Tesla launched a new version of the Model Y in the U.S. on Thursday. The Model Y L, which debuted in China last year, features a slightly stretched wheelbase, more interior space, and six seats.
Sales kick off with an all-wheel-drive Launch edition, which costs $61,990. That is $16,000 more than the regular Model Y Premium with all-wheel drive. EPA range comes in at 325 miles, and Tesla says that 0-60-mph happens in 4.4 seconds. At a glance, it's virtually indistinguishable from the normal Model Y. But looking at them side by side, it's clear the new model has a longer wheelbase and a roofline that bumps up and out ever so slightly where the third row is.
Inside, the Model Y L has captain's chairs for the second row and two more seats behind that. The first and second rows have heated and ventilated seats, and the third row gets butt warmers as well.
The Model Y Long Wheelbase is Tesla's latest attempt to juice sales without releasing a brand-new model and while still leaning on the basic design of its cash cow, the Model Y. Last year, the company rolled out cheaper, more basic versions of the Model Y and Model 3. That model—which trades the Y's flashy light bars for more basic headlights and taillights and lacks an FM radio—brought the sticker price of a Model Y down below $40,000 and helped make up for the loss of the EV tax credit.
