2025 Tesla Model Y outed with distinct new look

After many months of speculation, pictures of the inbound 2025 Tesla Model Y have been leaked online, giving us our first look at the heavily updated version of the world’s favourite EV ahead of its launch in Australia in the first half of this year.

Confirming earlier rumours that the US brand would sport a different design from the mid-size SUV it replaces, the new Tesla Model Y, developed under the Project Juniper codename, features new LED light bars at the front and rear.

No longer looking closely related to the Tesla Model 3, the new Model Y gets C-shaped air dams below the twin blade lamps and a large central air intake below the front numberplate carrier.

At the rear designers have heavily reworked the rear bumper and added a large diffuser, hinting at advanced aerodynamics that will enhance the range.

The wheels also appear to be a new design that could be unique to the Model Y.

Other changes include a redesigned tailgate that features TESLA lettering.

Within we expect the Model Y to adopt a cabin based on the latest Model 3 with the refreshed XPeng G6 or Skoda Enyaq rivals coming equipped with a larger central screen and a pair of new ventilated front seats.

The new Tesla will also adopt a steering wheel from the Model 3 that features indicator buttons as the steering column stalks and gear selector have been deleted, with the latter replaced by a gear-shift slider on the side of the touchscreen.

When it comes to powertrains, the Model Y range is also set to mirror the?upgraded Model 3.

That means the entry-level rear-drive Model Y will come with a circa-210kW e-motor and will cover around 500km on a single charge.

The Long Range version will boost that to almost 370kW and have a higher-density battery offering a range of more than 600km.

At the top of the tree, the Model Y Performance should deliver around 375kW of power and?ballistic acceleration of less than 4.0sec from 0-100km/h.

There’s still no word on when Tesla will launch its updated Model Y,?but it’s expected to land Down Under in the first half of 2025.

Tesla hopes that the arrival of the new Model Y will boost sales in markets like Australia where volumes of the mid-size electric SUV dropped by 26.1 per cent in 2024, although with 21,253 finding homes, the Tesla Model Y still remains the best-selling EV Down Under.

Boosting its popularity among buyers are rumours that, for the first time in Europe and Australia, the Model Y will be offered with a third row of seats. Later on in 2025 Tesla is also tipped to roll-out a long-wheelbase version of the Model Y that's been created to poach sales from bigger, more expensive cars like the Kia EV9 or new Hyundai IONIQ 9.

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