Tesla Model Y finally on sale in Oz

THE Tesla Model Y SUV has finally arrived in Australia – three years after its launch in the United States – and six months later than it was scheduled to arrive in local showrooms. 

Priced from $68,900 (plus on-road costs), the Model Y starts at $5000 more than the base Model 3 and is offered in two trim grades: a rear-wheel drive single-motor variant with 220kW of power and a 455km driving range, as well as a high-performance dual-motor all-wheel-drive version that develops 393kW and has a claimed range of up to 514km.

The duo is said to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds and 3.7 seconds respectively with top speeds listed at 217km/h and 250km/h.

The Model Y is priced above the threshold for government green-car incentives in both New South Wales and Victoria. It is dearer than the Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor (+$4000) and the Kia EV6 (+$1000), but $3000 cheaper than the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The Model Y measures 4751mm in length, 1921mm in width, 1623mm in height and rides on a 2890mm wheelbase. The standard variant tips the scale at 1909kg, while the dual-motor Performance version weighs 1997kg.

Mechanically similar to the Model 3 medium sedan, the Model Y is built at Tesla’s giga-factory in Shanghai, China. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack offering 62.3kWh of storage in entry-level format or 82.8kWh in the top-tier variant.

Standard equipment includes 19-inch Gemini alloy wheels, vegan-friendly faux leather upholstery, heated seats (front and outboard rear), 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, a tinted panoramic glass roof, USB ports and wireless charging, in addition to Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system (which offers adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assistance).

Additional standard safety equipment includes forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam control, intelligent speed limiter, reversing camera, parking sensors (front and rear) and tyre pressure monitoring.

A 15.0-inch central infotainment touchscreen, which controls infotainment functions and vehicle settings, is paired with a 13-speaker audio system. Black trim is standard, with white upholstery available as a $1500 option.

Five body colours are available, including no-cost Pearl White, Solid Black, Midnight Silver and Deep Blue for $1500 more and Red Multi-Coat for $2900 extra.

The high-grade, all-wheel-drive Performance variant is offered with 21-inch Uberturbine alloy wheels, aluminium-faced pedals, lowered suspension and performance brakes.

Both Model Y variants are also available with Tesla’s full self-driving capability for $10,000, which adds navigate-on-autopilot functionality, auto lane change and -park, the summon feature, as well as traffic light- and stop-sign recognition.

For the time being, Tesla will only offer the Model Y in five-seat configuration in our market; the seven-seat variant (available Stateside) is currently not available in right-hand-drive guise. As an upshot, Australian-delivered Model Ys offer 854 litres of cargo space in five-seat mode, or as much as 2158 litres with the second-row seats stowed.

Tesla’s car configurator is available to the public via the manufacturer’s website. The company says orders placed for the standard variant will be delivered between August and November this year. Performance variants will follow from November.

All Tesla passenger cars are backed by a four-year/80,000km warranty with service intervals set at two years or 20,000km, whichever comes first. The battery pack is guaranteed for eight years or 160,000km.

2022 Tesla Model Y pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.