Tesla Model Y Performance review: If only all mid-life facelifts were this good

Remember the Tesla Model Y? Of course you do, it’s the best-selling electric car ever made and has sold well over 50,000 units in Australia alone. And even with the controversy the brand’s head has created in recent times, the Tesla Model Y has enjoyed big sales globally.

Following on from the big ‘Juniper’ mid-life update to the Model Y that lobbed earlier this year, Tesla has turned up the styling wick on the Performance mid-size SUV variant to make it stand out more than before.

Immediately noticeable are the huge 21-inch alloy wheels – the design is called ‘Arachnid’ if you were wondering – wrapped in serious 255/35 front and 275/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tyres. There’s a subtle bodykit to stand apart from lesser Ys, complete with a surprisingly real carbon-fibre rear lip spoiler. All in all, it looks far more sporting than the previous Model Y Performance.

4

What’s the interior like?

The cabin of the Model Y Performance hasn’t seen as many changes as the exterior but it’s still a very practical space now filled with numerous small changes that combine to make a large difference. The extra layers of material finishing compared with the pre-updated Model Y are noticeable: the plastics used are softer, there’s suede in places prone to rattles – like the wireless charger area – and even the seat controls look and feel more expensive.

Racier details, such as the new carbon dashboard trim and selectable ambient lighting, also add a classier feel inside. The new sports front seats are also successful in conveying the Y Performance’s sportier vibe. Plus, they’re more adjustable than before with seat cushion extension adjustment, and feature the cool hyperspace logo of the Tesla Performance models below the headrest. The seats are also – finally! – ventilated so that the inevitable heat from the glass roof won’t hit quite so hard.

The Performance uses a slightly larger touchscreen than lesser Model Y models. At 16-inches, it still dominates the dashboard and it uses the same software as other Tesla models, but now it’s even larger than before. As before, it’s absolutely packed with features from inbuilt navigation to apps like Spotify and Netflix – though no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – and as before, the layout is fairly easy to use but it may take a lot of familiarisation at first.

5

Like the pre-updated Model Y, there’s no speedometer in front of the driver or head-up display. That’s a big no-no in a speed-focused country like Australia, and indeed in such a quick vehicle, it could take you up to licence-losing speeds in seconds. Sure, the speedometer is located on the driver’s side of the screen, but you have to look downwards off the road to see it.

The rear seat base is marginally longer now for extra comfort and two taller adults will be very comfortable, with a third fitting at a pinch. It’s a roomy space, but spaciousness is further enhanced by the flat floor and ample foot room, even for those with big feet. The new 8.0-inch rear touchscreen that controls the rear temperature and features apps such as YouTube will also likely be a godsend for parents on road trips. Tesla knows its market very well there.

Boot and storage

As before, the Model Y’s boot is quite large at 938 litres with the seats up (including a huge under floor section) that opens up to 2022 litres with the rear seats folded. Handily, the rear seats fold and raise electrically for extra convenience. The front boot adds another 117 litres of space, and it now features drainage for those wanting to use their Model Y for tailgate parties or in case the milk from your weekly groceries leaks from how fast you’re driving.

6

The changes that you can see to the Tesla Model Y Performance add up to a big difference compared with the old model. The styling is more modern and more sporting, and it gets more attention from those around you, but how about the changes underneath?

How does the Model Y Performance drive?

Firstly, there’s more power. It certainly didn’t need it, but Tesla has gifted it anyway. Some sources claim it makes the same 343kW as the Model 3 Performance, while others say up to a massive 461kW. From the driver’s seat, it feels like the latter. This car is quick.

Whatever the case, it launches to 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the older model, and it hits a top whack of 250km/h. As you’d expect, in its fastest ‘insane’ driving mode, the Model Y Performance feels searingly and sick-inducingly quick. Yet it’s also quite efficient: we returned a 17.4kWh/100km result in our time with it. It charges at up to 250kW as well, and Tesla’s ‘Supercharger’ charging network is impressive, too.

The dynamic package has also been overhauled with new adaptive dampers the stars of the show. The previous Model Y Performance was criticised for its too-firm and non-forgiving suspension, and on that front, the new model is far better. The ride is more supple, forgiving and comfortable in standard mode, a touch firmer and a bit brittle at times in the firmer setting, but still entirely liveable. The brakes are reportedly no larger than a standard Model Y, but still perform well and pedal feel is good. It’s also been made even quieter inside and road noise is only really heard on coarse chip surfaces.

4

The power delivery feels as though it’s changed slightly with the update, with what feels like more front bias than before. While it’s still a heavy beast that relies heavily on its front wheels in the corners, it’s still capable of scary speeds through the twisties. While a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N still bests the Model Y Performance for involvement, the Tesla is still reasonably fun to drive.

So that’s the Tesla Model Y Performance: a searingly fast, hugely capable and nicely improved performance version of one of the world’s best-selling cars. It’s still wonderfully practical, loaded with plenty of wow factor features and has access to the best charging network out there currently. It’s the default choice for those wanting a performance electric SUV, and while the Juniper update has made it much more talented than before, there are now more rivals to consider like the Zeekr 7X.

There are still jarring factors about the Model Y that some rivals do better, like its comparatively short warranty, glass roof with no cover that makes the cabin quite hot, lack of speedometer in front of the driver and that 99.9 per cent of features are controlled through the touchscreen. But all things considered, and just how well it drives now, there’s no doubt that the Model Y Performance is still one of the best of its type and it’s now even better.

3

Tesla Model Y Performance specifications:

Tesla Model Y Performance standard features:

• 21-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive dampers with two settings
• Chill, standard and insane driving modes
• Dusk/rain-activated automatic all-LED lighting
• LED front and rear daytime running lights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Smartphone/key card access and start
• Heated/auto-folding/auto-dimming exterior mirrors that drop in reverse
• Auto-dimming rear mirrors
• Panoramic glass roof
• Electric tailgate
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• 14-way electric front seats with memory
• Electric steering column adjustment
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated leather steering wheel
• Heated rear seats
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Carbon fibre and suede interior trims
• 16-inch touchscreen with live services
• Over-the-air software updates
• Bluetooth calling/audio streaming
• Inbuilt apps such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music
• Inbuilt games
• Tesla smartphone app for climate, location and other settings
• 16-speaker sound system
• Colour-selectable interior ambient lighting
• Twin wireless phone chargers
• 4x USB-C charging ports
• 8.0-inch rear seat entertainment/climate screen

Model Y Performance safety features:

• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control with ‘autopilot’ highway self-driving capability
• Lane keeping assistance with lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring (through the screen)
• Blind-spot view cameras
• Traffic sign recognition
• Driver attention monitoring
• Adaptive high beam
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Front, side and rear cameras
• Automatic rear braking
• Tyre pressure monitoring

The Model Y range achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating earlier in 2025 with impressive scores of 91 per cent for adult occupancy protection, 95 per cent for child occupancy protection, 86 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 92 per cent for safety assistance.

Model Y Performance options:

• Black and white interior: $1500
• Full self-driving (supervised): $10,100