Tesla released its larger, six-seat Model Y L in China one week ago, and now we’re starting to get an idea of what it’s capable of from the earliest reviews.
Here at Electrek, we usually prefer to conduct our own reviews for cars, rather than reporting on the reviews of others. However, the Model Y L is out in China, and we’re not in China right now, so… this is what we get.
And, heck, we may not even ever get a chance to look at it in the US, given that Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said that the Model Y L might never come to the US because of autonomy (huh?)… though frankly, that seems more of an effort for Tesla not to Osborne effect itself, causing consumers to delay purchases until the Y L comes out, when the company is already struggling with sales.
So, what are they saying about the new Model Y L in China? Well, there are a few points that seem to be coming together so far.
Namely, even though the main feature of the new model is a third row with two seats, those seats seem rather compromised when it comes to holding adults.
A number of Chinese media have visited Tesla showrooms to try out the seats in the new model, and while they can squeeze into the back, it’s a little bit tight for a grown adult.
One of the earliest showroom visits said that “the third row cannot be the new selling point of Model Y” (article in Chinese; quote was machine-translated).
The reviewer is 170cm, or 5’7″ tall, which is not all that tall, particularly from a Western perspective. While he had reasonable knee space in the back (where foot room is somewhat cramped due to the floor being about 10cm/4in higher in the third row), he was concerned about his head being quite close to the glass when sitting up, potentially causing a strike if riding on a bumpy road.
Also, while this test happened inside a showroom, having a window right over your head could be uncomfortable on a sunny day, even through Tesla’s UV- and infrared-resistant glass.
The apparent lack of rear seat headroom is notable given that the one real visual difference between the Y and Y L is that the rear looks much taller in the Y L – and yet, the headroom is still iffy for even a not-particularly-tall adult.
Other reviews concur that while knee room seems okay in the third row, the raised floor means little to no thigh support for adult passengers, and little headroom as well.
That said, reviews state that the seats are nicer than in the original Model Y, with more comfortable seat cushions, adjustable headrests, extendable thigh cushions, 2nd row adjustable armrests, seat heaters for all three rows and ventilators for the first two, and air vents in each row.
So, it seems like the general consensus is that the third row will mostly be used in emergencies, or for kids, or for short trips, but that the car is nice for a family – as long as those kids aren’t too big. Though to be fair, that is the case with many third rows.
Rear trunk space seems… fine, but there’s only so much room you can expect when you’ve crammed another row into the vehicle. And both the second and third row fold down, with the third row offering a relatively flat floor when folded down, though the second row has gaps and bumps and does not offer a flat floor when folded.
For comparison, the Model Y L is 180mm, or about 7 inches, longer than the regular Model Y – and a seat is a lot longer than 7 inches, so something has to give. The rear trunk area still has Tesla’s traditional under-floor storage space, which seems quite ample, and the “frunk” area is also similarly deep to the Model Y.
When compared to direct competitors available in China, the competition tends to be larger and have more third row space. For example, the Onvo L90 is $8,000 cheaper but larger and more comfortable in the third row. The Model Y L is in fact the smallest vehicle among its direct competitors, which I actually admire Tesla for doing (cars are just too big). But this does make the vehicle feel like a bit of a compromise.
It’s also missing some of the newer features that Chinese consumers have gotten used to, like a fridge, large rear-seat TV or seat massagers. Which makes the Model Y L seem a little dated for the Chinese market – but compared to what the rest of the world is used to, it seems quite nice. Such is the pace of innovation driving the EV market in China right now, while we in the rest of the world actively try to send ourselves back to the stone age.
And yet, despite it comparing less favorably on features to its Chinese competitors, and comparing more favorably to those cars outside of China, Musk still claims it won’t come to the US. He’s just so full of good ideas lately.
Beyond the issue of third-row space, the first driving dynamic test we saw seems quite positive. Youtube channel GeekLaii goes over the tests, where the car did quite well despite being fully loaded with adults, adding 500kg (1,102lbs) worth of human cargo.
The car did well in this impromptu “moose test,” a type of test that analyzes a vehicle’s ability to swerve around a sudden obstacle in the road at high speed. Despite being filled with people and having quite a lot of body sway, the car remained stable. This was likely helped by the Model Y L’s relatively low weight compared to the competition, which helps driving dynamics significantly.
And even after the sway, the car settled itself relatively well, likely due to the addition of CDC active dampers to the suspension system (this is adjustable through the touchscreen, with “balance” and “rear seat comfort” settings). The new suspension system also gave improved speed bump comfort.
Although, the car’s longer length, and lack of rear-wheel steering (which the Cybertruck has, for example), mean quite a large turning circle. And braking performance was good, but got worse when the car was loaded with people (as you’d expect).
All in all, it seems like the vehicle is a competent step forward with a lot of improvements, but that it might fall short when compared to the rest of the market in China, particularly in terms of third-row usability. But it still maintains the good driving dynamics that someone would expect from a Tesla.
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