Tesla Model Y First Drive
The word “gamechanger” gets thrown around quite a bit in the automotive world, with various degrees of truthfulness. In the past two decades, there has been one definite gamechanger in the automotive world: Tesla.
The aim was to produce, quite simply, the best cars in the world, which in Tesla’s vision meant electric propulsion. The Model S took the luxury segment by storm in America and Europe, followed by the falcon-wing Model X SUV, the Model 3 compact sedan, and now the Model Y crossover. Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world by far, achieving trillion-dollar valuation. This was mostly because Tesla was not just producing EVs, but high-technology EVs that are the first true computer-on-wheels.
Fortune and fame (including that of its controversial CEO) aside, we were eager to see just what the new Tesla Model Y had in store. The new Model Y was launched last week, fresh from the model’s facelift
We made our way to a cordoned-off area of Bridgetowne to put the Model Y through its paces. The silver Model Y is instantly identifiable despite the deletion of the “T” badge up front. Tesla is relying on the light bar up front, stretching across the hood and around the fenders, as its virtual logo—echoing the Cybertruck, its futuristic stainless steel pickup. At the rear is an even more striking light bar: a solid strip of red. This is the first indirect taillight that we’ve seen on a production car: the hidden red LED illuminates and reflects off a vertical panel. The effect is a weirdly hypnotic glow that extends at the Model Y’s rear, like a jet’s afterburner.
The upgraded Model Y, aka the Juniper, has a revised roofline that makes it look sleeker and more sedan-like than its predecessor. The car-like stance and compactness belies a large interior—the reason the car is classified as a crossover.
To open the Model Y, you approach it with a credit-card sized “key,” push on the recessed handles, and pivot open the frameless doors. Getting in and out is a cinch, thanks to the large openings and higher roofline. You land on a “vegan leather” seat, and face a mostly empty instrument panel.
Nearly all features are accessed via the central 15.4” touchscreen—this is bigger than most laptop screens. To put the car in “Drive,” you swipe up on the car icon at the side of the screen—and that’s it. The car is ready to go.
Pushing down on the accelerator delivers a satisfying surge of torque—so far, the staple feature of many modern electric cars. There is plenty of potential that we couldn’t tap, due to the many pedestrians and cyclists that started to roam the area. For the Model Y with rear-wheel drive motor, 0-100kph is a quick 5.9 seconds, and for the Model Y Long Range with dual electric motors, it’s a sports-car fast 4.3 seconds. Both have a top speed of 201 kph. One can adjust the regenerative braking to allow either traditional-car like driving feel, or a satisfying one-pedal operation.
The interior is a minimalistic living room on wheels. There’s ventilated and powered front seats, hidden aircon vents, ambient lighting, and power-folding rear seats. The Model Y comes with 9 speakers, and the audio is satisfying and punchy. The Long Range has 15 speakers and one subwoofer for even more auditory fireworks. Speaking of fireworks, the Model Y has many tricks up its wheels, including a “celebration mode” that blasts audio outside while the car flashes its lights and bobs its tailgate up and down. The Model Y is built to amuse. You can play video games using the car’s steering wheel (with the car in Park, of course), change the horn sound, and make the car “fart” on command. All functions can be saved in custom driver profiles.
The upgraded Model Y promises to be a quieter car, with reduced parts and fewer gaps, and updated wheels and tires. The glass roof is reportedly seven times better at repelling solar heat. Range for the Rear-wheel drive is 466 km, while the Long Range goes up to 551 km.
The Model Y is built on a sophisticated software system integrating its various features. Active safety suite includes forward collision warning, active emergency braking, and lane departure avoidance. The front cameras will allow assisted driving, with the feature soon to be fully activated for the Philippines. How they will cope with the deplorable local driving conditions remains to be seen.
The Model Y rear-wheel drive starts at P2,369,000 and the Model Y long range P2,689,000, quite impressive value given the car’s specifications, performance, and safety advances. A limited-edition Launch Series with various exterior and interior enhancements is currently available. We can’t help but feel that this company has completely rethought what an everyday car should be.
With 1.09 million sales in 2024, the Model Y had already cemented its position as the world’s number one model. Quite a feat for an electric model, and with our brief driving experience, not at all surprising.
