2026 Tesla Model Y L on-sale: Six-seat stretched Model Y launches in China
A longer, more practical take on the world’s best-selling EV has launched.
But for now the six-seat 2026 Tesla Model Y L is only to order in China, with first deliveries commencing this September.
Australian sales have yet to be confirmed but the US car-maker rarely makes vehicles for individual regions and it’s thought the new long-wheelbase Tesla Model Y L will be announced locally in the near future.
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In China, the 2026 Tesla Model Y L has been priced from 339,000 Chinese yuan ($72,700) – an eight per cent increase over the standard five-seat Long Range AWD.
Translate that percentage price bump to Australia and the 2026 Tesla Model Y L could be priced from $74,500 plus on-roads – $5600 more than the standard Model Y with the same powertrain.
A seven-seat version of the Tesla Model Y has been offered in other markets, but that car squeezed a third row of seats into the current standard wheelbase mid-size SUV.
That was judged too cramped for Chinese buyers.
Liberating the extra space for a proper third row, Tesla engineers have stretched the Model Y’s wheelbase by 150mm, while headroom is boosted by 44mm.
That means the Model Y L now measures in at 4976mm long, about the same length as a Toyota LandCruiser, 1920mm wide, 1668mm tall and has a 3040mm wheelbase.
Hiding the extra length, the Model Y gets a pair of longer rear doors, a lengthened roof and an increased rear overhang.
More giveaways are a new black rear spoiler, ‘Model YYY’ badging, new 19-inch alloy wheels and the option of a fresh Starlight Gold paint.
Enhancing cabin flexibility and space, the second row can slide forwards and backwards.
The only drawback of the three-row SUV, is some reports suggest there’s a new 100mm high central hump the third row, robbing some space.
The reason the new car is strictly a six- rather than a seven-seater is that Tesla has replaced the second bench with two new heated and ventilated captain chairs that get electric armrests. The third row of seats are also heated.
There’s no word if a proper seven-seat version will be offered later, but enhancing comfort for the second and third row are new air vents in the pillars.
The second row, meanwhile, keeps the 8-inch touchscreen and a pair of rear vents.
To maximise boot space the second and third seating rows electrically fold flat to liberate 2539-litres of space. Other detailed changes include extending the curtain airbags to cover occupants in the last pair of seats.
Up front, the Model Y L has been updated with a larger 16-inch infotainment (up from 15.6-inches), while the front seats now feature a single piece backrest that integrates the headrests.
Tesla has also added an 18-speaker (plus a subwoofer) sound system – four more than standard.
In China, the Tesla Model Y L is offered with just one powertrain, a dual-motor set-up that combined a 142kW front and 198kW rear e-motor.
That provides all-wheel drive traction and helps deliver a sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds – 0.2sec off the five-seat version.
Weighing around 96kg more than the smaller five-seater at 2088kg, the Model Y L comes with a 82kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack that enables it to cover 751km on the lenient CLTC range tests.
That’s actually 1km further than the five-seater.
The extra range is said to have come from the tweaks to the aerodynamics and the new set of wind-cheating wheels.
Helping offset its extra mass, the Model Y L gets a retuned suspension that features standard adaptive dampers.
