Tesla launches a new 466 hp model Y performance

What with both Skoda Enyaq VRS and Ford Mustang Mach e Rally recently rated on PH, it is a busy time for EV SUVs. Try it the way you could, there is no escaping them. And no discussion of the class would be complete without mentioning the Tesla model Y. Thanks to a recent update that has tackled some annoyances, it remains a highly appreciated EV-family car. Moreover, there is now one of the more pH -conviction: this is the new model Y performance.

As the name suggests, this is useful faster than the standard car, with power of a few ‘performance 4DU’ engines rated on 466 hp (the regular Y is 380 hp strong). Although nowadays no remarkable figure for an EV – the MG4 Xpower offers 435 hp for not much more than £ 35k, it is still enough, says Tesla, for 3.3 seconds to 62 MPH and 155 MPH. So faster than anyone else, it will ever need it. There is also 360 miles WLTP range, with efficiency with an assessment of 3.84 mi/kWh.

Adaptive dampers are pinched from the equivalent Model 3 performance, with tweaks for the extra weight (although 2,108 kg nowadays really don’t seem that much). Tesla says that the ‘wheels, tires and calipers of calipers are designed to respond to the maximum, so you have more accurate control on the wheel’, whatever that means. An extensive rear spoiler promises extra stability at speed, with a few carbon goodies that are unique for the performance to show off the school gates.

Within the Y there is a new 16-inch central screen that almost looks TV quality; Apparently it offers higher pixel density and ‘epic response times’. Moreover, there is an eight-inch display between the front row, so that rear seat passengers do not feel nice outside the touchscreen. Sports seats are at the front and the rear backlining – handy if there is a queue at the Supercharger for some reason. Especially with ‘noise damping materials and acoustic glass .. to keep your cabin still so that you can relax.’

Sounds like a useful series of upgrades, then the performance theoretically offers a model Y that is faster and better to drive without much fine (a standard dual-motor long distance claims 4.06mi/kWh).

The newcomer is now available for ordering, priced from £ 61,990. Which, as is often the case with Teslas, looks competitive against alternatives – although discounts may not be so future. For reference, a Kia EV6 GT of £ 59.930, a Mustang Mach e GT is £ 67,550 and a double engine Cupra Tavascan is from £ 55,945. However, the performance is £ 10,000 more than a long distance AWD Y, or £ 400 a month more on a PCP, so the best really needs the extra speed. First European deliveries are due in October.