Just over a month after Tesla unveiled the facelifted Model Y (codenamed Project Juniper), the world’s best-selling car has made its way to Malaysian shores. The refreshed electric SUV has made its appearance at Pavilion Damansara Heights (where it will be displayed until March 2) about two months before local deliveries are due to start.
As previously reported, the car is available in two variants, with nett prices as follows:
Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive – RM195,450
Tesla Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive – RM242,450
The new Model Y is thus RM4,450 model-for-model compared to the previous car, which received an RM8,000 price cut last April. These figures are for the base car and do not include options such as different paints or a white interior. Those options include:
Pearl White Multi-Coat paint – RM5,000
Glacier Blue paint – RM7,500
Quicksilver paint – RM11,000
Ultra Red paint – RM11,000
20-inch Helix 2.0 wheels – RM10,000
White interior – RM5,000
Enhanced Autopilot – RM16,000
Full Self Driving – RM32,000
Initial cars will be Launch Series units with a special tailgate badge, puddle light logo, Launch Series side sill skid plates and “vegan leather” dash trim with the standard black interior. Buyers also receive an Acceleration Boost function that lowers the zero to 100 km/h acceleration time. Tesla did not specify exactly how many Launch Series units will be made available, but it did say that orders for the special edition will be open for the first month.
In typical Tesla fashion, no output or battery capacity figures have been released, but it does claim that the RWD model gets from zero to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds (with Acceleration Boost) and achieves a WLTP-rated range of up to 466 km. As for the LR AWD, that completes the century sprint in 4.3 seconds (also with Acceleration Boost) and can travel up to 551 km on a single charge. Both have an electronically-limited top speed of 203 km/h.
The biggest change to the Model Y is of course to the design, which adopts Tesla’s latest design language already seen on the Cybertruck and Cybercab. At the front, you’ll find a full-width light bar that pushes the slimmer headlights lower down; the Tesla “T” badge has also been dropped. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice a new front camera tucked away in the air intake, providing drivers a better forward view when parking, although a proper 360-degree camera view is still not available.
At the rear you’ll find an even more significant revamp with the introduction of another full-width light bar. This forms what Tesla calls the world’s first indirect taillight, illuminating the silver strip and “Tesla” script. Meanwhile, the diffuser has been re-profiled to reduce drag and now incorporates the number plate recess, which has been moved down from the tailgate. Speaking of which, the tailgate is now made in two pieces, presumably to tighten the shut lines and reduce costs; this has also necessitated a new rear windscreen.
Elsewhere, the Model Y comes with a pair of new wheel options, including the base 19-inch Crossflow rollers with black aero covers and optional silver 20-inch Helix 2.0 units. Lastly, the door mirrors have been mildly redesigned with a crease on the top edge. The colour palette has also been expanded with a new Glacier Blue option, while Stealth Grey replaces Pearl White Multi-Coat as the standard hue.
Inside, the Model Y carries over the improvements from the facelifted Model 3, including a larger 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, customisable ambient lighting, ventilated seats and an eight-inch rear touchscreen on the back of the centre console.
One difference is that the SUV ditches the controversial steering wheel indicator controls for a conventional stalk (no one-touch triple-flash function), although the buttons for the lights, flashers and wipers remain on the tiller. You also still get gear selector controls in the screen, rather than a discrete column stalk.
On top of that are further improvements such as all-around double-glazed acoustic glass (front windows only for the 2024 model) for an even quieter drive and a UV-reflecting silver coating for the panoramic glass roof. The rear seats also gain a powered recline function, which means that those pews can now both be folded and unfolded electrically using buttons in the boot.
The rear parcel shelf also makes its welcome return in certain markets, but because Malaysia gets privacy glass, it is omitted here (although the rails for it remain moulded into the plastic panels).
Under the skin, the Model Y has been tweaked for a quieter ride thanks to the new wheel and tyre packages and revised body castings that consolidate 70 parts into a single panel. The new rear diffuser also helps to balance lift between the front and rear axles, improving high-speed stability.
GALLERY: 2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD facelift in Malaysia
The post Tesla Model Y Juniper facelift in Malaysia – on display until March 2, April deliveries, from RM195,450 appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
