New Tesla Model Y Gets New Face, Big Upgrades, and Same Starting Price for Single Motor Variant
About a year after releasing the new Model 3 Highland, Tesla follows it up with the Model Y Juniper.
Tesla sure has a thing for random-seeming codenames for its models. The Model 3 sedan revised last year, for example, carried the internal designation "Highland." For the 3's SUV sibling, the Model Y compact crossover, the internal nickname is "Juniper." Whatever you call the new Y, it marks a huge step forward for Tesla's global best seller—not only internally, but externally, as well. The Y was the number-one selling nameplate worldwide in 2023, with over 1.2 million finding new homes. We finally have our first look at this highly anticipated Y update thanks to its apparent reveal in China (hence the not-english-language elements visible in the photos below) and its subsequent reveal on Tesla's U.S. website in Launch Edition guise (more on that below).
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Why Is the Model Y Juniper Such a Big Deal?
The Model Y is a right-sized electric SUV that delivers solid range, is backed up by the Supercharger network, and it qualifies for the federal EV tax credit, keeping the Long Range Dual-Motor version's starting price at $50,630, and the recently added Single Motor Long Range's price even lower, at $46,630.
It's little wonder it is the most popular EV out there, so we do wonder why Tesla chose to upgrade the Model 3 sedan before the higher-volume Y. It could be that the Y's sales were so good, the Juniper upgrade could wait a year while giving the slower-selling Model 3 a boost.
What we do know is the Model Y, popular as it is, is hardly perfect. We have one in our long-term test fleet, and it is regularly panned by our staffers for its loud interior, stiff ride, and so-so build quality. Those just happen to be the areas of concern addressed by the Highland overhaul on the similarly afflicted Model 3 last year. (Tesla also touched up the 3's doughy styling with sleeker headlights and taillights, new wheel designs, and improved aerodynamics.) The 3's changes were revolutionary, quieting the once-loud interior, which also saw major gains in material quality and features, and easing up the overly firm suspension without impacting the car's fun-to-drive nature.
What's Changed?
The Model Y Juniper's list of upgrades more or less mirror those of the 3, so we're cautiously optimistic that they'll bring similar leaps in refinement and perceived quality. The Y is getting the 3's upgrades and then some. In goes the 3's rear-seat touchscreen with apps like Netflix and games, as well as climate controls; ditto the 3's standard heated rear seats (the fronts are heated, too, as is the steering wheel); and, yes, the steering wheel gets the same upgrade as the 3's, which incorporates a host of controls previously relegated to stalks to its spokes (turns signals and headlight controls, for example). Tesla also has ported over the 3's touchscreen transmission controls (backed up by hidden overhead touch-sensitive buttons), which we found odd at first use but quickly grew accustomed to. The touchscreen itself also is new, even though it looks similar to the current unit. The new Model Y also has electrically folding second-row seats.
The exterior styling diverges somewhat from the Model 3 Highland's format, hewing closer to the Cybertruck's futuristic look. Where the 3 leaned into thinner, more modern lighting front and rear, the Model Y Juniper adopts a full-width front headlight and running light element, along with and fog lights nestled up underneath. In back is a thin, full-width taillight like that on Tesla's forthcoming Robotaxi, albeit with C-shaped elements evocative of the Model 3's setup at each rear corner. The Y's rounded roofline stays the same—again, like the Model 3, the Y Juniper is a heavily refreshed take on the current model.
So far, there have been three versions of the Model Y Juniper. The Launch Series, a special-edition model that is already sold out has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Long Range iteration promising 320 miles of range—9 more than the outgoing Dual Motor Long Range Model Y's 311 miles—and a quicker 4.1-second zero-to-60-mph time (down from 4.8 seconds previously, thanks to a standard Acceleration Boost).
Recently, Tesla debuted the regular Model Y Long Range (non-Launch Edition), which has an EPA-estimated range of 327 miles, a 4.6-second zero-to-60-mph time, and a top speed of 125 mph. That's all with the standard 19-inch wheels, but upgrading to the optional 20s reduces the range to 303 miles. A tow hitch is available for $1,000, and allows the Model Y to tow up to 3,500 pounds. So far, the Model Y is only available as a five-seater. Previously, the compact SUV had an optional third row, which is quite tight for adults, that cost $2,000.
The range estimates suggest that, like for the Model 3, Tesla eked out some efficiency gains for the Y through minor aerodynamic tweaks and revised tire choices.
More recently—in early May 2025—Tesla brought back the Single Motor Long Range Model Y. This price-leader variant also delivers the best range, thanks to its more efficient single electric motor powering the rear wheels. Range is a handy 357 miles, and the price is an even handier $46,630—four grand less than the Dual Motor variant.
For comparison, the previous Model Y was available in single motor, rear-drive form (337 miles of range, $46,630—meaning the new one's price is the same); dual motor all-wheel-drive form (311 miles of range, $49,630); and higher-performance Performance guise (277 miles of range, $53,130). The Juniper-grade Launch Series went for $61,630 and includes Full Self Driving, special badges and puddle lights, and upgraded wheels. The Juniper Long Range has a starting price of $50,630 not counting the $7,500 federal credit, but Full Self Driving is a $8,000 option. We expect the Performance to arrive later this year, after the Single Motor variant goes on sale.
When Can We Expect to See the Model Y Juniper Debut?
The Model Y Juniper is already on sale, and the Long Range model is available to order now on Tesla's website.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025, and has since been updated to reflect emerging variants of the new Model Y Juniper and their prices.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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