Tesla Model Y Electric RWD (A) Review

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is the Tesla Model Y, and we've finally got our hands on it, nearly nine months after the first examples were handed over to customers here in Singapore.

Still, having all this additional time does put a great deal in perspective. When we first drove the Tesla Model 3, the car was still alien to many here, and there were only two locations that housed the firm's famous Superchargers.

Today, this same supercharging network has grown to a total of nine locations, and both the Model 3 and Y have become commonplace here. Surely this means there must be merits to owning this Model Y?

Going big

If it is cutting-edge and inspiring design you're after, look elsewhere. The Model 3 was no looker to begin with and this Model Y strikes as simply a bloated and taller version of its sedan counterpart.

Redeeming points here include the fact that it is at least a clean and simple overall design, which should mean it will at least age well. And that plastic diffuser at the rear does give the car quite a bit of visual aggression.

Furthermore, this raised body also translates to generous space in the cabin. Rear passengers here will find a flat floor alongside loads of knee and legroom. Seated within, all will also find the car an airy place to be in, thanks to the minimalist design utilised for the dashboard as well as that large panoramic sunroof.

And while we're talking about space, there's also a claimed 854-litre boot in this Model Y, boosted further by an additional 114-litre frunk. For comparison, all electric fastback options like the EV6 and Polestar 2 only offer a total of 520 and 405 litres of space respectively.

Going fast

And once in this Tesla Model Y, all your passengers and cargo will additionally be able to get to their destination in no time.

There's 295bhp on tap in this rear-wheel drive electric SUV, so maximum acceleration is not anywhere near the nauseatingly violent experience you get in the 'Performance' variant of the Model 3. Still, the responsiveness available here will ensure that you have no issues weaving through traffic when in a hurry.

Once you're up to speed, however, you'll find that the level of road noise that gets into the cabin is a sore point. The ride quality could also do with a bit of improvement. It's stiff to the point of irritability, so much that driving over broken roads will necessitate you take a slower pace or receive a good tossing about in your seat.

Which is a bit of a shame, since otherwise, piloting this Model Y is a treat. The car is easy to place on the road, and the steering is weighty and even offers a fair bit of feedback. The placement of all driving information on the centre display will seem alien at first but takes only a day to get used to.

Furthermore, once you're familiar with where all your favourite sub-menus are located, it's actually quite the sensible thing to utilise. Need to check your speed? That's always there in the upper right corner. Navigation? Swipe down on any menu on the left side of the screen and it's there.

Going easy
 
But of course, you'll call upon this navigation menu to make use of what essentially is the second-most convincing reason to buy a Tesla: Access to the Supercharger network.

With the Model Y, you can forget about switching between apps on your phone to find currently available chargers or compare prices, as all this information is available with just a few taps on the navigation screen.

With nine Supercharger locations all offering 250kW charging (do note that your actual charging speed will drop significantly as the battery gets closer to full), keeping your battery charged will take no more than the time it will take a typical family to run their gamut of errands. Our weekend with the car saw numerous chargers available throughout the Saturday and Sunday afternoon, a welcome change. 

The most convincing reason above all? At $132,620 before COE, this Model Y stands out from the competition with an irresistible price. BMW's 282bhp iX3 and the 402bhp Mercedes-Benz EQC, come in at $336,888 and $382,888 respectively inclusive of COE (all prices as of 18 May 2023).

For these two reasons alone, we think you can expect to see a lot more examples of this Model Y on our roads in the coming months.

Looking to go all electric? There's also these SUVs to consider:

The Toyota bZ4X is spacious and comes with a distinctive design

The MG 4 offers a sweet ride, good handling, and is mighty efficient as well

Be sure to also see what we think about the fast and spacious RZ450e when we drove it in France