The ‘Juniper’ facelift for the Tesla Model Y has finally been revealed, featuring tweaked looks and a raft fo small updates.
It’s almost six years since the Tesla Model Y was revealed, although it was a year before it went in to production, and 2021 before it went on sale in the UK. And it’s been quite the success story for Tesla.
Easily the best-selling EV in the UK, the Model Y outsold its nearest rival by two to one in the UK last year, and even came in as the fifth best-selling car of the year overall. And it’s a similar story in most markets.
So, following the motto ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, Tesla reveals a long-awaited facelift for the Model Y (codenamed Juniper), which aims to keep the Model Y at the top of the tree in the face of ever-increasing competition, especially from Chinese EV makers.
The usual facelift fodder of new bumpers, new lights and new wheels are all present and correct, but the new front with its slim headlights and light bar do give a new feel to the Y, with a similar lightbar running across the back bringing the Y in line with more recent EV offerings.
Only the Long Range All-Wheel Drive and Rear-Wheel Drive have been revealed so far – and only for China for now – both of which boast improved range, with the AWD version quicker but, oddly, the RWD version a bit slower than the current model.
Additionally, Tesla says the Y has “Retuned suspension, offering smooth handling, added comfort, more responsive steering and a quieter ride.”
Performance, range and model availability will probably be slightly different when Tesla gets around to delivering UK model range and spec in the coming months.