Category: Rumors

• Tesla is reportedly working on a six-seater version of the Model Y to help it find buyers in China.
• Several premium SUVs in China offer a six-seat configuration, which is perceived as more premium, and Tesla thinks it will boost Model Y sales.

Tesla is preparing to launch a heavily revised version of its most popular offering, the Model Y, which is expected to be unveiled sometime next year. The revised Model Y, codenamed “Juniper,” will feature an updated design, improved tech, more comfort-oriented suspension and a revised interior along the lines of what Tesla did when it refreshed the Model 3 sedan.

According to reports, a three-row, seven-seater Model Y will debut outside the United States. The seven-seater option costs $2,000 in the States or $1,000 if you pair it with other specific options (like one of the non-standard exterior colors).

Tesla has never offered a six-seater Model Y anywhere, though. That’s an option reserved for its flagship vehicle, the Model X, which comes standard as a five-seater, but you can turn it into a six-seater by ticking the $6,500 option.

Interestingly, it is more expensive than the seven-seater interior, which costs $3,500. Tesla will tell you that’s because the two individual “captain’s chairs” feature individual electric adjustments and are more comfortable. They are also probably the coolest-looking rear seats of any car in production today, especially if you get them with the white leather contrasting with the black base—they look like they’re floating.

However, sitting in the second row of a six-seater Model X is a bit awkward because there are no armrests, and this robs the second-row experience of some comfort.

We’re not sure how Tesla will do it in the Model Y, but Reuters says a six-seater version specially made for China is in development. Several premium electric SUVs offer a six-seat configuration, and Tesla wants to expand the appeal of its already very popular crossover offering, too. Like with the Model X, it will be more expensive than the seven-seat option, which may also come to China with the “Juniper” update.

However, one of the most important aspects that premium car buyers in China look for is rear legroom. The Model Y with five seats is fairly roomy in the rear, but the one with seven seats is a bit tight, especially in the third row. The six-seat Model Y could have a very different seating configuration, with the second row positioned in a way that allows for more space in the third row.

Some six-seater electric SUVs already available in China include the Nio ES8, the Li L8 range extender and other vehicles. Most six-seaters are one size class above the Tesla Model Y, so it will be interesting to see how Tesla will design the six-seater Model Y, given the interior space constraints.

If Tesla were a legacy automaker, it would probably produce a long-wheelbase version of the model to find those extra inches of legroom. However, since it’s not one, it won’t touch the dimensions of the vehicle, whose fastback-like roof also severely limits headroom in the third row. Even so, Tesla is preparing for increased demand for its revised Model Y, and the source article says it’s already told suppliers to prepare for “a double-digit increase of Model Y output” at its factory in China, which also produces the Model 3 for the local and European markets.

• The refreshed Tesla Model Y codenamed “Juniper” could debut in the first quarter of 2025.
• It could add the seven-seater option for the Europea and Chinese markets.

The Tesla Model Y is a global success story, but like any car, there comes a time when it needs to go under the knife for its midlife nip and tuck. We know Tesla will give the Model Y a major overhaul like it did with the Model 3, but we don’t know what exactly it plans to modify and, more importantly, when it intends to launch the updated model.

Elon Musk made it clear in a June tweet that we wouldn’t see the refreshed crossover this year. This could result in a sales decline for Tesla, though, in a segment of the market that seems to be gaining a talented and tempting new Model Y rivaling crossover every other day. There are already plenty of alternatives to the Model Y.

However, China’s National Business Daily reports that the first quarter of 2025 will see the unveiling of the revised Model Y. The report cites an anonymous Tesla supplier source, speculating that the updated Model Y will debut in two variants, with either five or seven seats. This means the seven-seater Model Y, previously exclusive to the American market where the option costs $2,000 (or $1,000 in combination with other options), could be available in both China and Europe in Q4 2025.

Take the information of the Q1 2025 reveal with a grain of salt, though, as the information cannot be verified or confirmed. The same publication said in September 2023 that the revised Model Y was coming in the first half of 2024, and that didn’t happen.

We know the Model Y facelift is coming, and we have seen a camouflaged prototype that confirms it. Tesla has apparently dedicated the rest of this year to working on the self-driving Robotaxi, which will be unveiled during a special event in October. Model Y sales are still strong worldwide, so giving it a makeover in 2024 apparently wasn’t crucial for Tesla. The wave of layoffs that swept the company this year may have also pushed it back.

Many of the changes will mirror what Tesla did when updating the Model 3. The Model Y will have completely revised front and rear fascias (which could have full-width light bars), new wheel designs and new colors. Inside, Tesla will remove all the stalks behind the steering wheel, upgrade the central infotainment screen and improve the quality of the trim materials as well as how everything is screwed together.

The updated made-in-China Model 3 that we tested earlier this year felt like a huge step up in terms of assembly quality, and we expect the same to be true for the 2025 Model Y. Tesla softened the suspension considerably in the revised Model 3, which made ride comfort far better than before, and the Model Y will get a similar suspension setup.

Following the formula set by the new Model 3 Performance, Tesla will likely give the Model Y Performance more aggressive front and rear bumpers as well as more body-hugging sports seats inside. It will have bigger brakes and adaptive dampers as well as more power than the pre-refresh model. More about the revised Model Y could be made public during the Robotaxi reveal event on October 10.

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