An update to the Tesla Model Y has been awaited for some time; it was originally suspected the so-called ‘Juniper’ model would land in 2024. As it turns out, Tesla missed it by just a few weeks, with the refreshed Model Y finally being revealed in China on Friday.
There weren’t a lot of theatrics around the release. Instead, Tesla China quietly updated its website, revealing the facelifted version of its best-selling electric crossover. The new model also appeared on Tesla Australia’s website, while the US website continued to feature the outgoing model.
The most notable changes are obvious at a glance. The new model has a smoother, more streamlined front end with a revised lighting design. Gone are the traditional headlights, replaced with a pair of sharp LED units that blend into a strip running along the hood crease.
It’s a similar story at the rear. The back end of the Model Y Juniper sports a taillight stretching across the whole back end. It is apparently “the first indirect reflective body panel taillight of its kind,” according to the automaker. Tesla has also complemented the model with new wheel designs in 19″ and 20″ sizes for the Chinese market. The company also notes that updates to the suspension, tires, and body castings were made with an eye to increasing ride quality.
Interestingly, some interior images show what appears to be a turn signal stalk protruding from the steering column. This diverts from the design choices Tesla made on the Model 3, with the current model relying on buttons instead to activate the turn signals. Indeed, the company also eliminated turn signal stalks from the Model S and Model X in 2021. Other interior updates include ventilated front seats and powered rear seats. Rear passengers will also get an infotainment screen of their own, for both entertainment and accessing climate controls.
Tesla China lists the new model’s range as 719 kilometers (446 miles) on the CLTC test regime, up from the 688 kilometer rating (427 miles) of the outgoing model. Those figures are for the Long Range AWD model on 19-inch wheels. CLTC figures are usually a lot higher than those recorded on the US EPA cycle. Perhaps a better guide are the Australian figures recorded on the WLTP cycle, which state the new model achieves up to 551 km (342 miles) of range. In any case, the new model appears to have a small gain in range—perhaps around 5% or so.
As for pricing, Chinese models start at ¥303,500 yuan ($41,393 USD) for the Long Range AWD model, and ¥263,500 ($35,937 USD) for the rear-wheel-drive version. The AWD and RWD models achieve the zero to 60 mph sprint in 4.3 seconds and 5.9 seconds respectively. Tesla China doesn’t appear to have a Performance trim on offer. Both those figures are slower than the existing Model Y Performance, which hits 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
The new Model Y comes with powered rear seats! pic.twitter.com/SC53b6r557
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 10, 2025
It’s worth noting that these Chinese market prices are not directly relevant to the US market. Deliveries in China are expected to begin in March. For now, no details are available for American models, but it’s expected the Juniper will become available Stateside sooner rather than later.
Ultimately, the Juniper refresh will be seen as a much needed update to Tesla’s volume seller. While the company has continued to post strong sales figures, the electric vehicle market has not stood still. In particular, Chinese automakers have been putting out their own compelling product, and Tesla will have to continue to innovate if it wishes to keep up. The Juniper update is evidence that the company is well aware of this fact going forward.
Image credits: Tesla
Kind of a tangent, but does anyone else ever notice how uncanny most of the tech guys posting about tesla on Twitter usually seem?
The best ones were boasting about some hill climbing in a Cybertruk and then somebody posts Grandma in her 20yr old RAV4 doing the same course.
Yawn, edge to edge headlights and tail lights, so not… edgy.
It’s awful how the inclusion of a turn signal is considered a PLUS. JCWTF.
I know its popular to hate everything new but i think this looks 10x better than the current Model Y.
How can something that looks 99% the same be 10x better?
10x better from before is still a pretty low bar when it started off where it was.
You would be hard pressed to find something uglier than the current one
It’s almost exactly the same car but with unibrows front and rear. Not sure how it can look “10x better” just because it now has light strips.
All that and it’s still a hideous, misshapen blob.
Knowing how much the boss can’t get enough of decades-old sci-fi influences, I’m betting the styling brief was just “Give it light bars like all the other new cars, but more like a Cylon. That will be dope.”
Or it was just as simple as “give it the same lights as the Cybertruck.”
True, I should’ve specified headlights from a cybertruck and taillights like a Cylon. I just can’t look at that last photo and not see this: https://images.hobbydb.com/processed_uploads/subject_photo/subject_photo/image/29733/1503246326-2529-8445/Cylon_large.jpg
no thanks
Teslas are starting to look increasingly like the Chinese rip-offs of Teslas.
I feel like they missed one box of interior parts when they checked out at Ikea.
That’s….not an improvement.
Extremely strong Late Model SAAB going on in that rear end and I like it. I honestly feel like the Model 3/Y have had a lot of very SAAB like design traits, and now this especially reminds me of that sadly unreleased Jason Castriota designed 9-3
Tesla seems hell-bent on making the most lifeless interiors imaginable. I’d rather spend time in a bus station over that bland-ass space. Did Elon only give them a grayscale palette?
I love minimalism, but this strikes me more like “Cell block 14C” than it does luxury.
Haha yeah, me too. But these are like solitary confinement!
You want color?
Take Ketamine, like Elmo.
I don’t understand the appeal of a ‘crossover’ that’s basically a corpulent sedan. Why not give it a usable rear cargo area?
While I understand your point (and will typically agree with it in principle), the differences can be subtle. This was a topic of conversation in Autopian comments last year I was in, and I ended up finding this Autoblog article.
In it, they test cargo space differences between the Mazda 3 sedan & hatchback, as well as the CX-30 (ostensibly the SUV version of the 3). Long story short, the sedan and CX-30 do better than the hatch. Based only on looking at the two, I would have figured the 30 to be the same as the hatch, or at least close enough for government work.
Just an interesting idea to add for you.
Women like the higher driving position.
There is a female-only college near me. Their motto is “100 years of women on the top”. Not sure that is relevant but it came to mind… often.
Insert Quagmire gif
The headlight design: OK, now that the CyberCab had the Cybertruck’s headlights copy pasted into it, here they are again on the Y. It’s only a matter of time (could be several years) until they are on the S, X, and 3. It seem Tesla hires a designer once every five or more years, and then only recycles that change.
The taillights: OK, so now it looks like every other car. Not a good thing, since until now you always knew you were behind a Tesla by the taillights — similar to Volvo but even more so.
I have no other reaction other than the non-constructive “lol get fucked”
Yawns loudly
Part of sustainability is not just recycle, repurpose, and reuse, it is just plain use. If you need a product buy it, use it fully, and then dispose of it properly so that it can be recycled. Many Tesla buyers are imminently practical in this respect. Since the car does not change and the drivetrain is reliable, they can continue to drive them for a long time because it just works. I argue that long styling cycles are a feature not a bug.
I live in an area with lots of upper-middle-class tech workers and their families. Every third car is a Model Y so I have become accustomed to the slightly ungainly proportions. They look fine, work fine, and are economical – the new age Camry. This is definitely an improvement and will be gobbled up by the same buyers.
Maybe it’s regional or something, but the Tesla drivers I encounter are the exact opposite of what you describe. People who pride themselves on having the newest coolest gizmo and gadget, upgrading their phone every time iphone releases the newest iteration and trading in their car every time tesla announces a new trim level… I’ve known plenty of Tesla drivers and can’t think of a single one who bought their car new and kept it through the duration of the warranty period
Where I live everyone accepts Tesla as “just a car” and a practical and affordable option. There is less of the Fascist-mobile image that is popular elsewhere. The “Ooo a TESLA!” factor is only Boomers and poors. Except for the Cybertruck which is still a “Look At Me” vehicle.
Yeah, I live on the Space Coast so Teslas are quite common, I don’t think anyone really bats an eye at them anymore. Less of them in the SpaceX parking lot than you might think but that’s just one of their hangars, maybe it’s different for the engineering building. Still only seen one or two Cybertrucks surprisingly, I expected a lot more.
I also live in an area where non-Cybertruck Teslas are treated as ordinary cars. I think this is the case in most places outside of the internet. I don’t think the “Fascistmobile” image exists anywhere in the real world. I don’t think the average person has given any Tesla a second thought since the Model S was new and rare in the mid-2010s.
I bought my Model 3 because it was cheap (I bought it used), efficient, and fun to drive. I’m not someone who is an early adopter of tech, even if I have driven an EV for several years. I bought my EVs because they were the best transportation options available for what I needed. Most other Tesla owners I know bought them for similar reasons. I agree with the idea that they are a modern-day Camry.
I live in Dallas where you see more Teslas than Camry’s at this point. I dont think a certain type of person drives them anymore. I think some people just think badly about Tesla drivers bc of their CEO.
A Tesla is like Starbucks. Default, boring, don’t care if I am spending money with a company I do not support.
But I agree that not having to change designs should be seen as a good thing; it’s less wasteful than change for change’s sake. I remember European manufacturers lambasting the Japanese for their pointless four-year cycle.
Saw my first Cyber Truck in person this week at the grocery store.
It was wrapped, advertising a local pest control company.
It was not a good look at all.
Even without the wrap.
Maybe it’s my bias.* But it feels like Tesla (drivers) have become the BMWs of yore. Riding my tail; using the right turn lane to punch-it and skip to the front of the line; and just generally being d-bags. This is just anecdotal though, so take it with a grain of salt.
*I’m not anti-ev. At all. Love them, although I agree with DT that more/better PHEVs are needed. I am, however, quite anti-Elon…and would never purchase a Tesla.
I concur with your assessment. The elimination of the turn signal stalk seems to perhaps just be tesla leaning into taking over the BMW asshat driver role 🙂
Tesla is the choice douchebag mobile. They jumped ship from BMW to Tesla a while ago. The CT is the ultimate DoucheMobile.
Now they also have the Maga stink to them too.
Way to kill your brand there Musk.
Trump supporters hate EVs and wouldnt even be caught in the passanger seat of one so thats quite off.
I know that’s why he is killing the brand, he is the maga stink, Maga hates EVs. I didn’t say the opposite here. So no I’m not off at all, you just added words to what I wrote and claim i said it
I think it’d only take 1-2 asshole drivers to give that impression.
My observation of Teslas has been that they are usually two or more steps below the fastest traffic on the highway. I rarely see them using the performance that I know they have, and they’re more likely to be hovering behind a semi, conserving range.
And they’re often prone to excessive use of cruise control in heavy traffic. Make time or make way! Complete your pass and then move back over to the right already. Rolling roadblocks are just as illegal as speeding. A line of six cars behind you means you’re blocking faster traffic.
I don’t know if I’m witnessing bad drivers or FSD, but either way they’re not blending in very well.
I see this too – I just figure it’s range anxiety.
you must be one of those guys that dont want anyone to get to their destination before you do. hence your (skip to the front) logic.
Did you read the whole comment? I said using a “right turn lane” to get in front of traffic in the center lane, which is an illegal (and dangerous) move. I really don’t give a fuck how fast you get to your location, so long as you do it safely.
I’ve had my Model 3 since mid 2018 and plan to drive it into the ground, as I’ve done with all my previous cars. I bought it because it was the best EV I could afford (pricey for me, but possible because I had not purchased a new car for 15 years) — any cool gizmo/gadget aspects were just “nice-to-have” added benefits. I know other owners who are much the same. We really wanted to be done with buying gas and it was the best option.
Over the years I’ve come around from thinking that the Model 3 was the most utterly generic, bland car, like something you’d jack in GTA as an absolute last resort, to thinking it’s actually kind of an adorable, modern classic.
A bit like how I thought about the Reliant K car, come to think of it.
Here in Orange County, CA, the Tesla Models 3 and Y have replaced the base-model BMW 3-series as seemingly the most common car in office parking lots. Where I live I’ve seen 4 or 5 of them at a time at a major intersection.
I continue to hope they never significantly change the body!
I also do think with Franz von Holzhausen he really nailed the design side. It’s such a tight and well executed design (not talking about built!) that there is only so much you’d really need to change on it
Finally, someone else who gets it. There is a reason why the Model Y is the best selling EV. The honda accord and toyota camry aren’t exciting either, and they sell by the boat loads.
It’s not about anyone “getting” anything. Styling is subjective. I think the Model Y is gross. Many like it. Awesome. As far as it being the best selling EV, I’m not sure what that proves. I’m sure there’s a company out there that makes the best selling brand of canned unsweetened prunes.
It proves lots of people buy it, more than other EVs I guess.
The Ford Taurus was once the best selling car. McDonald’s makes the best-selling hamburger. Best selling doesn’t mean best, or even good. Some people aspire to more.
The Camry was refreshed and then redesigned on a regular schedule to keep it on top. When people buy a new car they want it to look different than the one they are replacing.
This still so much makes me think of them as the ‘iphone’ of cars. Came out with something truly revolutionary, everyone copies and then improves, they’re glacier slow to innovate afterwards, but because it’s a Tesla, they still keep selling as the public don’t know Polestar or Lucid or that GM/Ford/Hyundai make EVs, so they want an EV they get a Tesla.
At least they fixed the bargain basement looking tail lights they used to have.
Is it now nearly a requirement to attach the headlights with a center lighting strip or have it as one large continuous light bar in order to tell the world it’s an EV? Are they still called heckenblende if it’s the headlight unit and not the taillights?
Tesla Y/Cybertruck
Lucid Air/Gravity
Rivians
Hyundai Kona
VW Jellybean crossovers
Ford Lightning
Probably others
VW Arteon is a fully ICE vehicle with a continuous light bar
It’s a wannabe! lol I stand corrected. Just reminds me of 2010 when we started doing the split headlights and everything turned into a split headlight crossover and now everything seems to be going to slim lightbar. I’m of course using these generalities very loosely.
Everyone just wants to be the Mercury Sable.
It is a general trend though, Ford did it (really poorly) with the Escape too.
“the first indirect reflective body panel taillight of its kind”
Well, isn’t that exciting?
*crickets*
The sexiness of Maytag and the reliability of Alfa! What’s not to like?
With all the interior charm of your local dentist’s chair. Please, have a seat!
The lightbar trend is played out imo but I guess it looks less froggy than the old one
Ugh….. a mediocre refresh on a product that is half the age of the Model S and X that haven’t seen any meaningful updates since their inception? Sounds like Tesla.
Tesla did a lot of hardware updates rather than visual updates. Stuff that a customer doesn’t necessarily see immediately. A 2020 MY and a 2024 MY are very different underneath their identical sheet metal. Better cameras, more powerful computers, an improved suspension and use of giga-castings for the front and rear body sections being the biggest differences.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either to have the substantial revamp in 2023 look like a 2020. They’re substantially different vehicles.
I really don’t have to be a fan of Tesla to question whether you are willfully ignoring the fact that Tesla regularly updates their cars on a yearly basis
The Model Y is something like 60% of total Tesla sales and the Model 3 another 30%. The S and X don’t really sell waste limited resources.
I presume Tesla made a lot of practical changes that made this vehicle better. However, they made the same mistake they did with the Model 3 Highland in making it look too similar to the older model. I suspect this will be yet another Tesla that is indistinguishable from the older version at a casual glance. If people are going to spend money on a new car, they don’t want one that looks like it could be five years old the day it is driven off the lot.
Tesla has improved their vehicles considerably over the years, but unless you are a Tesla nerd like me, you may have no idea these vehicles have changed at all. That’s not good.
100%. Anyone who is not a tesla stan isn’t going to be able to tell if it’s a new or old 3 or y unless they see both a new and old at the same time next to each other.
The front end feels very VW XL1 to me, mainly the little fog light and air intake.
Breaking news: The most boring Tesla still looks boring; maintains feature that has been standardized on all automobiles since dirt.
Weather on the 10s . . .
In other news…I want to care but can’t bring myself to do so…
I prefer traffic and weather together on the 8s, WCBS 880