Australia looks to be next on the list for Tesla's most practical Model Y family SUV, a six-seat variant with a longer range and more space.
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The six-seat, long-wheelbase Tesla Model Y L is all but confirmed for Australian showrooms, as the more practical version of the company's top-selling model.
Tesla has received Australian government approval to sell the Model Y L locally, documents seen by Drive show, in a single dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model grade.
A local introduction is yet to be formally confirmed, but using history as a guide, Tesla vehicles are typically approved for Australian sale about three months before arriving in showrooms.
The Model Y L is an extended version of the regular Model Y, stretched to more easily accommodate a six-seat layout, with two chairs in each of the three rows.
It is 177mm longer than the standard Model Y – now 4969mm nose to tail, further than a Toyota Kluger – and 150mm longer between the front and rear wheels (3040mm), but a sloping roofline is retained.
It is listed for Australia with the same nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack as the regular Model Y Long Range, understood to have a capacity of about 84kWh gross, or 82kWh usable.
The Model Y L's electric motors are also shared with its standard-length sibling, officially listed at 378kW in Australian government documents, though the true peak output is thought to be lower.
In Europe, where the Model Y L has also been approved for sale but has yet to launch, a driving range of 681km in WLTP lab testing is expected to be claimed.
It is greater than the 629km WLTP quoted by the regular Model Y Premium Long Range AWD on 19-inch wheels – the only choice on the L flagship – thanks to improved aerodynamics from the longer bodywork.
The Model Y L fits 'captain's chairs' in the second row, with heating, ventilation, and power adjustment – including the armrests – replacing the bench seat with power folding and outboard heating in the standard variant.
Heated third-row seats are also fitted, plus an upgraded 18-speaker sound system, new front seats with single-piece backrests, and continuously-variable shock absorbers.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
