Last year in August, Tesla launched a new six-seater Model Y L in August, with prices starting at $A72,700 in the competitive Chinese market. Reports at the time suggested the model raked in nearly 40,000 orders on its first day.
The longer-wheelbase Model Y L has now appeared in Australia’s ROVER vehicle certification database, confirming it has received ADR approval for local sale. This was first shared by Rob G on X, showing the approved new longer variant.
This Model Y will include six seats and an all-wheel-drive powertrain, according to the documentation, and it features an 88.2 kWh battery.
It’s likely to be LG’s Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) pack, which is used in the AWD variants produced at Tesla’s Shanghai factory.
On the range front, this battery can deliver up to 681 km on 19-inch wheels, according to data shown in the December 2025 European approval documentation.
Kerb-weight has also been disclosed at 2,088 kg, with the battery pack itself coming in at 465 kg.
In China, the Model Y L is priced around 10% above the Model Y Long Range. It does, though, come with quite a bit more than the standard car.
Among the new features of the longer Model Y L is a larger screen, which originally was limited only to a few models.
There are also adjustable headrests for the front seats, providing greater comfort for the driver and front passenger.
In the second row, it has two “captain’s chairs” with retractable armrests. These can be controlled with the rear seat screen or a button to the side of the seat cushion.
Having sat in and reviewed the car in China on a recent trip, it’s quite a clever design, and I can see how families could benefit from it, as it makes access to the third row easier.
There is also the third row with two seats and cup holders on either side, making it a reasonable space for third-row passengers.
The second and third-row seats in the Model Y L can be easily folded down using buttons in the boot, delivering over 2,500 litres of boot space.
That’s also thanks to the extended wheelbase of the car, which is 186 mm longer than a standard Model Y, now bringing the car’s length to 4.97 metres.
On the road, the Model Y L will use continuously variable dampers found in the Model 3 and Model Y Performance variants.
After August’s unveil, deliveries of this model started in September in China and now appear to be pencilled in for international markets in the first half of 2026.
Some European markets will be the first outside China to receive it, and according to the latest approval documentation in Australia, we should also receive the model in the first half of the year. This, of course, is to be confirmed by Tesla locally.
We will keep an eye on any developments, as it could be something families looking for an electric SUV with more than five seats could be waiting for.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.