The favorite auto show of the childhood of millennials, Top Gear, chose a Tesla for review after a long time.
Yesterday, the official Top Gear YouTube channel posted a video of their review of the new Tesla Model Y Performance (Juniper).
Interestingly, the focus was on why you shouldn’t buy a Model Y Performance (looks like another attempt at getting Elon Musk’s attention). However, upon watching this exact 10-minute review, I found out that it wasn’t very negative.
– Advertisement –Tesla Model Y Performance in Ultra Red color. Credit: Top Gear / YouTube (video below).
After testing the new Model Y Performance for some time, Top Gear is convinced that Tesla has upped its game in the midsize electric SUV segment. The built quality, interior, and exterior of the new Tesla Model Y Performance are convincing but the performance figures are only for true enthusiasts.
Tom Ford refers to the Ultra Red Tesla Model Y color to the Iron Man-red in this review. Actually, this does resemble it. Apparently, no one else noticed it before Top Gear did (pretty interesting).
Tesla’s Model Y Performance EV is basically a family car. The addition of the new Performance variant makes it a bit deviant from its original purpose. Who doesn’t like to neutralize the egos of sports cars at a drag racing strip with a 3.5s 0-60 mph acceleration?
Driving Impressions
The best way to judge a performance version of a Tesla is to drive it and feel the difference. Model Y Performance comes with 21″ Arachnid 2.0 Wheels with larger performance brakes and an adaptive suspension.
On the software side, the Tesla Model Y Performance has a launch control named ‘Insane Mode’. Track Mode V3 allows custom settings for the adaptive suspension, traction control, and stability assist features.
In its review of the adaptive suspension of the Model Y Performance, Top Gear said:
The steering is nicely precise, but also fairly relaxed. And the ride from that adaptive suspension is excellent.
This car is really good at 70% or just cruising. When you really get going, it’s exceptionally fast and likely amazing for what it is, but feels a little cumbersome for point and shoot.
It’s fighting the physics all the time, and that’s not a particularly exciting prospect.
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And that stuff works in conjunction with stiffer bushings, different shocks and dampers, a little bit of reinforcement for the rear suspension, and different steering knuckles even.
So, quite a large package of dynamic differences to make this car as good as it can be.
Top Gear host chose a curvy mountainous path to test the driving performance of the new Tesla Model Y Performance. Despite being a heavy car, the handling of this vehicle is amazing.
The part where he turned the Model Y Performance at a hairpin turn with precision is particularly exhilarating. Tom said:
Driving this car around on a beautiful twisty road, and it’s really, really good. In fact, I’d go so far as to say this is class-leading.
The suspension just rounds off the bumps so you don’t get knocked off. The steering is accurate, a little bit dead, and it’s very, very quick.
You never quite get past the fact that this is quite a heavy car. So, if you’re breaking into a corner and you’re going downhill, you really do feel the weight.
But for what it is, it is absolutely magical.
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Verdict
In the UK, the new Tesla Model Y Performance costs an extra £10,000 compared to the All-Wheel Drive Long Range variant. Top Gear thinks the extra cost can’t be justified just because the car’s better performance.
According to Top Gear, the Tesla Model Y is a family electric SUV, and it should remain the same. The extra £10K is for a niche user base who like to press the accelerator pedal a bit hard.
Interestingly, with all the advancements in battery tech, Tesla electronics and software, and the difference in range between a Model Y AWD Long Rand and Model Y Performance is just 4 miles (~6.5 km).
So, despite the price tag, Tesla didn’t leave a reason not to have a Model Y Performance compared to the Long Range AWD version.
Video: Top Gear’s Tesla Model Y Performance review.
Author of more than 1500 articles on Tesla, SpaceX, and EVs. His work has been liked and tweeted by Elon Musk and other prominent influencers. You can reach him on Twitter @IqtidarAlii
