Tesla has officially launched the redesigned Model Y in North America and Europe, just weeks after the vehicle was announced for the Asia Pacific region. However, the new version is not replacing the original Model Y – at least not yet – and Tesla is selling both on its website.
At the moment, you can only find the long-range all wheel drive Launch Series variant for the new Model Y in the US, which starts at $46,490. The Launch Series is a limited edition release with special badging on the rear liftgate, puddle lights, doorsill plate and other parts of the car.
While the new Model Y retains the proportions of the old version, it has rounded edges, its smaller headlights and taillights surround a redesigned lightbar. Inside, it has ambient lighting around most of the car, ventilated seats and a 15.4-inch touchscreen at the front.
The second-row seats have power recline and can be folded flat. Back row passengers will also get access to a Bluetooth-enabled 8-inch rearscreen display with touch panel.
The new Long-Range All Wheel Drive Model Y has an estimated range of 325 miles, has a top speed of 125 mph and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
For comparison, the old Model Y Long-Range AWD can reach 311 miles on a single charge, has a top speed of 135 mph and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Deliveries of the new Model Y begin in March. If you still want the old version, pricing starts at $31,490, though note that the price is increasing by $4,000 in Canada.
The result is a movie that, even if you didn’t know the pre-production backstory, certainly feels like a series that was quickly shortened to feature length.
It’s not incoherent, but it has the same problem as Discovery, where you’re watching a dramatic synopsis rather than a script. There are thematic and plot threads that match each other, but there’s no cohesive element that ties them all together. It’s just things that happen.
It doesn’t help that the plot (which is credited to Kim and Lippoldt) is very much of the “and then this happens” variety that they warn you about in Film School 202. A lot of the major moments in the movie are completely unexpected, asking you to care about characters you’ve just met and don’t like much.
There’s a funny scene at the end where two people who haven’t really given you the impression that they love each other have to hold hands and stare down their impending doom.
The pair in question have shared their backstories with each other, but there’s no suggestion that they’re anything more than just people who work together, let alone friends.