Tesla has rolled out a minor update for its Model Y crossover in China, adding some new features and enhancing its performance. The electric SUV now comes with ambient lighting, new-design wheels, and a slightly faster 0-100 km/h time. The price of the updated Model Y remains unchanged.
Ambient lighting and new wheels
The updated Model Y from Giga Shanghai features an LED strip that spans the entire dashboard, creating a more premium and futuristic feel for the interior. The wood trim on the black interior dash has also been replaced with a more modern-looking material.
The exterior of the Model Y also gets a minor makeover, with the base Gemini wheels now painted in sporty black colour. The new wheels make the electric SUV look more sleek and attractive than before.
Faster acceleration
The updated Model Y also boasts a slightly improved acceleration, going from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. This makes it faster than the base Model 3 Highland, which has a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds. The Model Y is a larger and heavier vehicle than the Model 3, so this is quite impressive.
The updated Model Y also retains its impressive range of 554 km on a single charge and its top speed of 217 km/h.
A minor update before a major one?
The update to the Model Y in China comes after Tesla unveiled a restyled Model 3 with a longer driving range in early September. The made-in-China updated Model 3 is meant for other export markets as well.
With the Model 3 Highland introduced, the Model Y’s design started to look a bit aged, but with these latest minor updates, the EV has become a bit more attractive.
However, this may not be the last update to the Model Y that Tesla has in store. Previous reports have mentioned a “Project Juniper” update that would implement the Model 3 Highland’s exterior and interior changes to the all-electric crossover. Details about Project Juniper are scarce but expectations are high that it would be a major refresh for the Model Y.
Tesla has not confirmed or denied the existence of Project Juniper, so it remains to be seen when and if it will be launched.
