launch timing of this more driver-focused Model Y still unknown for the Australian market, we expect local availability in the coming weeks. This could mean that local deliveries are likely to start before Christmas this year.
Tesla Model Y Performance Video on X
