Unlike five-seat electric crossovers, of which dozens are sold in Israel, the market for vehicles with six seats or more is much more limited and suffers from high prices. Now joining it is Tesla’s extended Model Y, bringing a promise of practicality and range, but not of affordability.
The three-row version of the world’s best-selling electric car has been lengthened by 17.9 cm to 4.98 meters, with 15 cm added to the wheelbase, now reaching 3.04 meters. Its height has also increased by 4 cm to 1.67 meters. The changes are noticeable at the rear of the vehicle, which now appears noticeably longer.
Inside, the second row features two captain’s chairs with space between them for improved access to the third row, which Tesla claims is suitable for adults. Even when in use, the trunk still offers space for two suitcases and a trolley, with a total capacity of 420 liters.
The equipment list is generous: A 16-inch central screen, electrically adjustable front seats with heating, wireless phone charging, and additional equipment. The second row includes an 8-inch screen for controlling climate functions and for watching movies and games, electrically adjustable seats with ventilation and heating, and the third row has separate air vents and charging ports. There are also 19-inch lightweight wheels and a sound system with 19 speakers.
The long-wheelbase Y comes with all-wheel drive, where the front and rear motors together produce 450 hp and 49.3 kgm of torque. Performance includes 0–100 km/h in 5 seconds and a top speed of 201 km/h. An 88.2 kWh battery provides a combined range of 681 km, one of the longest among multi-seat crossovers. Fast charging is supported at up to 250 kW, while slow charging reaches up to 11 kW.
Active safety systems include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control (Autopilot), and an optional upgrade for NIS 19,000 to Enhanced Autopilot, which enables lane changes and automatic overtaking, with the driver only required to signal to initiate maneuvers. There is also a theoretical option for full self-driving capability for NIS 37,500, though it is unclear when it will become available. This feature has been offered in Israel at the same price since 2022 and has not yet been delivered to any customer, leading to approval of a class-action lawsuit against Tesla on the matter.
Price: NIS 306,000, while any color other than white requires an additional NIS 5,300 to 10,600. A light interior costs an extra NIS 8,000.
Tesla could have created a more affordable multi-seat Model Y with reduced equipment, a smaller battery, and rear-wheel drive only, and given the new base versions of the Model 3 and the regular Model Y, we hope it will do so. In the meantime, the Model Y L is about NIS 10,000 more expensive than the less spacious Peugeot e-5008, but cheaper than the BYD Tang (from NIS 328,000), the Volkswagen ID. Buzz (from NIS 395,000), and the Kia EV9 (from NIS 429,000).
However, the pair of electric minivans from Maxus, the MIFA 7 and MIFA 9, offer less stylish design and shorter range, but seven seats in a similar captain-seat configuration and a price tag of NIS 215,000–250,000.
Even plug-in hybrid 7-seat crossovers such as the MG S9 (from NIS 190,000), Chery Tiggo 9 (from NIS 218,000), and Jaecoo 8 (from NIS 230,000), which are similar in size to the Model Y L, allow mostly electric driving in everyday use at a significantly lower price than Tesla.