The fact that the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling vehicle for two years in a row is no accident. For a while now, it’s offered a nearly unbeatable combination of range, tech features, pricing, practicality and outright performance—always the top target in the electric vehicle space. But times change.
When the Model Y was launched almost five years ago in 2020, its rivals—if you could even call them that—were the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-Tron . These days Tesla no longer has the EV tech lead it once had over traditional automakers, which have not only caught up but also surpassed it in some areas. We’re far beyond the point when buying a midsize electric crossover that wasn’t a Model Y incurred some kind of big compromise, be it range, price or both.
Meanwhile, the Model Y has long been overdue for some upgrades to compete in a field that it helped create. Now, it gets them. Enter the Model Y “Juniper.
” This update addresses some of the old car’s biggest problems, improves the overall package in countless ways, and brings a new visual language to mark Tesla’s next era. It packs more electric range, a dramatically improved interior and some clever new tech features that the rest of the pack isn’t even trying yet. It’s better equipped with things like standard heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and rear-seat entertainment.
I tested it in Dual Motor Long Range and came away deeply impressed. Yet even after almost 2.4.
