How exciting is it to have a car that is everywhere? Your colleagues have it, your father-in-law has it, the accountant has it, the boss has it and the guy who runs the little business on the corner has it.
Everyone has a Tesla Model Y.
Do you want one too?
Shock price
At the time of writing, the cheapest version of the Tesla Model Y costs from NOK 431,844. By the time the test of this car finds its way from the desk of ABC Nyheter via Finansavisen.no or Finansavisen Motor on paper, however, there may have been changes in the price.
Tesla shocked not only the Norwegian car industry, but all markets in which they sell when they dumped prices on 13 January this year. It has created an unpredictability. Should prices continue to fall? Will Tesla adjust them back up?
It’s not good to say.
In any case, it is certain that the cheapest version of the Tesla Model Y is an unusually tempting electric car choice. The default color is white, which might be a bit boring. If you add black paint, it costs NOK 10,000 extra, and if you also buy winter tires from Tesla (for NOK 24,900), the car you see in the pictures costs NOK 466,744 including all taxes. It’s a lot of car for the money, it turns out.
The article continues below the advertisementThe article continues below the advertisement
There is every reason to understand that Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia and many others are worried about this very scary competitor.
The Tesla Model Y with rear-wheel drive has the same practical luggage compartment as the other Ys. Among other things, the car has a rather large front luggage compartment. Photo: Håkon Sæbø / Finansavisen
Crush the competition
On the technical side, you get 455 kilometers WLTP range, which in NAF’s recent range test can be translated to 449 kilometers before the battery is completely empty. The battery has a capacity of 65 kWh, 0 to 100 goes away in 6.9 seconds, and the top speed is 217 kilometers per hour. A towbar is standard equipment, and the car can tow 1,600 kilograms. The maximum fast charging power is 170 kW and comically crushes competitors such as Mercedes EQA, BMW iX1 and Audi Q4 e-tron.
The article continues below the advertisementThe article continues below the advertisement
The Germans, too, must therefore step up if they are to be able to compete. It makes no sense that a 130 kW BMW iX1 has so much worse top power compared to a Tesla Model Y.
However, the disadvantage of the entry-level model is that it only has one engine and therefore rear-wheel drive, while the Model Y Long Range and Performance not only have better range, but also four-wheel drive.
The article continues below the ad
If you’re the type who just has to have four-wheel drive – and there’s a good chance you are – it may be that the stingy junkie in you will still be tempted by a “Cheap Tesla”.
You see the Tesla Model Y all the time, at least in Oslo. Photo: Håkon Sæbø / Finansavisen
Like, but okay?
Externally, there is nothing to distinguish a Model Y with rear-wheel drive from the more expensive versions with better range. The top Performance model has larger wheels and brakes as standard as well as a rear spoiler, for those who were wondering, but also costs just over NOK 130,000 more.
On the inside, there are fortunately no immediate disadvantages with the most affordable Model Y. Where the rest of the car industry is good at making the cheapest models appear just that, cheap and nasty, Tesla does it differently.
Here there are no rows of buttons covered in black plastic, which is often the case if additional equipment in other cars has been dropped. In the Tesla Model Y, there are almost no buttons at all. Only the levers on the steering column have this, along with the multifunction buttons on the steering wheel itself.
The article continues below the ad
Cleverly enough, Tesla has not fallen into the Volkswagen trap and taken such radical action that the buttons for operating the rear windows have been removed.
The article continues below the ad
When you get into Tesla’s cheapest SUV, it appears logical, clean and, for some, overly clinical. The fact that absolutely all surfaces appear to be made of plastic (Tesla does not supply cars with leather interiors) makes it a bit charmless, but functional.
The large screen in the middle gives you all the information you need, and the operation is class-leading. If you shake it to test the feeling of quality, you will notice that the screen neither creaks nor wobbles. It satisfies.
Perhaps a little less convincing are the seats. They have no significant visual appeal, but despite their appearance they are good to sit in. It is also relatively comfortable in the back.
Electric seat adjustment, electric steering column, huge glass roof, heating in all seats and steering wheel are standard equipment. The optional extras list is very short and includes Tesla’s self-driving systems for which it is not at all certain that you will pay extra.
The article continues below the ad
Also standard is the stereo system, which has to be said to be the best we’ve heard in a car at this price.
Ostensibly to simplify the car, Tesla has removed common rear sensors, but it still has cameras trying to take over the job. It just works like that. Photo: Håkon Sæbø / Finansavisen
Questionable steering feel
On the road, Model Y drives with rear-wheel drive much like the other models with four-wheel drive. There is less grip out of sharp turns if you really push the car, but it appears a little inferior in a family SUV of this type. So does the lack of pure engine power and funfair-like acceleration. If you are not concerned with this, but want four-wheel drive, the Performance model can probably be seen away from in its entirety.
The article continues below the ad
The test car’s steering is precise enough and the transmission is quick, so you quickly get the impression that this is a smooth-driving electric car with well-being behind the wheel. Still, the steering feel ends up disappointing a bit, as it has an underlying synthetic feel. If it is engaging feedback from the steering wheel that you are primarily looking for, it is still the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT that apply – at a completely different price, of course.
The article continues below the ad
A bit annoying is that the turning diameter at Tesla is not particularly good, so here you will notice a big difference if you come from a VW ID.4, where the German engineers have actually been good.
On the inside, there is hardly a single button. Most everything is controlled from the screen in the middle and the interior can thus be experienced as a bit on the simplest level. Photo: Håkon Sæbø / Finansavisen
Tesla Model Y’s biggest problem
The fact that you have to steer a little extra when parking is not nearly as annoying as the car’s really big weakness – a disadvantage the rear-wheel drive Tesla Model Y shares with its more powerful four-wheel drive models.
If you primarily whiz around on motorways or country roads, you will rarely notice that the suspension comfort in the city is too poor. The Tesla Model Y is bordering on uncomfortably stiff, which families with children and people with Mercedes experience will not like.
BMW has been clever enough to include an adaptive suspension as standard equipment on its iX1, and Hyundai has followed suit with the Ioniq 5, while the Model Y unfortunately cannot be supplied with this as an option. Such a shortage emphasizes the creeping feeling you get that Tesla is looking to build simple cars with few components to keep the price down.
The article continues below the advertisementThe article continues below the advertisement
Front trunk – any bigger?
If you can live with the fact that the Tesla Model Y is uncomfortable to drive in the city, you will, on the other hand, enjoy the good space. In front, there is a large luggage compartment of a handy 117 litres, which most electric car models cannot compete with. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has 100 liters of boot space in the trunk, but the China car MG Marvel R actually takes 150 litres.
Tesla states the maximum luggage compartment volume at the back to be an almost incredible 854 litres, but this does not seem to be measured according to the so-called Verband der Automobilindustrie-meotoden (VDA) that large parts of the European car industry use.
Nevertheless, you can rest assured that the Tesla Model Y is a practical family car. The luggage compartment is divided into different zones under the floor, and you will easily fall in love with these when you arrive with shopping bags.
There aren’t many buttons at Tesla, but the few buttons you get have several smart functions. Photo: Håkon Sæbø / Finansavisen
The conclusion is clear
The fact that Tesla, in addition to all these features, has its extensive charging network makes it highly understandable why the Model Y sells so well in Norway.
The article continues below the ad
It may be boring to drive around in the same car that everyone else has, but if you are more concerned with the car’s characteristics than such snobbery, the Tesla Model Y with rear-wheel drive appears to be a solid choice at this price. Competitors should certainly not stop with their concerns about Tesla’s electric entry.
KEY INFO: Tesla Model Y Rear Wheel Drive
Driveline: One engine, rear wheel drive
HK/kW/Nm:299/220
0-100 km/t: 6.9 seconds
Top speed: 217 km/h
Range (WLTP): 455 km
Battery capacity: 65 kWh
Maximal loading effect: 170 kW
Net weight without driver: 1919 kg
L/B/H: 475/192/162 cm
Consumption: 13.1 kWh/100 km
Boot: 117/854/2,041 litres
Tackle: 75 kg
Trailer weight: 1,600 kg
Prices: This model: NOK 431,844. With equipment: NOK 441,844
We like this:
Plenty of space and large luggage compartment Reasonably priced Excellent sound system
We don’t like this:
Flimsy interior Lacks usual reversing sensors Little comfort in the city
Design: The Tesla Model Y is not a particularly beautiful car, but many people don’t care about that.
Driving environment: The seats are better to sit in than they are to look at. The screen in the middle is used for almost all operations.
Driving characteristics: Model Y drives relatively sporty and sits well on the road. High turning diameter is impractical.
Performance: 0 to 100 in just under seven seconds is approved. The car is fast enough for most people.
Space: Here you can load up with whatever you want. Tesla Model Y devours luggage.
Great value for money: A definite yes from us. Model Y with rear-wheel drive is a lot of electric family car for the money.
Character: 8/10
Conclusion: Everyone has it and you see it everywhere. Nevertheless, the Tesla Model Y must be recommended.
This article was first published in Finansavisen Motor.
2023-09-03 17:26:30
#Model #tested #problem #rearwheel #drive #model
