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Very large dimensions, a range anxiety-proof battery supported by an unparalleled charging network and far too exuberant performance given the type of car. And the whole is dressed in a style that at least makes you talk. Tesla Model Y is like that. And it is a car that, sublimating the elements of the DNA that are key points of the fashionable Elon Musk house, is a stimulus to do better and a source of inspiration for its competitors: from Audi to BMW, from Mercedes to, above all, Hyundai and Kia that with the Ioniq 5 and EV6 they have probably set a benchmark for style and technology on the front of medium-large electric SUVs.
Tesla Model Y is based on the Model 3, the small (so to speak) of the family but compared to this it is much higher (18 cm more for a total of 162 cm), a little longer (4.75 meters ), wide and with a wheelbase that grows up to 2,890 mm, making the Californian SUV very habitable.
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The style follows the Model 3, including the expressionless front that is now almost iconic in its minimalism without verve. The rear view is also not one that makes you shout wow !. In short, it is clean and without frills but zero emotions, as opposed to when you drive where it gives you the adrenaline rush of a true sports car (5 seconds) and top handling (to be an SUV). And it does take away some satisfaction when behind us there is some genius of compulsive motorway flashing.
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Inside, too, it is truly minimal: we find practically the same dashboard as the Model 3 and the 15-inch megadisplay through which the entire car is controlled. In fact, there are no physical buttons, according to the typical Tesla scheme that hides obvious constructive savings with a user interface that is too disruptive and alien to the rest of the world. In practice, there are only the buttons of the window lifters, door openers, four arrows (absurdly placed on the ceiling light), steering wheel levers with light switch / wipers and gearbox (the layout is the Mercedes one). Everything else is controlled from the touch display, including mirrors and climate. And it is perhaps a bit too much, just as the presence of Netflix and Youtube (when the car is stopped) is questionable, offered by the infotainment system which, although easy to use, very Apple in the general “flavor”, does not integrate smartphones properly: there are no Carplay and Android Auto.
Power and battery capacity are not declared. , the “Advanced Autopilot” system which costs 3,800 euros and is activated with the right lever on the steering wheel. It should be reiterated that, despite the “smart” name, it does not allow true autonomous driving, but it is a very advanced Adas system that also offers automatic steering and overtaking (not very useful in truth). Its behavior is similar to that offered by the competition and therefore, despite the social and “youtubbaro” storytelling, there is no miracle of the divine Elon here. Where the Model Y is head and shoulders above its competitors in the same category is in the integration of the car with the formidable Tesla charging network, full of super fast charge columns that are proof of long journeys.