Following up on the revamped Model 3, the new Tesla Model Y quietly made its online debut.
Over the past several years, Tesla’s best-selling cars have been its Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossovers, and by a huge margin. The electric car maker sells hundreds of thousands of examples each year, so anticipation has been building for the refreshed Model Y “Juniper” to make its official debut. And it has, though not with as much fanfare as you’d probably expect. Instead, Tesla chose to effectively pull the digital wraps off its overhauled crossover through its Chinese retail website.
Update: Tesla launched the new Model Y in Australia as well. Both the Chinese and Australian models feature a “launch series”, set to be available over the next few months.
Hey, we’ll take it, so long as we get more tangible information on what is, at the end of the day, an extremely popular EV. Interestingly, while the update is still technically a facelift over a full generational update, it’s not just a carbon copy of the Model 3 — a criticism you could reasonably level at the original. The familial resemblance is certainly there, but the Model Y gets its own unique, squinty headlights and some more detail on the lower front bumper.
At the back, the Model Y gets a fairly similar-looking light setup to the Model 3 Highland, at least at the edges. Some of the images show “TESLA” lettering on the tailgate, so that tracks with what’s on the Highland’s trunk. In profile, the 2025 Tesla Model Y looks functionally identical to the previous version, much like its sedan counterpart.
A large number of interior upgrades also make an appearance in this new Model Y, including a redesigned steering wheel This time around, though, you do actually get a traditional stalk for the turn signal. The Model 3, for its part, went the Cybertruck route and integrated the signals as buttons on the steering wheel, for better or worse (seems Tesla may have taken customer feedback into account on that one). Still, some of the older controls have gone, as you do get new touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, including buttons for the high-beam flashers and windshield washers.
Tesla also migrated the Cybertruck and new Model 3’s drive mode strip into the new Model Y, where you swipe up on the upper-left portion of the screen to go into drive, swipe down for reverse and tap to put the car in Park. It’ll also try to predict what direction you want to go so you can, in ideal situations, just get in and go.
The refreshed Tesla Model Y also likely brings similar quality-of-life updates as the Model 3.
Translating the Chinese site, Tesla notes the new design as well as “longer range” and a “higher quality interior” to the previous model. It’s likely the Model Y Juniper will carry over many of the 3’s updates to interior materials, general fit and finish and technology over what we’ve been able to buy since the 2020 model year. Subtle, yet impactful changes should include more sound deadening, better body seals, improved aerodynamics, and new textiles for the seats, door panels and center console.
One of the biggest visual changes is between the rear seats, where there’s a screen (presumably 8 inches, like the Model 3) for the second-row occupants. That screen not only gives access to some pertinent controls, but you can even play some games as well, as the Chinese site shows a couple folks playing a mobile kart racing title.
Since we’re just now seeing it on the Chinese website, we have no idea when exactly we’ll see the new Model Y pop up on the American retail website. It also remains to be seen exactly what powertrain changes there will be, if any, what the range figures will be (although they should hopefully be even better), or how much the updated models will cost. Right now, the Model Y starts at $44,990 before any applicable tax incentives, with a 337 mile range for the rear-wheel drive Long Range model. Prices go up to $51,490 for the Performance.
At any rate, like Tesla did when it revealed the new Model 3 in Europe, this development means we should know more — and see an actual North American launch — sometime in the next few months.
