2026 Tesla Model Y L Premium AWD Review

Tesla’s six-seat, long-wheelbase Model Y arrived just as fuel anxiety gripped the country. We drove it from Northland to Wellington over Easter to find out whether the biggest Y is also the best.

Easter weekend on New Zealand roads is normally a grind. Bumper to bumper out of the cities, caravans everywhere. Not this year. With petrol at $3.50 a litre and the Middle East fuel crisis making everyone nervous, the highways were noticeably quieter. For most Kiwis, the cost of filling up has become a real consideration before heading anywhere over a long weekend. For us, plugged into a Tesla Model Y L with 680 kilometres of claimed range and a full battery, the fuel crisis was something we read about on our phones rather than dealt with at the pump.

The Model Y L is not just another Y variant. It is arguably the most significant addition to the Tesla line up here since the Y itself. A six-seat, long-wheelbase version of the world’s best-selling EV, priced from $83,900 before on-roads or $86,250 in the Cosmic Silver you see here. That is roughly $6000 more than the standard long-range all-wheel-drive Model Y, and for the extra outlay you get a third row of seats, a substantially bigger body, a larger battery, continuously variable damping and the longest range of any Model Y sold here.

The trip

Our route ran from Northland through Mangawhai, down through Auckland and across the middle of the North Island to Wellington. That covers a good mix of everything: urban traffic, open motorway, rural roads and some decent hill climbs. The Tesla handled all of it without any dramas.

The big number is efficiency. Over the full trip we averaged around 15kWh/100km. On the flatter second half, including coming down from the hills, that dropped to about 10. For a vehicle that is 180mm longer than the standard Model Y, 44mm taller, carries an extra row of seats and weighs 2088 kilograms, those numbers are seriously impressive. Tesla and Hyundai remain the two best in the business at making EVs go further on less, and the Y L backs that up.

For context, our daily use Atto 3 averages the same on the school run. 

What that efficiency means in practice is you spend less time at the charger. The Model Y L can charge at up to 250kW, which is no longer best in class now that 800-volt cars from Zeekr and others are here, but it hardly matters when the car uses so little energy. My math reckons you could drive from Auckland to Wellington on as little as 11 minutes of charging. Or you potentially could hypermile it in one go. We did not try that, but the fact it is even possible says a lot about where EV touring is at now. 

Six seats, not seven

Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating layout rather than the traditional seven-seat configuration. On paper that sounds like a compromise. But then who likes a middle seat or a difficult to access third row? The second row gets a pair of heated and ventilated captain’s chairs with a walk-through gap to the third row. They are wide, supportive, and finished in a new optional ‘Cosmo grey’ synthetic leather that feels genuinely premium. An adjustable-height armrest pops up at the push of a button on each chair, which is clever, though you do wonder about its long-term durability.

The third row is where things get interesting. I clambered back there, and I am not a small person. The seat-back angle is comfortable, there are air vents, cup holders, USB-C charging and heated seats. But for anyone over about five foot ten, it is a short-trip proposition. Leg room is tight and foot space is limited. My daughter, on the other hand, climbed back there at the start of our Easter trip and refused to move for the entire journey. For kids and smaller adults, it is a genuine, usable third row, which is more than you can say for most mid-size SUVs that claim to seat more than five. Try the back of a Mitsubishi Outlander or Nissan X-Trail and you will see what I mean. 

The old seven-seat Model Y sold in the States was widely criticised for a near-useless third row. The Y L, with its 150mm longer wheelbase, is a proper go at solving that.

With all three rows in place, boot space is still decent and better than most rivals with their third rows up. Fold everything flat via the electric switches in the cargo area and you have a huge load space. Tesla’s sub-floor bin is still a great feature, and the magnetic cargo cover attachment is a simple, smart detail. There is also a 112-litre frunk up front for charging cables or muddy boots.

On the road

The dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup produces 378kW and 590NM. Tesla claims 5 seconds to 100km/h, and while nobody is calling this a Performance model, it feels properly quick. That typical Tesla shove is all there when you put your foot down, and overtaking is effortless.

The big change from the standard Model Y is the ride. Tesla fitted continuously variable adaptive damping to the Y L and it makes a tangible difference. This was actually one of the areas that marked the standard Model Y down at NZ Autocar Car of the Year earlier this year, so the improvement is welcome. There are two selectable modes: Balanced and Rear Comfort, the latter softening things slightly for passengers at what Tesla says is a minor sacrifice in steering feel. In practice, neither mode jars on rough surfaces the way a standard Model Y can. It is not quite at BYD Sealion 7 levels of plushness, which remains the ride-comfort benchmark to my mind, but it is close, and a world away from the firm, sometimes harsh character of the Model Y Performance. If this suspension finds its way into the standard model, it would transform that car.

The interior is recognisably Model Y, but incrementally better. Soft-touch materials around the doors, improved stitching on the dash, a 16-inch central screen and an 18-speaker audio system. The front seats are a step change in comfort, with excellent lumbar support and enough width for larger drivers. The driving position feels slightly further forward than in the standard car, a consequence of all that extra vehicle behind you, but it is not uncomfortable, just different. I still despise having to use the touchscreen to open the glove box, but that is a long-standing gripe that Tesla shows no interest in addressing.

New tricks

The Model Y L is the first Tesla sold in New Zealand with vehicle-to-load capability, offering 3.3kW of power output. Adapter arrangements are still being confirmed, but the potential is significant for camping, emergency backup or running tools on site. It also ships with Grok, Tesla’s AI assistant, built in. It works well enough, though the reality is most people will default to whichever AI they already use daily through their phone. 

The Supercharger made this trip seamless, but without FSD the standard Autopilot showed its age over the long haul, with a handful of phantom braking incidents and some overly aggressive lane-departure warnings on roads with imperfect markings.

The verdict

At $83,900, the Tesla Model Y L is the best-value electric vehicle with more than five seats you can buy in New Zealand. It might be the best overall, too. The Kia EV9 is the obvious rival, but good luck finding one at this price right now.

The six-seat layout means everyone gets a window seat. The range is outstanding, the efficiency is class-leading, the ride is finally sorted and the packaging is well thought through. 

Over Easter, while everyone else was worrying about fuel prices and whether to bother with the trip, we drove 750km without giving energy a second thought. If you are looking at the standard long-range Model Y, spend the extra $6000.  

Tesla Model Y L Premium AWD 
$83,990  /  15.1kWh/100km  /  0g/km
0-100 km/h 5.0s
Motor output  378kW
Max torque  590Nm
Battery  82kWh
Range  681km
Drivetrain  Single-speed auto / e-AWD
Front suspension  Wishbones / swaybar
Rear suspension  Multilink / swaybar
Turning circle  12.1m (2.1 turns)
Front brakes  Ventilated discs
Rear brakes  Discs
Stability systems  ABS, ESP, TV
Safety  AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB
Tyre size  f-255/45R19  r-275/45R19
Wheelbase  3040mm
L/W/H  4976 / 1982 / 1668mm
Track f-1668mm  r-1656mm
Luggage capacity 420 / 1076 / 2423L  
Tow rating  1588kg braked
Warranty  5yrs / Unlimited km
ANCAP rating  ★★★★★ (2025)
Weight (claimed)  2088kg