Tesla Model Y Performance review 001Tesla Model Y Performance review 001IntroductionThe revamp given to the Model Y earlier this year has now been extended to the sporty Performance variant, which gets 460bhp from two motors.This expands the Tesla Model Y line-up to four models: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range All-Wheel Drive and Performance All-Wheel Drive.Design & stylingTesla Model Y Performance review 002Externally, you will spot the same light bar treatment as given to the lesser models, but here that’s joined by a (real) carbonfibre boot spoiler, plus a longer front splitter and a remodelled rear diffuser – which combine to reduce lift by 64% and drag by 10%. There are new 21in wheels, too, and red brake calipers.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Performance wears rather serious 255/35 front and 275/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tyres.It gets 460bhp from the same pair of ‘Performance 4DU’ motors as fitted to the Model 3 Performance saloon, which also donates its adaptive suspension, although here it’s tuned differently to suit the SUV's dimensions.At 4.8m long, 1.98m wide across the body (2.13m across the mirrors) and 1.61m high, the Model Y is one of the bigger cars in its class. InteriorTesla Model Y Performance review 012The recent changes to the regular Model Y have been adopted here too, including a new touchscreen for the spacious rear seats. Exclusive to the Performance model, though, are new, more heavily bolstered front seats and big, shiny pedals.AdvertisementAdvertisementThere’s some gloss black in places, carbonfibre door inserts, puddle lights and some Performance badges that look like the warp-speed effect thing.It’s a broadly comfortable cabin, with oodles of oddments stowage and the kind of easy, airy, broad visibility that we’ve come to expect from Teslas.The simple cockpit design comes at the expense of physical dials and buttons, of course. There’s an indicator stalk, a door knob and individual window switches, plus two rotary dials, a few haptic buttons on the steering wheel and a hazard warning light button, but everything else is dealt with by a 16in touchscreen (bigger than the 15.4in one on the pre-facelift car). Among screen-heavy cars, Teslas remain probably the most intuitive (you always get climate settings on-screen and they’re swipingly adjustable), but it would be better if everything weren't on it.AdvertisementAdvertisementStill, among the on-screen buttons are those for the interesting bits: those that make changes to the driving dynamics. You can adjust the steering weight, accelerative response and level of regenerative braking, which isn't unusual. But thanks to the fitting of adaptive dampers (there are new bushes, some strengthening at the rear and steering knuckle amendments too), you can also pick between normal and sports damping levels – more on which in a moment.Engines & performanceTesla Model Y Performance review 024The Performance officially weighs 2033kg (the Long Range RWD we recently road tested was comfortingly close to its claimed kerb weight), which is weighty for, well, a car, but it's not that heavy for a full-size electric SUV that carries a battery estimated to be 82kWh (79kWh usable) and which can go from 0-60mph in 3.3sec. The top speed is said to be 155mph.The three powertrain modes offer genuinely different performance levels. The most glacial accelerative option really softens the throttle response and if you want to eke out the most range from your Model Y while still keeping up with other traffic, this is the mode for you. Standard mode is brisker again, while Insane mode (uncomfortable though casual use of the word leaves some people) offers scintillating throttle response and pushes the Model Y down the road at an unseemly pace.Whatever the mode, though, it's linearly responsive and well-judged. Brake pedal feel is good too. And you can select between two levels of decelerative regen. We typically find the lower one is better for smooth driving (and range).Ride & handlingTesla Model Y Performance review 025The differences between the adaptive supsension's two modes, Standard and Sport, are pretty subtle but pleasingly well judged: it’s not like one is super soft and the other super hard.AdvertisementAdvertisementIf it were a simple one-button-push that you could find easily on the move, I could imagine owners swapping between the modes more than I suspect they will, given it’s on a menu a couple of clicks away. In standard mode, the Model Y Performance is already relatively firm and controlled, but it will round off the worst lumps and bumps of pockmarked towns. On a more testing country road, it feels its girth more, with some pitch and yaw that’s easy enough to live if you’re not asking a lot of the car; but this is after all a Performance variant with faintly ludicrous initial acceleration response. And if you want to use some (or all) of that, here’s where the firmer suspension mode comes in, reducing those unwanted movements. There’s still some roll and lean in corners, but it’s better controlled – although with it comes inevitably some brittleness, entirely bearable on the open road but occasionally too much in town.The nice thing is that both are really usable on UK roads.MPG & running costsTesla Model Y Performance review 001The WLTP range is 360 miles and the WLTP efficiency 3.83mpkWh, owing to the fitment of the battery from the Model 3 Performance, which has a bit more energy density, so the WLTP range is about the same as in the Long Range AWD.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe new Performance is priced from £61,990, with the Stealth Grey paint you see here the no-cost option colour. Now that there are more used Teslas and dealers have to sell them, the company is having to think more carefully about which colours are free so that it doesn’t end up with a glut of colours (like all of the white Model 3s you see compromising their residual values).The charging speed is up to 250kW. In our experience, it won't hold that for long, and the Tesla Supercharger network, now that other retailers are catching up, isn't quite the pull it once was. But Tesla's on-board range planning and charger-status tool is still the best in the game. VerdictTesla Model Y Performance review 027The Model Y Performance brings scintillating pace and a lot of control to an already accomplished electric SUV. Is it fun? This is a two-tonne SUV so these things are relative. And it’s not like a regular Model Y is slow. But with the extra control and the good visibility generally offered by Teslas, especially tall ones, if you were really late for something the other end of a twisting road, I doubt you would get there much faster in anything else. ]]>
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