Tesla Model Y L review: This Tesla defies expectations in one important way

[SINGAPORE] Tooling around in the Tesla Model Y L made me question my lifelong assertion that I would rather be kicked in the man parts by a mule than have to drive a three-row sport utility vehicle (SUV).

After all, it’s a universal principle of motoring that the fewer seats a car has, the more fun it is to drive – would you rather have a go in a Formula 1 car or a Toyota Alphard?

But there goes that idea. I rubbed my hands each time I climbed behind the Tesla’s wheel, because even though it has six seats, it’s just really nice to drive. 

To accommodate the extra chairs, Tesla’s first three-row SUV is 186 mm longer than a regular Model Y. Somehow, the extra size doesn’t translate to visual bulk, and it’s still svelte to look at from most angles.

With the best wind resistance measure in the Tesla line-up (0.216 coefficient of drag), it also slips through the air even better than its siblings. 

For now, you can only get one version. It costs S$144,264 without a Certificate of Entitlement, and packs two motors for all-wheel drive and 514 horsepower.

That was Ferrari levels of firepower not long ago, and it’s enough to send this six-seater to 100 kmh in five seconds flat. Evidently, SpaceX isn’t the only company in Elon Musk’s empire to build rockets.

But the chassis is the real revelation here. Despite its height, the Model Y L resists body roll like a hero. The steering is quick and precise, and it actually lets you feel what the front tyres are up to.

That’s all the difference between tiptoeing cautiously around corners, and blasting through them like billy-o. 

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On the minus side, the 12.5 m turning circle will test your nerves in some tighter car parks and U-turns, so rear-axle steering would be a sensible thing for Tesla to offer.

Otherwise, the engineering here is impressive. At roughly 2.1 tonnes, the Model Y L is lighter than the new BMW iX3 by more than 200 kg, and that car has only five seats. 

That leanness shows up in the efficiency figures, too, with a claimed 14.6 kWh per 100 km. That wrings 681 km of range from the relatively modest 88 kWh battery pack.

It’s also space-efficient. The second-row captain’s chairs offer lots of room, with USB charging ports, air-conditioning vents and an eight-inch entertainment screen giving occupants there the best seats in the house.

The third-row seating requires tempered expectations, mostly because getting to it involves squeezing between the middle-row chairs. Once settled back there, you’ll find that headroom and width are generous, but your knees will become neighbours with your ears.

It’s also worth noting that you’re directly under the tailgate there, so on sunny days you’ll feel like a croque monsieur.

The boot is better than you’d expect, given the car’s sleek shape, and the 116-litre frunk certainly isn’t a token item. 

What’s harder to overlook is the build quality. The media car had body panels and cabin trim that didn’t quite line up perfectly, and a windscreen with tiny optical distortions.

Nor does the equipment list impress. Automated parking is a cost option, and there’s no 360-degree parking camera, no head-up display, no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, no cooler box for the cabin, and no massage seats. All of which you can find in cheaper cars.

That’s a pity, given how good the rolling bits of the Model Y L are. The six-seat layout also feels like a missed opportunity.

A normal three-seat middle row with seats that tip forward would subtract some comfort but add versatility, and strengthen the case against rivals that already go the extra seating mile.

A Hyundai Santa Fe or the new Mercedes-Benz GLB may not be as fun to drive, for instance, but they are that much more functional.

While we’re at it, let’s hope Tesla is working on a single-motor version; its road tax bill would be smaller than this version’s S$5,400. 

Still, the handling and efficiency here are well ahead of the game, so much so that the Model Y L made my world wobble: I arrived a committed six-seater sceptic, but left wanting one more.

If any car was always going to subvert a man’s principles, it’s a Tesla.

Tesla Model Y L Premium All-Wheel Drive Motor power/Torque 521 hp/590 Nm Battery type/Capacity Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt/88 kWh Charging time/Type Approx 10 hours (11 kW AC)/Approx 30 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (250 kW DC) Range 681 km 0-100 kmh 5.0 seconds Top speed 201 kmh Efficiency 14.6 kWh/100 km Agent Tesla Singapore Price S$144,264 without COE Available Now