Tesla Model Y L First Drive Review: Worth the Hype?

Tesla. Possibly one of the most hyped automotive brands to ever enter the Indian market. We waited years for Elon Musk and his electric revolution to finally arrive on our shores, and when Tesla opened its first showroom in Mumbai in July 2025, the excitement was quite extraordinary. Here was a brand that had almost single-handedly made electric cars desirable, turned software updates into automotive events and convinced millions of people that a car didn't necessarily need an engine to be exciting.

Except, India didn't quite get the memo.

In a little over a year, Tesla managed to register roughly a thousand cars in India. A thousand! To put that into perspective, there are established luxury carmakers selling more vehicles in India in a single month. And while Tesla's monthly numbers have started improving, particularly after some rather aggressive price corrections, this is hardly the electric revolution everyone was expecting.

Which brings us rather conveniently to the elephant in the room. Pricing.

When the Model Y originally launched, the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version cost ₹59.89 lakh, while the Long Range RWD was priced at ₹67.89 lakh. Both were five-seaters, both were fully imported, and neither was particularly inexpensive. Tesla subsequently slashed the entry price by a whopping ₹9 lakh to ₹50.89 lakh. Which, I imagine, must have gone down wonderfully with the people who had bought one at launch.

And then Tesla introduced this. The Model Y L. Or, as I rather affectionately like to call it, the Model YYY because of the badge on it’s butt. 

At ₹61.99 lakh, it's just ₹2.1 lakh more expensive than the original entry-level Model Y and actually ₹5.9 lakh cheaper than the original Long Range variant. Except this one has six seats, all-wheel drive, more range and a substantially longer wheelbase.

Let's start with the styling. And I'll admit, I've never been the biggest fan of the Model Y's design. It's always looked like someone took a Model 3, inflated it with a bicycle pump and then forgot to stop. And with the Model Y L, Tesla has gone and stretched it as well.

But surprisingly, I think it actually looks better. The L is 179mm longer than the regular Model Y, with 150mm of that increase going into the wheelbase, which now measures 3,040mm. It's also 44mm taller, although the width remains identical. The longer rear doors, larger rear quarter glass and slightly revised roofline make the entire car look considerably more proportionate. Where the standard Model Y looks slightly stubby around the rear, the L has a much more flowing silhouette. In profile, I think it's the better-looking car.

The second thing I appreciate is the simplicity. There's no enormous grille, no fake air vents pretending to cool something that doesn't exist, and no unnecessary plastic cladding. Tesla has kept things clean, with its full-width LED lighting, flush door handles and smooth surfaces.

But there are problems. The 19-inch wheels are designed with efficiency in mind, which is perfectly understandable, but on a car that's almost five metres long, they look a little underwhelming. 

And then there's the ground clearance. At 169mm, the Model Y L isn't exactly what I'd call an SUV in the traditional sense. Add the longer wheelbase, and you'll want to be careful over particularly nasty speed breakers. Especially in a country where some speed breakers appear to have been designed by people who genuinely hate cars.

Step inside, and you're greeted by what can only be described as the world's most expensive exercise in removing buttons. There's a steering wheel, a large touchscreen, some seats and not much else. Tesla's interior designers must have an annual competition to see how many more physical controls they can eliminate. And the annoying thing is, sometimes it actually works.

The dashboard is clean, visibility is good, and the lack of a conventional transmission tunnel creates plenty of usable space. Storage is generous, and the large panoramic glass roof contributes to an airy cabin.

The centrepiece is a 16-inch touchscreen, which controls almost everything. And to Tesla's credit, its software remains one of the company's biggest strengths. The graphics are phenomenal, the interface is responsive, and the sheer number of functions available is impressive.

There's also an 8-inch rear touchscreen, a 19-speaker audio system and over-the-air software updates. Unlike most traditional manufacturers, Tesla has built much of its ownership experience around the idea that the car can continue improving after you've bought it.

But here's where my problems begin. Want to adjust your mirrors? Screen. Want to change certain climate settings? Screen. Want to check your speed? Look at the screen again, because there's no conventional instrument cluster in front of you. And before Tesla owners start telling me that you get used to it, that's not the point. Just because you can get used to something doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. Sometimes, a button is simply better.

Of course, almost all is absolutely forgiven when you consider the fact Tesla, even as a serious automaker, has some absolute legends that work for it. Which other automaker has the option of making your car fat instead of a honk. Which other automaker has a Halloween mode that would scare people if they walked too close. Which other automaker would give you the choice of making your car do a song and a dance. And while all these might look like stupid gimmicks if you take yourself too seriously, if you don’t, you will truly appreciate the gloriousness of it all. And i do. And i love it. Unashamedly at that. 

The biggest reason to consider the Model Y L over the standard version is its seating configuration though. Instead of a conventional rear bench, you get two individual captain seats in the second row, creating a 2+2+2 layout. And this is where the longer wheelbase really starts making sense.

The captain seats come with electric adjustment and powered armrests. There's also one-touch folding to make access to the third row easier. It's a genuinely interesting arrangement, particularly for Indian buyers who might spend considerable time being chauffeur-driven.

The second row is arguably where Tesla has concentrated its efforts. The longer wheelbase creates more room, and the individual seats give the cabin a more premium, almost MPV-like character. Which is excellent for the chauffeur driven buyer profile most people in this price-point are. 

The third row gets dedicated air-conditioning vents, heated seats, powered reclining backrests and one-touch folding. That's impressive equipment for what is essentially a stretched crossover.

However, equipment and actual comfort are two different things. The third row is something prospective buyers should try for themselves, particularly if they intend to carry six adults regularly and the Model Y L makes a strong case as a four-seater with occasional additional seating. 

Underneath that rather understated body sits a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, making this the first AWD Model Y officially offered in India. Tesla doesn't publish official Indian power and torque figures, although overseas specifications suggest outputs in the region of 514hp and 590Nm.

What Tesla does claim is a 0-100kph time of under five seconds. Five seconds. In a six-seat family crossover. That's properly quick, and frankly, considerably quicker than most people will ever need their family car to be. The Model Y L also has a claimed WLTP range of 681km, making it the longest-range Model Y offered in India. That's an impressive number, although real-world range will inevitably depend on driving conditions, speeds, air-conditioning usage and passenger load.

Tesla also claims that a suitable Supercharger can add up to 288km of range in just 15 minutes. Of course, those numbers are only as useful as the charging infrastructure supporting them. Tesla's Indian Supercharger network is still developing, and while home charging will cover most daily requirements, longer journeys require a little more planning.

Perhaps more importantly, Tesla has given the Model Y L an updated suspension system with adaptive damping and electronically controlled shock absorbers. And this could prove more significant than the acceleration figure.

While five-second acceleration makes for excellent social media content, what matters considerably more in a family car is how comfortably it deals with bad roads, potholes, expansion joints and all the other wonderful things Indian infrastructure throws at us. It offers two options. The first one is a more generally sporty suspension setup. The second, is more of a comfort blend for the rear passengers. And while 99.99% of the people who drive this will never make out the difference, I did. And noticeably too. The softer suspension setup made the car a lot more comfortable immediately. The steering setup too is great. It is exactly what a car like this should drive like. This might not be some 6-cylinder twin-turbo AMG, but trust me, it is an enjoyable car to drive. 

The real problem is the competition And this brings us back to the money. At ₹61.99 lakh, the Model Y L isn't outrageously expensive when you consider its equipment, claimed range, AWD drivetrain and six-seat configuration. In fact, compared with the original ₹67.89 lakh Long Range Model Y, it looks like substantially better value. But the market doesn't exist in isolation. The BMW iX1 Long Wheelbase costs approximately ₹52.4 lakh. It doesn't offer six seats, and it certainly isn't as quick as the Tesla, but it brings the badge, luxury-car experience and established ownership ecosystem that Indian buyers in this segment value enormously. Then there's the BYD Sealion 7, with its striking design and premium interior, and the Kia EV6, which remains one of the more distinctive electric cars on sale and one you never pay actual full price for. EVER! 

But here’s the thing. Even me, with my soft spot for German engineering, would choose this over everything else in that price point if I had to go full-blown EV. I am not a Tesla or Elon Musk fanboy, far from it. But what I do have for both the brand and the man, is absolute unfiltered respect. Let’s face it, Elon has done more absolutely cool things for this world than most countries have. And even if you don’t agree with his politics and opinions, his role in Tesla bringing mass market electric mobility to the world cannot be overstated. 

And the Model YL is the living embodiment of all that is great with Tesla. Yes, it is not a cheap product by any means, but it is also really REALLY good as one. Yes, I know some of you will absolutely hate me for saying this, but the Tesla Model YL is one of the best EVs I have driven this year and one you should 100% consider if you are in the market for an EV at that price point.