Tesla has just unveiled the Model Y Performance which, as the name suggests, sits at the top of the range as the most powerful and sportiest version, with straight-line pace capable of putting even bona fide sports cars to shame.
There won’t be a long wait, either: the first cars are expected to reach customers in September, with prices starting from €61,990.
More performance
In terms of its body and hardware, the new Model Y Performance uses the same mechanical set-up as the Model 3 Performance: two electric motors (one on each axle) paired with the largest-capacity battery, rated at 75 kWh.
Tesla quotes 338 kW, which corresponds to a combined maximum output of 460 cv delivered by the pair of motors. That’s enough to fire the SUV’s just-over-two-tonne mass to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds - only 0.1 seconds slower than a Porsche 911 GT3 - and on to a top speed of 250 km/h.
As for range, the American brand claims an average consumption figure of 16.2 kWh/100 km, equating to up to 580 km (WLTP). That makes the Model Y Performance one of the most efficient sporty electric vehicles currently on sale.
To achieve that, Tesla says it has upgraded the battery and fitted it “with new cells that provide higher energy density” without adding weight. The result? A claimed extra 52 km of range and 0.5 kWh/100 km less consumption than the lighter, more aerodynamic Model 3 Performance - an impressive claim all the same.
And what else?
To cope with the extra power, the Tesla Model Y Performance chassis has been revised with changes to the springs, anti-roll bars and bushes. The company also points to increased structural rigidity compared with the other versions of the model.
Visually, it’s hard to miss. The Tesla Model Y Performance adopts a more aggressive look, including a front bumper with new air inlets. At the rear, highlights include a new diffuser and a carbon-fibre spoiler on the tailgate.
Contact with the road comes via new wheels featuring 21-inch alloy rims. Behind them sits a new braking system which, according to Tesla, delivers stronger performance and greater resistance to fade.
Inside, the new Tesla Model Y Performance gains more sportily styled seats that provide better lateral support, while still retaining heating and ventilation.
The central display has also been updated. While other versions use a 15.4-inch screen, the Model Y Performance gets a slightly larger 16-inch unit.
How much does it cost?
Built at the Berlin Gigafactory - which also produces the other versions of the American SUV - the first examples of the new Tesla Model Y Performance are due to be delivered in September.
In pricing terms, the model is already available to order in Portugal from €61,990. See the price table for the full line-up:
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