Tesla sure has a thing for random-seeming codenames for its models. The Model 3 sedan revised last year, for example, carried the internal designation “Highland.” For the 3’s SUV sibling, the Model Y compact crossover, the internal nickname is “Juniper.” Whatever you call the new Y, it marks a huge step forward for Tesla’s global best seller—not only internally, but externally, as well. The Y was the number-one selling nameplate worldwide in 2023, with over 1.2 million finding new homes. We finally have our first look at this highly anticipated Y update thanks to its apparent reveal in China (hence the not-english-language elements visible in the photos below). The version that’s coming to America will undoubtedly be identical.
Why Is the Model Y Juniper Such a Big Deal?
The Model Y is a right-sized electric SUV that delivers solid range, is backed up by the Supercharger network, and it qualifies for the federal EV tax credit, keeping its starting price low in the mid-$40,000 space. It’s little wonder it is the most popular EV out there, so we do wonder why Tesla chose to upgrade the Model 3 sedan before the higher-volume Y. It could be that the Y’s sales were so good, the Juniper upgrade could wait a year while giving the slower-selling Model 3 a boost.
What we do know is the Model Y, popular as it is, is hardly perfect. We have one in our long-term test fleet, and it is regularly panned by our staffers for its loud interior, stiff ride, and so-so build quality. Those just happen to be the areas of concern addressed by the Highland overhaul on the similarly afflicted Model 3 last year. (Tesla also touched up the 3’s doughy styling with sleeker headlights and taillights, new wheel designs, and improved aerodynamics.) The 3’s changes were revolutionary, quieting the once-loud interior, which also saw major gains in material quality and features, and easing up the overly firm suspension without impacting the car’s fun-to-drive nature.
What’s Changed?
The Model Y Juniper’s list of upgrades more or less mirror those of the 3, so we’re cautiously optimistic that they’ll bring similar leaps in refinement and perceived quality. So far, the new Y has been revealed only on Tesla’s China-market website—but translating that page and eyeing the images of the electric SUV, we surmise the Y is getting the 3’s upgrades and then some.In goes the 3’s rear-seat touchscreen with apps like Netflix and games, as well as climate controls; ditto the 3’s standard heated rear seats (the fronts are heated, too, as is the steering wheel); and, yes, the steering wheel gets the same upgrade as the 3‘s, which incorporates a host of controls previously relegated to stalks to its spokes (turns signals and headlight controls, for example). Tesla also has ported over the 3’s touchscreen transmission controls (backed up by hidden overhead touch-sensitive buttons), which we found odd at first use but quickly grew accustomed to. The touchscreen itself also is new, even though it looks similar to the current unit. The Chinese Model Y, which, again, we suspect will be identical to our version, also has electrically folding second-row seats.
The exterior styling diverges somewhat from the Model 3 Highland’s format, hewing closer to the Cybertruck’s futuristic look. Where the 3 leaned into thinner, more modern lighting front and rear, the Model Y Juniper adopts a full-width front headlight and running light element, along with and fog lights nestled up underneath. In back is a thin, full-width taillight like that on Tesla’s forthcoming Robotaxi, albeit with C-shaped elements evocative of the Model 3’s setup at each rear corner. The Y’s rounded roofline stays the same—again, like the Model 3, the Y Juniper is a heavily refreshed take on the current model.
Details surrounding changes to the Model Y’s batteries, motors, and driving range will have to wait for official U.S.-market specifics to arrive whenever the Y is revealed for Americans. For the Model 3, Tesla eked out some efficiency gains through minor aerodynamic tweaks and revised tire choices, something we expect to carry over to the Y—so don’t count on big-time advances in range.
Currently, the Model Y is available in single motor, rear-drive form (337 miles of range, $46,630); dual motor all-wheel-drive form (311 miles of range, $49,630); and higher-performance Performance guise (277 miles of range, $53,130). We expect all three variants to eventually be offered in the Juniper generation, though the Performance model may lag a while behind the single motor Long Range and Dual Motor Long Range versions as it did on the Model 3 Highland.
When Can We Expect to See the Model Y Juniper Debut?
With Tesla’s sales slipping somewhat—2024 was the first year it posted lower sales than the year before—we suspect the automaker is eager to jumpstart sales. What better way than to roll out anticipated updates for its best-seller, the Model Y? Look for the Juniper upgrade to land stateside sometime in early 2025, with sales beginning by the fall.
