Tesla Unveils Model Y Juniper: Revolutionary Design and Even More Autonomy

The wait is over. The long-awaited redesign of the Tesla Model Y (unofficially known as the Model Y Juniper) saw the light early this Friday morning. Of course: for now it is only available in Asia, a region in which Tesla has one of its most important factories. This new option cannot yet be purchased either in Europe or America.

For Tesla, He Juniper’s Model Y is a particularly important vehicle. In 2023, this model was recognized as the best-selling model in the world, overtaking models with an internal combustion engine and hybrid models. And there is a high probability that this stage will repeat in 2024 – the data has not yet been published.

So this redesign It must be sufficiently convincing and effective. enough to maintain (or even improve) said sales levels not only in 2025, but also over the next three or four years – when the next redesign is likely to occur.

New headlights, redesigned bumpers and increased aerodynamic efficiency.

Tesla Model Y Juniper, as expected in previous weeks, comes with new exterior and interior design. It’s perhaps the most innovative we’ve seen from the brand to date – courtesy of Cybertruck and Cybercab–.

Outside, The changes affected the front and rear bumpers, as well as lighting equipment. Tesla has said goodbye to traditional headlights in favor of horizontal lines (both front and rear) that run across the car from end to end. The rate is similar to what is seen in the company’s Cybercab and other vehicles from competing brands.

Changes to the bumpers, in addition to the new visual proposal, also They improved the aerodynamics of the car. and therefore its effectiveness. This means that the Model Y Juniper is capable of driving more kilometers in equal conditions than its predecessor without stopping at the charger.

The company also introduced new tire modelswhich represent variations of those still existing, as well as a new color scheme. Currently available in the configurator: dark grey, red, white, metallic gray and a new blue tone.

Intermediate area of ​​the vehicle – between the A-pillar and the C-pillar – There are almost no aesthetic changes compared to the previous model. No, at least not from the outside. Inside, this area is full of new features that can be summed up relatively easily: It’s the same interior we discovered just over a year ago in the Model 3 Highland.

The Model Y Juniper has the same interior as the Model 3 Highland.

The dashboard, for example, abandons wood in favor of textile trim and now includes LED strip which provides ambient lighting in the cabin. Its color can also be customized in the car settings.

The steering wheel has also undergone both aesthetic and functional changes. The brightest is Removing the gear shift lever in favor of the system through software located on the central screen – although the car, using cameras, is able to anticipate the driver’s needs and engage the correct gear before the driver performs any action on the screen.

It’s interesting that The turn signal lever remains. In both the Model S and Model 3, the brand decided to remove it in favor of tactile buttons located on the steering wheel itself. A decision that has been criticized in countries such as Spain for the system’s ineffectiveness in areas such as roundabouts. Luckily, they seem to have taken a step back with the Model Y.

The central screen is similar to the previous one, although it has received some changes: better response, greater brightness and thinner bezels. Following the Model 3 Highland, Tesla has included small screen at the back from which you can play music, Netflix, YouTube or other applications.

New Model Y Juniper too They promise better insulation from the outside thanks to changes to the body, suspension and, of course, windows.. The evolutions, which were also seen in the Model 3 Highland, have helped to significantly reduce cabin noise and improve ride quality.

Also, The Model Y Juniper inherits the heated and ventilated seats from the Model 3 Highland.as well as a new generation acoustic system. In addition, the rear seats now have an electric folding mechanism.

More autonomy, better performance

Juniper Model Y comes with same batteries as the previous generation. That is: one with high power (about 80 kWh), and the other with lower power (about 60 kWh). The first type is NMC and can be charged at a power of 250 kW, and the second type is LFP and can be charged at a maximum power of 170 kW. However, as with the Model 3 Highland, changes to the chassis and aerodynamics make this new model improve your autonomy by about 3% compared to the previous version.

In terms of autonomous driving, the capabilities of this new model are similar to those of other Tesla cars, although the brand has implemented a very interesting new feature: front bumper camera. In theory, this helps improve the performance of Tesla’s Vision system, which is responsible for analyzing the environment using cameras, either for autonomous driving or simply performing parking maneuvers.

For now, Tesla did not provide details regarding the car’s launch in other markets. (eg Europe or America). A surprising decision considering that the Model 3 Highland arrived in Europe at the same time as China when it was announced.