You May Hate Elon But Tesla's 2025 Model Y Is Still The EV SUV To Beat
The front of the New Tesla Model Y has been significantly changed.
The Tesla Model Y was the bestselling car in the world in 2023 and 2024, beating out the Toyota cars (mostly the Corolla) that had dominated the global market for years beforehand. But since then, there have been worrying sales figures, particularly from Canada and Europe. Many commentators blame Elon Musk's controversial association with the Trump presidency in the USA. But the Model Y was also in between the original release and a major update. I tested the New Tesla Model Y to see if it can revive the company's fortunes.
Buying a car isn't usually a political choice, but the Tesla brand has become divisive thanks to Elon Musk's stint with the US government and his opinions expressed on X, formerly known as Twitter. While most pundits are citing this as the reason for reduced sales, the Tesla Model Y hadn't had an update since it was launched in 2020. Coincidentally with the sales dip, Tesla has been running down stock of the old Model Y over the last few months before the new car arrives, which is this month.
The rear lightbar reflects off the body panel.
There were limited Launch Edition cars on sale before that, which was what I borrowed for a week, but the main stock was only just arriving on the road at the time of writing. I've now begun to see a few in the wild in the UK, so deliveries have begun. The Launch Edition, which you can no longer buy, is essentially the Long Range All-Wheel Drive with the acceleration boost pre-applied and some additional bonuses such as privacy glass. Other than the Long-Range All-Wheel Drive, there's still a Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive and a standard Rear-Wheel Drive to choose from.
The exterior design changes are more noticeable than with the Tesla Model 3 facelift. The front lights are thin and Cybertruck-like, moving away from the froglike look of the original car. These are still matrix LEDs, a great technology that only dips sections directly facing oncoming traffic. The rear lights have become a single line, too, and take a novel approach. The red lightbar reflects off the rear panel rather than projecting directly, accentuating a generally more futuristic appearance.
However, the side profile has barely changed, and the overall practicality of the Y remains the same. The car was designed to maximize interior space, so there's plenty of room for front and rear passengers. There have been some tweaks here. When the new Tesla Model 3 came out at the end of 2023 (which the company claims isn't called Highland despite everyone else calling it that), its lack of an indicator stalk (like the Model S Plaid) garnered criticism.
Sensibly, Tesla has kept the indicator stalk on the New Model Y.
For the new Model Y, an indicator stalk remains, although the drive modes are now operated with the LCD panel, like the latest Model 3, rather than a shift stick. There are buttons above the rearview mirror available just in case the LCD panel becomes unavailable. The front seats are now ventilated as well as heated. For rear seat passengers, the small LCD panel introduced with the new Model 3 and Model S Plaid has been added, so passengers in the back can control their own air conditioning, watch streaming media and play games, although you will probably won't want to use the latter if you get travel sick.
However, although Tesla Model 3 and Y interiors have gradually improved, they are still quite spartan. You might like this, but many prefer a more traditional premium finish and instrumentation, which BMW has the upper hand with. Chinese midsize SUVs are offering plusher upholstery, too, such as the BYD Sealion 7, Zeekr 7X, and Smart #5.
The New Model Y continues the original's class-leading luggage space, with 854 liters even with the rear seats up. There's a sizeable 117-liter frunk, too, which is large enough for an overnight bag on its own, plus a big space under the boot floor. There's another upgrade here, because dropping the rear seats forward is powered. Buttons lower them with a 60/40 split, increasing the capacity to 1,869 liters, and these buttons will also bring the seats back up. You can drop the middle seat forward on its own, but this can only be achieved manually. The Y will tow 1,600kg braked, too, with the £1,090 towbar option.
One thing that hasn't really changed with the new Model Y is the performance. Even the basic Rear-Wheel Drive takes just 5.6 seconds to hit 60mph, while the Long Range version drops this to 5.4 seconds. The Long Range All-Wheel Drive takes 4.6 seconds, and with the acceleration boost of the Launch Edition it's just 4.1 seconds. There are faster SUV options, but not that many, and generally more expensive.
Tesla has improved the sound protection for the new Model Y, however. This is a quieter car on highways than previous versions. The Model Y wasn't famous for its ride quality, and this is another area of enhancement. The suspension is now much more forgiving of poor road surfaces, although there is a little more softness to the handling as a result.
The New Tesla Model Y doesn't look that different from the side.
Tesla has always done well with range and efficiency. Although there are now quite a few cars that go further, most use bigger batteries to do so. The battery sizes haven't changed since the previous version of the Y, although Tesla doesn't officially state what these are. The basic RWD car is believed to have 62.5kWh (net) while the Long Range options have 75kWh (net).
However, there have been some aerodynamic improvements with the New Model Y, which have increased the efficiency. The original Long Range All-Wheel-Drive promised 331 WLTP miles, but the new version goes to 364 miles, or 353 with 20in wheels like my review car. The Rear-Wheel Drive car with the smaller battery can still manage 311 WLTP miles, while the Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive car achieves 387 miles, which is impressive for a car with a 75kWh battery.
I drove the New Model Y from London to Devon and back, mostly using motorways. Travelling efficiently at the speed limit I managed 3.4 miles per kWh, although this dropped to 2.8 miles per kWh with more vigorous A-road driving. Still, you can get 250 miles easily out of the Long Range All-Wheel Drive car if your driving is not too boisterous, and there's the superb Tesla Supercharger network to make long distance journeys easy. My trip to Devon was simple, with plenty of charging options along the way.
The Tesla Model Y's price hasn't changed considerably with the update. In the UK, the Rear-Wheel Drive is £44,990 (€44,990 in Europe, not currently available in the US), the same as the old version. The Long Range option is £48,990 (€46,990 in Europe; $44,990 in the US), which is more expensive than it was before, and the Long Range All-Wheel Drive £51,990 (€52,990 in Europe, $48,990 in the US), which is a bit less than previously. There are cheaper options, but many more expensive. In its class, the Model Y is decently priced.
The overall appearance is modernized but still a Model Y.
It's certainly true that the clear lead Tesla enjoyed has narrowed. Competitors are closing in, particularly those from China, and a few surpass in some areas. The Smart #5 offers faster charging, while the Zeekr 7X offers a distinctly more premium feel. But neither are as efficient as the Model Y. Combining practicality, price, performance, range and efficiency with Tesla's superior connected technology, all in one package, the Model Y still edges ahead. Refusing to buy one because of Elon Musk is a personal choice, and there are plenty of great alternatives now. But they're not quite as good as the Tesla Model Y overall – not yet, anyway.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Musk slams influential Trump adviser: ‘He's a snake'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk swiped at a senior White House official late Wednesday following reports of a rift between the two men. Musk replied to a post on X, the social media platform he owns, linking to a New York Post story detailing that Sergio Gor had not submitted full vetting paperwork. Gor is one of the most influential officials in the White House, serving as head of the Presidential Personnel Office. 'He's a snake,' Musk wrote of Gor. READ MORE:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
World Bank urges 'radical' debt transparency for developing countries
By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) -The World Bank is urging "radical" debt transparency for developing countries and their lenders to stave off future crises, it said in a report released on Friday. The Bank wants to broaden the depth and detail of what sovereign countries disclose regarding new loans, as more of them enter complex, off-budget borrowing deals due to global market turmoil. "When hidden debt surfaces, financing dries up and terms worsen," World Bank senior managing director Axel van Trotsenburg said in a statement, adding: "Radical debt transparency, which makes timely and reliable information accessible, is fundamental to break the cycle." The Bank wants countries to make legal and regulatory reforms that mandate transparency when signing new loan contracts and to share more granular debt data. It also wants more regular audits, the public release of debt restructuring terms, and for creditors to open their loan and guarantee books. It is calling for better tools for international financial institutions to detect misreporting. The World Bank and other multilateral banks have been pressing for years to improve lending transparency. The proportion of low-income countries reporting some debt data is now above 75%, up from below 60% in 2020. But only 25% of them disclose loan-level information. As financing costs spike due to trade wars and geopolitical risk, more countries are using arrangements such as central bank swaps and collateralized transactions that complicate reporting. Senegal has used private debt placements as it negotiates with the International Monetary Fund over misreporting of its previous debts, and Cameroon and Gabon have also used what are known as "off-screen" deals. Angola recently had to pay a $200-million margin call after a rout in its bond prices. In Nigeria, the central bank disclosed in early 2023 that billions of U.S. dollars of its foreign exchange reserves were tied up in complex financial contracts negotiated by the previous leadership. The Bank said broader loan coverage and deeper loan-by-loan disclosures would enable the international community to fully assess public debt exposure. (Reporting By Libby GeorgeEditing by Rod Nickel) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Entrepreneur
an hour ago
- Entrepreneur
No Perfect Time
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. At just 23, Emily Jeffrey-Barrett landed a role as Radley Yeldar's first-ever copywriter, quickly managing campaigns for giants like NIVEA and IKEA. By 25, she was leading a team of 12, pushing through large-scale sustainability projects despite resistance from more senior colleagues. Then came the pandemic - no investors, no backup plan, and zero external funding - and Emily launched Among Equals, a creative agency with a blunt mantra: "No one cares about your brand, and it's on you to change that." Starting a business during Covid-19 wasn't just a practical challenge, Jeffrey-Barrett explains, it was psychological too. "I always assumed I would hit a point where I felt 'ready'. That never came. But there's nothing like a global pandemic to show you there's never a perfect time to start. The world isn't waiting, you just need to go for it." The pandemic also brought unexpected perks. "We didn't need to pay for an office – if working from a spare room was good enough for, say, the CEO of Unilever, it was good enough for me. And people had more free time - they had, quite literally, nowhere to go - so grabbing people for a chat became easier." Jeffrey-Barrett's approach to seizing opportunities was equally fearless. "I was shameless. I asked anybody I possibly could for help, advice, connections - and people really showed up. I was blown away by people's generosity." Persistence, she adds, has been key. "I pitched for something two years ago. Lost. Then kept checking in. Today, they're one of our biggest clients." For her, every interaction counts: "I saw everything - every email, every call, every micro-interaction - as an opportunity. I still have that mindset today. You never know where an introduction will lead." Having spent two years working closely with UK founders before launching her agency, Jeffrey-Barrett understood the ecosystem was small — and ripe with potential. But what surprised her most was "how resilient you need to be. I don't just mean staying positive when you lose a pitch; I mean the sheer amount of energy you need to bring to the table every single day. Yes, you need ideas. And yes, you need a hell of a lot of luck. But really, energy beats everything." Her advice to founders? "Go for it. Seriously. You don't need to wait until you're 'ready' - you'll never be 'ready'. The best time to start your business? Yesterday. So as long as you have the ability to give it a go, do it. Commit. Throw all your energy at it. Try. You'll need some things along the way – people who share your vision and are equally committed to it, the ability to prioritise ruthlessly, the discipline to look after yourself not just your team or business. But there's never a perfect time. So stop waiting, start working." Now a trusted advisor to CMOs across industries, Jeffrey-Barrett's story is a testament to tenacity, boldness, and the power of community - all driving forces behind the fresh, unapologetic voice of Among Equals.
