Tesla Mannequin Y ‘Juniper’ Refresh: This Is It

• Tesla lastly unveiled the long-awaited, up to date model of its Mannequin Y crossover. 
• The brand new mannequin appeared on Tesla’s China web site on Thursday. 
• The redesigned model of Tesla’s greatest vendor arrives simply after its first annual gross sales droop in over a decade. 

A refreshed Tesla Mannequin Y crossover appeared on the automaker’s China web site on Thursday, giving the world its first take a look at the long-awaited, up to date model of Tesla’s best-selling car. 

The redesigned crossover arrives at a time when Tesla severely wants a win and is dealing with unprecedented competitors on the worldwide stage. Its world deliveries sank in 2024—from 1.81 million models to 1.79 million—marking the automaker’s first annual drop in gross sales in over a decade. The up to date crossover may assist reignite gross sales in 2025 and past. Deliveries ought to start in China in March, in keeping with Tesla’s web site. 

The Tesla Mannequin Y refresh.

Picture by: Tesla

The up to date mannequin incorporates a new nostril with an angular gentle bar harking back to Tesla’s Cybertruck pickup and the Cybercab robotaxi unveiled late final yr. It additionally has a beefy gentle bar operating throughout its rear. In any other case, the outside styling is basically equivalent to the present Mannequin Y. Much like the Mannequin 3 “Highland” refresh that launched in late 2023, the aspect profile of the up to date Mannequin Y appears just like the outgoing mannequin.

The refreshed crossover additionally will get an enormous inside makeover that brings it in keeping with the recently-updated Mannequin 3 sedan. That features an ambient lighting strip operating all through the cabin, a display screen for rear passengers and a stalk-less steering wheel. That is proper, people—you will not discover standard flip indicators or a gear shifter right here. 

The Tesla Mannequin Y’s up to date inside.

Picture by: Tesla

On Tesla’s China web site, it says the brand new Mannequin Y has been tuned for higher effectivity and will get an up to date suspension that produces a smoother experience. The latter may clear up one of many greatest complaints house owners have concerning the Mannequin Y: its overly stiff suspension and bumpy experience high quality.

The rear display screen within the new Tesla Mannequin Y refresh.

Picture by: Tesla

The Lengthy-Vary All-Wheel Drive variant earns a 719-kilometer (446 mile) vary estimate in keeping with China’s testing process, which is extra beneficiant than the EPA figures we’re accustomed to within the U.S. Tesla quotes a 0-62 mph dash of 4.2 seconds. Tesla can also be providing a lower-priced, rear-wheel drive choice.

The Tesla Mannequin Y refresh at a Supercharger station.

Picture by: Tesla

Whereas most automakers give their automobiles visible tweaks each few years and full overhauls periodically, Tesla hasn’t modified up the look of the Mannequin Y because it went on sale in 2020. Auto business analysts say that call—and extra broadly, Tesla’s restricted, stale lineup of automobiles—has dragged down demand for Teslas as competitors within the EV area has intensified. The Cybertruck launched in late 2023 as Tesla’s newest brand-new mannequin, but it surely’s proved too costly and polarizing to develop gross sales in a serious method.

The Mannequin Y is now the best-selling electrical car on the planet—and, moreover, one of the best promoting car of any powertrain. That is nice for Tesla. But it surely additionally means EV consumers could also be clamoring for one thing new and completely different. Tesla will even want extra fashions—and significantly, lower-priced ones—if it desires to proceed increasing its gross sales, consultants say. The corporate says it can launch simply that this yr, however hasn’t shared any particulars. 

The Tesla Mannequin Y refresh incorporates a thick gentle bar throughout its rear hatch.

Picture by: Tesla

China is considered one of Tesla’s most essential markets and is by far the biggest marketplace for electrical autos, which helps clarify why the brand new mannequin is happening sale there first. Plus, Tesla is dealing with stiff competitors within the nation from fast-moving, homegrown EV makers like BYD and Geely. 

There is not any phrase but as to when the brand new mannequin will go on sale outdoors of China, or how the small print of the U.S.-bound mannequin might differ from the Chinese language-market one.