Tesla’s battery-powered SUV to get fresh design inside and out plus more efficient powertrains
Tesla will overhaul the top-selling Tesla Model Y in 2024 in response to all-new rivals from traditional car-makers and a new wave of Chinese competitors.
According to Reuters, the facelifted 2024 Tesla Model Y is being secretly developed under the Project Juniper codename and will involve updates to both the interior and exterior design to freshen up the mid-size battery-electric SUV that was launched back in 2019.
Tesla is already retooling its Shanghai assembly line to prepare for the refreshed 2023 Tesla Model 3, which is also being updated (under the Project Highland codename) and is set to reach production in September.
According to sources working closely with the car-maker, the motivation for the Model 3 refresh is to not only boost appeal but also slash production costs to enhance profit margins.
The mid-size sedan, which first went on sale back in 2017, will also get revised exterior styling and powertrain updates that will make it more efficient to help keep pace with newer rivals.
Project Juniper, meanwhile, has involved Tesla asking its Model Y suppliers for quotes to update both the exterior and interior, with a deadline for introducing new components reportedly set for October 2024.
That’s when production will begin at its assembly plants in California, Texas, Shanghai and Germany.
The upgraded Model Y is tipped to increase perceived quality within its cabin while an overhauled infotainment system will improve its navigation.
Until now, Tesla has preferred continuous improvements of its line-up that normally involve software updates, but a bigger refresh is thought to have been greenlit to improve its competitiveness.
That said, Tesla recently announced that since January the Tesla Model Y has included a revised suspension tune that promises to address the earlier car’s unforgiving ride.
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Keyword: Tesla Model Y set for big makeover