Tesla’s Stretched Model Y L Turns Family Hauling Into Something You Actually Want To Drive

Stretch a Model Y by seven inches, raise the roof a couple more, and suddenly the familiar shape starts looking like a proper station wagon that forgot how to be boring. Early drives around Los Angeles and the hills above it show Tesla finally giving the people who need six seats a machine that does not feel like a compromise.

Reviewers who spent a full day in the Launch Series version are just as surprised as the first time around, as the car feels lighter and more eager than you’d think given its weight of around 4,600 pounds. With 496 horsepower from dual motors, you can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds, if you can resist the impulse to launch forcefully. Loosen the gear and it will slide towards the tailgate, but even with a longer chassis, the car remains rather calm as the road tightens up. Most of this can be attributed to the adaptive dampers; one option prioritizes a silky-smooth ride for those in the back, while another maintains body roll under control without becoming unpleasant, as some early Model Y owners complained.


Out on sweeping on-ramps or canyon roads, the car remains clean and simple to manage, even with bigger rear tires when the whole family is on board. The real reason this thing exists is to offer you more room. The wheelbase measures 119.7 inches, and the overall length is 195.6 inches, which may seem like a lot, but believe us when we say it makes a difference. Third-row headroom is up 3.5 inches, while legroom is up 5.2 inches over the previous Model Y with three rows. Now a six-footer can sit back there without the skyroof bearing down on them; additionally, it is heated and padded, with side airbags that deploy when needed. Of course, getting back there is still a little difficult because you have to scoot past the middle row, which isn’t easy for everyone.


The middle row, on the other hand, is where things get better. These captain’s chairs recline quite a bit, heat and cool, and have powered armrests that tuck up when not in use. There is a panel between them that displays all of the climate, media, and seat functions, as well as heated and cooled seats in the front with extensible thigh supports that can be adjusted sixteen different ways. The materials have also been softened, with imitation suede, cushioned vinyl, and tweed accents breaking up the otherwise black interior. That large 19-speaker audio system sounds fantastic, filling the area wonderfully, despite the glass roof still allowing the sun’s beams in and heating the cabin on sunny days. You might miss out on phone chargers and some cooling, but the cabin is much quieter than a conventional Model Y because to all the extra sound deadening. With the back seats folded flat, you have approximately 90 cubic feet of cargo space, and there are buttons in the load area that allow you to raise and lower the second and third rows with the push of a button. A secret under-floor bin will swallow a suitcase entire, while the standard front trunk is still present.


Because of its Vehicle-to-load and Vehicle-to-home capability, the 83-kWh battery can power your tools or even your entire house when needed. The range is between 320 and 325 miles, depending on the wheels you choose, and if you need a boost, a Supercharger session may do a lot to get you going again, as seen by one test that saw a 20% boost in less than eight minutes. As a bonus, you receive Full Self-Driving (Supervised for newcomers) for the first year as standard. We made a spin back into LA on the highway, and the system handled lane changes, bikers, and dense traffic with little difficulty, but some of you will still want to keep your hands on the wheel out in the hills. However, on the open road, it generally functions as claimed.