Competes with: Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan Ariya
Looks like: A Model Y inspired by Lucid
Powertrain: Horsepower and torque TBA; front and rear electric motors; all-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: March 2025
Automakers typically overhaul their products every seven or eight years. Despite language claiming that, “from the front bumper to the taillight, the [new Model Y’s] exterior is completely redesigned,” Tesla has not fully redesigned an existing model line once in its history. While it shares its same basic structure and motors with the original Model Y, that model is at least getting a refresh for 2025, with refreshed styling, aerodynamic improvements and new features.
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The Model Y’s front bumper and the taillight are completely redesigned. Gone is the shaping in the electric SUV’s nose that formed a sort of vestigial grille, replaced by a smooth wraparound front end that looks as if Tesla considers Lucid a real threat worth cribbing from and brings it more in line with the visual language of the Cybertruck and Cybercab concept car. Above that is a full-width LED light bar, echoed by a similar taillight treatment in the rear that Tesla says is the industry’s first “indirect reflective body panel taillight.”
Stiffer and Quieter
Tesla tinkered with the Model Y underneath, too. The face-lifted Model Y rides on an updated suspension with new wheels and tires the company says contribute to a quieter ride. Despite reports earlier this year that the company was backpedaling away from its much-touted “gigacasting” manufacturing process — which replaces the piecemeal construction of the underbody with single, massive cast structures — Tesla seems to have employed some measure of that philosophy here. The company says it replaced 70 body parts with a single piece to reduce gaps and road noise but does not specify where specifically this part is.
No updates were announced for the new Model Y’s battery or electric motors, and the notoriously secretive brand has not released detailed technical specifications for the new Model Y, either. However, improvements made to the aerodynamics, wheels and tires in the exterior rework added a bit of extra range. Tesla claims the long-range, dual-motor all-wheel-drive Launch Series model will go up to 320 miles on a charge, which is 9 miles farther than the EPA estimate for the pre-face-lift EV. It also claims the new SUV can accelerate from 0 -60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, an improvement of 0.7 seconds over the old model. Able to accept up to 250 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, the Model Y can add up to 154 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
Familiar but Fresh
Inside, too, the updated Model Y is more refined than redesigned. The major forms and structures remain, such as the prominent 15.4-inch touchscreen, but elements such as the floating dash-top panel and steering wheel are subtly reshaped. While one polarizing element of recent Teslas is on the steering wheel — touch-sensitive controls — unlike the newer Model 3 and Model S, the refreshed Model Y keeps a separate indicator stalk. The drive mode selector, however, is no longer a separate stalk and has been moved to the screen.
Initially, the Model Y Launch Series will only be available with five seats. A Tesla representative confirmed the company plans to offer an optional third row in the future but had no concrete timeline as to when it would return. That’s no great loss; after cycling family members large and small through the wayback in our long-term Model Y, Cars.com News Editor Jennifer Geiger concluded, “The Model Y’s third row can be added to the list of the things you buy your kids that they quickly grow out of.”
3, 2, 1, Launch
The face-lifted EV is initially only available in a loaded Launch Series, which is based on the Long-Range All-Wheel Drive variant. The Launch Series includes heated and ventilated front seats, a power-recline second row with heated seats, an 8-inch climate control and infotainment panel for rear-seat occupants, upgraded interior materials, and exclusive badging inside and out. Priced at $61,380 (including the $1,390 destination charge), the Launch Series is $12,000 pricier than the equivalent pre-face-lift car. However, it also includes Tesla’s Full Self Driving (Supervised) capability and can be specced with a towing package that allows buyers to tug up to 3,500 pounds at no additional cost. Those two options add up to $9,000 on the outgoing Model Y.
Tesla is currently taking orders for the 2025 Model Y Launch Series, but the pre-face-lift SUV is still available at a discount.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Jan. 28, 2025, with additional information on third-row availability.
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