Tesla Model Y 2022 Review

As with the Tesla Model 3, the 2022 Tesla Model Y is available in three guises: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range and Performance.

For now, Australians can only order a Rear-Wheel Drive or Performance version, the latter not beginning deliveries until later in 2022. The mid-grade Long Range is expected in 2023.

All three share the same body with the main visual alteration being wheels.

Differences in equipment levels are minor, leaving the batteries and drive systems to do the bulk of the differentiating.

The Rear-Wheel Drive gets a single motor driving the rear wheels whereas the Long Range and Performance get a dual-motor set-up driving all four wheels. Long Range and Performance models also get bigger batteries to extend the EV range.

The 2022 Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive on test sells from $72,300 plus on-road costs (it was initially $3400 more affordable, a price that only lasted a week).

At that price it misses out on EV rebates across the country, although NSW residents should be able to claim the stamp duty back.

It comes with everything the Tesla Model 3 RWD gets, including leather-look seats (they’re vegan), power-adjustable steering wheel, power-operated front seats, heated seats in all five positions and a panoramic sunroof.

There’s also a 15-inch touch-screen and some of the best connectivity available on any car through the Tesla app.

Safety is taken care of with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), speed limit warning, lane keep assist, cameras facing forward, backwards and on each side, as well as blind spot warning.

However, the Y also steps up to 19-inch wheels (Model 3 gets 18s) and gets the ‘Premium Interior’ (the Model 3 only gets a ‘Partial Premium Interior’).

The biggest difference is the addition of ambient lighting and a better sound system. The Model Y gets a 13-speaker sound system that includes speakers in each door, speakers on the dash, speakers at the base of the A-pillar, speakers in the tailgate and a subwoofer.

One other thing the Model Y picks up is a HEPA filter for the cabin. It’s designed to remove pollens, bacteria and pollution as part of the creatively named Bioweapon Defense Mode.

As with the Model 3, the only colour you’ll get for your $72,300 (plus ORCs) outlay is white. It’s a classy metallic white but we’d also like to see at least one of the grey, blue, black or red colours offered at the same price (red adds $2900 to the price while the others command a $1500 premium).

You can also option a white interior for $1500, although it looks like it’s just waiting to proudly display any marks.

The Tesla Model Y Performance model gets no extra equipment other than the additional motor to drive the front wheels and 21-inch wheels surrounding larger brakes. It’s priced from $103,329 inclusive of luxury car tax but before on-road costs.

No word yet on details of the Model Y Long Range, other than it’ll lob during 2023.

As for aftersales, the Model Y gets a sub-standard four-year warranty that only covers the first 80,000km of driving.

Fortunately, the expensive part of the car – the battery – is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty, with a guarantee that at least 70 per cent of the original capacity will be in play after that time.

Servicing is required every two years and Tesla doesn’t quote prices, although it’s likely to cost somewhere around $1000 over the first five years for the average driver.

While the motor doesn’t need attention, other things do: cabin filter every two years, the HEPA filter every three years, tyres rotated every 10,000km, brake fluid replaced every two years and air-conditioning serviced every four years.

To say the 2022 Tesla Model Y has been keenly awaited is somewhat under-calling things. Since at least 2019, Australians have been wondering when it may arrive.

Now that it’s here, the challenge is what it competes with. The Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 are the most obvious. But the Model Y will naturally compete with the Model 3 it sells alongside.

That’s because some who may otherwise have diverted to the Model 3 will now be looking for the additional space and taller body of the Y.

From a price perspective the Model Y also competes with the Mazda MX-30 Electric and Lexus UX 300e. But neither are serious competitors due to their big price tags and relatively short driving ranges.

It’s more likely the Model Y will steal sales from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, possibly tempting some away from petrol- or diesel-powered mid-size SUVs.

It could also provide competition for the upcoming Mazda CX-60, which will be available with a plug-in hybrid that’s likely to be more expensive than the Model Y.

Under the skin, the 2022 Tesla Model Y SUV shares plenty with the Tesla Model 3 mid-size sedan.

The two share the same electric motor and battery pack as well as the same basic architecture.

But there’s more volume in the Model Y. It’s not only longer than the Model 3 (by 56mm), but also wider by 72mm and sits 181mm taller.

So it’s a bigger, heavier car, which explains why Tesla predicts it will use more electricity (and travel less on a charge) and also accelerates a tad slower.

Not that you notice much difference when sitting in the front seat. By our tape measure, the Model Y uses the same dashboard, centre console and front seats as the Model 3.

Tesla’s signature minimalist design may be loathed by some – and something of a culture shock from those stepping out of a traditional luxury machine – but will be familiar to Model 3 drivers.

A strip of woodgrain breaks up the sparseness while a 15.0-inch touch-screen dominates the dashboard.

That touch-screen is the nerve centre of the car, not only doubling as the instrument cluster but also operating everything from the glove box and boot opening to all manner of infotainment features.

Farting indicators, anyone? The Model Y has you covered. Similarly, you can play arcade games (when stationary), monitor detailed energy usage data or stream music.

The sound system is also worth a mention. It’s punchy and clear, ensuring excellent reproduction of everything from hard rock to more melodic tunes.

It’s an impressive piece of kit, although we got frustrated with waiting for the built-in Spotify app taking time (often minutes or more) to come to life.

We’ve touched on the connectivity in the 2022 Tesla Model Y and that also extends to over-the-air software updates, something Tesla pioneered.

As with your smartphone, the company regularly adds more features and functions, some of which may be fun and frivolous, others more about how the car drives. Either way, as an owner expect changes throughout the car’s life.

It’s also worth delving deeper into that 15.0-inch touch-screen. As with an Apple phone, it requires learning of basic controls, but once you’re acclimatised there’s loads it can do and its operation becomes second nature.

Some things – such as operating the windscreen wipers – requires some prior knowledge, but it’s all buried within the screen and its logical menus.

The screen is also very crisp and clear. Parking is aided by a very clear display and you can view any direction around the car.

Those cameras (there are eight in total, some only providing information to the car’s computer rather than images to the driver) can also be used to record what’s going on around the car.

There’s a USB point in the glove box that allows you to download images from what is effectively a 360-degree high-resolution dash-cam.

Then there’s Autopilot, Tesla’s semi-autonomous drive system. It can work very well, but the emphasis here is on the word “can”.

On a well-marked freeway, for example, it usually does a great job of staying in its lane and dealing with other traffic, although occasionally it may unexpectedly slow down.

On suburban roads it’s far less convincing, often struggling to stay in the right part of the road and over-reacting or failing to react to obstacles.

All of which is a reminder that Autopilot is impressive tech but needs a lot of work – and a driver behind the wheel doing the driving.

The 2022 Tesla Model Y is a comfier place to ride in the back seat of than the Tesla Model 3 courtesy of its taller roof. It unleashes about 55mm more headroom compared to a Model 3.

It means six-foot-plussers can now sit in the back seat without having to stoop.

The vast glass roof creates a feeling of openness and there’s decent vision for all occupants. Only the rear window is small, something that hampers the driver’s rearward view.

Knee-room is only just okay, though, although decent foot space under the front seats as well as the flat floor mean it’s an easy place to passenger.

That said, it’s luggage space where the Tesla Model Y cleans up.

The boot is quite deep and also has loads of storage underneath in two separate binnacles. It’s perfect for storing charging cables or valuables, something more important considering there is no luggage cover for items in the main section of the boot.

Add in the 40/20/40-split folding rear seats and the Model Y cements itself as one of the more practical mid-size SUVs on the market.

If that’s not enough, then a soft bag (or two) should slot into the frunk (or froot) under the bonnet.

By Tesla standards, the 2022 Tesla Model Y is slow. In fact, it’s the slowest Tesla ever sold here. But that’s by Tesla standards…

By any other measure the entry point to the Model Y range is brisk, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds, according to Tesla’s stats. Our testing showed it was a couple of tenths slower than that, but anything in the low 7s is swift enough for a mid-size family SUV.

Initial acceleration is on par with the latest Model 3 RWD. But an extra 157kg means the enthusiasm tapers marginally above 60km/h.

Again, it’s still energetic enough and does a terrific job of building pace around town or firing up for a country road overtake.

Throw in near-instant throttle response and generous pulling power that doesn’t rely on a transmission shuffling into the right gear and there’s never a time the Y is caught wrong-footed.

As for exactly how much power and torque is produced by the single rear-mounted electric motor is up for debate. When Tesla homologated the Model Y RWD for sale in Australia it listed the peak power as being 208kW.

There are no specifications on the Tesla Australia website or in the local owner’s manual. However, in the Tesla China owner’s manual is a table of motor outputs for all Model 3 EVs.

The motor fitted to our car is claimed to produce 194kW and 340Nm, according to those stats.

By our calculations, the usable capacity of the battery in the 2022 Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive is 60kWh. Tesla doesn’t quote battery capacity, but you can figure it out from the energy use and remaining range.

The Model Y claims to travel 455km on a charge (according to the WLTP standard), although the onboard range estimator was more like 435km in our car when the battery was topped up.

Our experience suggests that’s a realistic figure if you’re mainly in the city and suburbs; like all EVs, it’ll drop efficiency at 110km/h on a freeway.

Average energy use hovered around 15kWh per 100km, sometimes less, versus an official claim of 14.6kWh/100km. So it would cost something like $4.50 to cover 100km, which is the equivalent price of about two litres of petrol.

The Model Y charges via a flap cleverly concealed in the left tail-light cluster. It’ll accept any Type 2 plug and take up to 11kW from a wallbox charger. That means a full charge in about 24 hours from a regular power point or as little as 5.5 hours on a wallbox.

Of course, one of the appeals of owning a Tesla is access to the vast charging network that effectively doubles your charging options.

The faster Supercharger network will add hundreds of kilometres of range in less than an hour – and we’ve found Superchargers to be easier to use and more reliable than chargers from other networks.

There’s a tautness to the suspension of the 2022 Tesla Model Y that instantly reinforces its focus. It’s more corner carver than pamperer.

The steering has been engineered to match, with a MINI-like directness that reinforces the athleticism.

The 19-inch Hankook Ventus tyres deliver on grip and the Y’s low centre of gravity ensures its mid-corner manners are among the best in the SUV class. It relishes a brisk corner entry and hangs on nicely.

Once you do approach the traction limits there’s a controlled front-end slide and some flashing of stability control.

Speaking of which, the body movement and firm suspension had our traction control firing to life while on an undulating country road, something that in turn disabled cruise control. It wasn’t an isolated incident, suggesting some more ESC tuning could be in order.

On the smoothness of a freeway there were no such issues. Blame it on the bumps Aussie councils do so well.

Speaking of which, the Tesla makes sure you won’t go wondering where they are. It doesn’t jar, but you’ll feel most imperfections as that connected chassis goes about its business ensuring the dynamic sharpness that is part of the Y’s DNA.

Sitting higher than you do in a Model 3 means there’s more lateral movement that partially accentuates the bumps. It’s a similar scenario in a BMW X5 compared with a BMW 5 Series.

There’s little doubt the 2022 Tesla Model Y will be big business in the EV space.

As the taller, more practical brother to the Tesla Model 3 that dominates EV sales in Australia and was named carsales’ Best Electric Car for 2021, the Y builds on a successful formula and neatly addresses the practicality limitations of the 3 sedan.

That said, it’s disappointing prices have already risen a week after it went on sale.

The fact people are queuing almost a year to get hold of one suggests the price hike isn’t a deal breaker for many.

We’d be surprised if it didn’t overtake the 3 as the country’s top-selling EV, although whether that happens will depend on Tesla and how many of each it decides to produce.

More importantly, the Model Y is not just a convincing EV, it’s a convincing mid-size SUV.

While pricing is not as sharp as the Model 3 – it’s a shame it misses out on state and territory EV rebates – it still undercuts its prime prestige contenders.

It’s arguably the electric SUV the market has been gagging for. That it looks set to arrive here in decent numbers cements its significance.

How much does the 2022 Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive cost?
Price: $72,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 194kW/340Nm (Tesla China owner’s manual)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 60kWh (estimated) lithium-iron phosphate
Range: 455km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 14.6kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested