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The Tesla Model Y Performance is now available in the UK, featuring all-wheel drive and delivering a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds, and it also feels like the most refined Tesla yet to drive.
The Tesla Model Y – the world’s best-selling car in 2023 and in 2024 – was updated earlier in 2025, including revised front and rear styling, and now we have the Performance version. So is this the Model Y to go for?
The Tesla Model Y Performance features an upgraded 82 kWh battery (79 kWh usable capacity) with new cells offering higher energy density without adding weight. Two electric motors deliver 460 hp and all-wheel drive. The powertrain produces 32% more peak power, 22% more continuous power, and 16% more peak torque, whilst also being capable of higher thermal and performance limits than previous generations.
The exterior design carries over the recent updates of new light bars running horizontally across the front and rear of the car, and the Performance version gains new 21-inch Arachnid 2.0 forged wheels, together with some performance-focused styling details, making it the best-looking Model Y in our opinion. The door handles are flush with the door panel, and hard to see at night.
Aside from new performance seats for driver and front passenger, with adjustable powered thigh cushion extenders, the interior is largely unchanged, which means a minimalistic design approach. The cabin certainly looks uncluttered, but we’ll talk about the functionality in a moment…
Rear passengers get their own 8-inch touchscreen for climate and media, as well as two USB-C sockets, whereas front occupants only get two wireless phone chargers.
Spacious rear legroom is on offer, a large storage compartment sits in the centre console between the front seats, there’s 854 litres of luggage capacity, or 2,138 litres with the rear seats folded, and there’s a large compartment under the boot floor as well as a 117-litre front trunk (frunk) under the bonnet. So there’s lots of space.
The rigid parcel shelf that sits over the boot doesn’t retract like most cars, but instead folds into four sections.
The clue is in the name – the new Model Y Performance delivers quicker acceleration, with a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds, and a faster top speed of 155 mph (presumably this is more useful on German autobahns than in the UK).
Thankfully you get all-wheel drive to transmit all that performance to the tarmac, and even on very wet and cold roads, the grip levels on this car were impressive. It feels stable too – Tesla says that the new front and rear fascias, new rear diffuser and carbon-fibre spoiler work together to create greater downforce, resulting in 10% less drag and “64% reduced lift for a 27% improvement overall in front-to-rear lift balance” compared to earlier Model Y Performance vehicles.
Handling overall feels secure and more adjustable than the standard Model Y, but you’re always aware that this is a heavy car (although at 2,033 kg, there are sporty electric SUVs out there that are heavier). Stability Assist can also be customised, with the options of Standard or Reduced, the latter minimising traction control interventions.
The thick-rimmed steering wheel feels small, which aids the steering experience and therefore the interaction between the driver and the road.
As well as more power, many performance models over the years have received suspension tweaks to result in better body control when enjoying increased velocity through corners, and SUVs typically need even tighter control due to their higher centre of gravity. Rather than ending up with a hard, uncomfortable and often noisy ride, the ride quality, refinement and noise levels of the The Model Y Performance on normal road surfaces are amongst the best that we’ve experienced in a Tesla – and further progress compared to the already-improved Model Y introduced earlier in 2025.
There are engineering reasons for this, including adaptive suspension with ‘next-generation’ ride control, revised suspension geometry, and tyres that deliver a more comfortable and quieter ride (as well as improved range). The adaptive suspension can be adjusted via Drive Modes, giving the options of Standard, or Sport, which enhances damping control and also improves steering response. However, if you encounter an undulating road surface, or potholes, the suspension seems to struggle with this and the ride becomes uncomfortable.
As per the standard Model Y (and all Teslas), the dashboard has no buttons, with all car controls being accessed via the centre touchscreen – which is slightly larger in this car, at 16-inches compared to 15.4 inches, with 80% more pixels.
We’ve already mentioned that the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car in 2023 and in 2024, so with an estimated total of over three million motorists globally buying this car, that’s a lot of people who are happy to live with all car controls being on the touchscreen. However we would prefer some physical buttons. A number of other manufacturers have now gone against the fashion of removing buttons, quoting customer feedback. In our opinion, there are certain car controls that are better (/safer) being easily accessed with one push on the dashboard. For example, in the Model Y there are a number of important car controls that you can’t operate with just one button press, such as most climate controls including windscreen demisting (you need to press the temperature button first).
There’s also no screen in front of the driver, and no head-up display, so you always have to look to the left to see all information, including speed. The main content of the central touchscreen is a map and images of other cars/objects around the Tesla. Many other controls have been given secondary importance, such a row of small shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen. Lots of controls are hidden away in sub-menus including drive modes (chill, standard or insane), and there are a multitude of menus and sub-menus on different screens, so it can be overwhelming to find things when driving – especially when driving quickly. And Tesla doesn’t offer the option of Apple CarPlay.
There isn’t even a physical gear selector in the Model Y – there’s a small car icon on the screen which you push up to go forwards and pull down to go backwards, and a very small P button to select Park, all of which isn’t as easy or as quick to control as a physical gear selector (and screens are slippy).
The latest Model 3 even dispensed with an indicator stalk, but this has (thankfully) reappeared in the Model Y – and now also the Model 3 (we understand this is due to customer feedback).
But like the Model 3, the Model Y has no windscreen wiper stalk – just a button on the steering wheel which you press to bring up a menu of options on the touchscreen – which isn’t as user-friendly as a physical stalk. And you can’t flash the headlights (or control the main beam) by pulling a stalk, you need to press a button on the steering wheel, which isn’t as easy to do, especially at night and when turning.
And then there’s the controls for the door mirrors and the steering wheel – adjustment is via the screen, which, again, isn’t as convenient as physical controls.
The above all confirms that Teslas are basically designed to drive themselves rather than have a human drive them.
The Tesla Model Y Performance has a WLTP combined electric driving range of 360 miles, with efficiency of 3.8 miles per kWh, which is impressive for such a sporty EV. The real-world range on test was averaging 300 miles.
The maximum ultra-rapid charging rate is 250 kW, and one of the big benefits of driving a Tesla over recent years has been the excellent Supercharger network, which can deliver up to 150 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
The Model Y has a heat pump which aims to minimise loss to the battery’s range when heating the cabin in cold weather.
The Tesla Trip Planner will automatically guide you to a nearby Supercharger (1,800 are available across the UK and Ireland) if charging is required on your journey. Your Tesla will even direct you to the least busy Supercharger site, advising how long to stay to charge, aiming to keep your battery within 20%-80% when charging speeds are fastest. Tesla’s Supercharger network has a 99.5% uptime rate and costs are around 50p per kWh – around 30-40% cheaper than other chargers from competitors; you can expect to charge a Tesla for around £20-£30 for 300 miles of range. This is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, and it’s even cheaper if you charge at home. All you need to do is plug the car into a Supercharger – no tapping contactless cards or making additional app accounts.
With an EV electricity tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go at 7p per kWh, an owner charging at home driving 10,000 miles per year would spend approximately £175 per year for a Model Y. An equivalent petrol vehicle would cost around £1,800 in fuel each year. That equates to the EV having fuel costs that are about 10% of a petrol car.
Tesla Model Y Performance prices start at £61,990.
In addition to the features that come standard on all Model Y vehicles – such as a panoramic glass roof, acoustic glass throughout the cabin, an 8-inch second-row touchscreen, power-reclining second-row seats, Autopilot and over-the-air software updates, new features for the Model Y Performance include upgraded front and rear spoilers/diffusers for high-speed performance, new 21-inch Arachnid 2.0 forged wheels with integrated aero covers for improved efficiency, performance red brake calipers and Performance seats.
The standard 2025 Tesla Model Y is available in three other variants: Rear Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear Wheel Drive, and Long Range All Wheel Drive.
Prices start at £44,990 for Rear Wheel Drive, £48,990 for Long Range Rear Wheel Drive, and £51,990 for the Long Range All Wheel Drive.
You would imagine that the main findings from a review of the Tesla Model Y Performance would focus on areas such as faster acceleration and a higher top speed. Although both of these things are true, the main impression is of improved refinement, which is typically the opposite of what happens when a car is engineered to go faster. The other strange thing is that despite the sporty tweaks, the Model Y Performance is still very efficient, with electrical consumption of 3.8 miles per kWh and a WLTP combined range of 360 miles. And of course you have the excellent Tesla Supercharger network. The Model Y is also spacious. The main thing to be aware of is that all car controls are on the central touchscreen, including the gear selector, which many people appear to be comfortable with, but others may prefer some physical buttons. The Tesla Model Y Performance is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 9 out of 10.
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Paul Clarke, GreenCarGuide Editor
