Tesla's Model Y Performance is at last a serious high speed contender. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Some very subtle styling cues continue to mark out the improved version of the ultimate mid-sized Tesla hatch, this one, the Model Y Performance. This top variant is now no longer just a very fast Model Y: it claims to be a proper EV junior super-SUV in its own right.

Background

You'll have seen many Tesla Model Ys on the roads; it's the brand's best seller. But very few of them will have been this top flagship 'Performance' version, which has only a few exterior detail changes to mark it out from any normal Dual Motor Long Range All-Wheel Drive Model Y. It goes a fair bit faster though, so it'll be the variant of choice for anyone seeking Model Y motoring to the max. To be frank, earlier versions of the Model Y Performance were a bit wild. Fast, yes, but lacking the really thorough R&D development that characterises similarly powerful mainstream rivals. The updated Model 3 Performance four-door design which arrived in 2024 though, was a much more complete super-saloon package. With a drivetrain that reappeared a year later in the bespoke form of the car we look at here, the updated Model Y Performance five-door crossover. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Yes, to answer your question, this Model Y Performance is fast. Very. Think 0-60mph in just 3.3s, which means it's quicker than a Porsche 911 GT3, a BMW M5 or an Audi RS 6. And virtually as quick as a rival Hyundai IONIQ 5N (which offers much more power - up to 632hp). All of this Tesla's speed comes courtesy of the same pair of performance 4DU motors that you'll find in the brand's cheaper Model 3 Performance saloon (which is 0.4s faster). As there, these motors offer a chunk more power than you get in an ordinary Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Model Y variant (56hp) and generate a combined 460hp - which is actually 16hp less than the pre-facelift version of this car managed. Despite that, this facelifted design is 0.2s faster to 62mph. Unlike with earlier Performance-badged Teslas of this size, a lot of work has gone in to ensuring that the car can properly handle all that power in extremis. Adaptive damping (with 'Standard' and 'Sport' modes) works with bespoke suspension geometry and a lower ride height to improve body roll and steering feel. Within the various drive modes, you can individually set up the powertrain to give a rearward bias to the torque split and hence create a more engaging drive. Tesla has upgraded the twin motors so that they're now capable of repeated high-speed runs and have better thermal management. And the Stability Assist system has customisable traction and Vehicle Dynamics controls, creating more freedom and fun for experienced drivers. New springs, stabiliser bars and bushings result in a chassis that should feel more intuitive and responsive. The front suspension geometry is designed to minimize disturbances from road imperfections and provide more predictable steering. Plus improvements to the rear body structure increase torsional stiffness. Also useful is the powertrain's wider thermal operating window, which allows it to be more efficient more of the time. Hence the 83kWh battery's 360 mile driving range figure that isn't too much different from an ordinary Model Y Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive.

Design and Build

With the previous Model Y Performance, Tesla made the mistake of hardly differentiating the exterior at all from the standard Dual Motor version. But customers wanting a super-fast mid-sized EV crossover tend to want to stand out a bit more than that, so for this facelifted design, the American brand has made a bit more effort. So this Performance features a carbon fibre rear wing, a diffuser-style rear bumper, a more aerodynamically efficient front bumper and big 21-inch 'Arachnid 2.0' wheels with red brake calipers. If you have your eye on a rival Hyundai IONIQ 5N, you'll still probably think it all a bit understated, but it's a step forward for Tesla. The 'optimised' wheels and tyres are staggered (front to rear). The changes remain quite subtle inside, where the heated and ventilated front sport seats come with bigger side bolsters that better hold you in when cornering. There's also a new central 16-inch screen with a thinner surround that's supposed to be Tesla's highest resolution display yet. Otherwise, everything is just as it would be in an ordinary Model Y Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, with decent build quality from Tesla's Brandenburg factory near Berlin. In the rear, there's now an 8.4-inch touchscreen for climate functions and games. And the second-row seats also offer enhanced comfort and convenience with power-reclining, easier-to-access buckles, longer cushions, deeper bolsters, with powered recline and fold-flat operation. Out back, there's a decently-sized 890-litre boot, extendable to 2,138-litres in size if you fold the rear seats. You also get a bit of extra space (88-117-litres) under the bonnet.

Market and Model

At the time of this review in Spring 2026, prices were starting at around £62,000 for this top 'Performance' version of the Model Y - around £10,000 more than the ordinary Long Range Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive variant. And £2,000 more than the Model £ Performance saloon. In our 'Design section, we told you about the exterior and cabin embellishments that come with 'Performance'-spec, while in our 'Driving' section, we referenced this 'Performance' model's extra power and top speed increase (from 135 to 155mph). As on other Model Ys, standard equipment includes pretty much everything you'd want, including an 8-inch rear touchscreen, heated front and rear seats and ventilated, power-operated front seats. There's also a 360-degree camera system, a tinted panoramic glass roof with ultra violet/infra-red protection and a 14-speaker premium audio system. The new low-E glass reflects 26% more solar energy, helping maintain an ideal temperature when combined with the quieter, more efficient air-conditioning system.  There's been a big step forward in media connectivity, with redesigned hardware delivering 50% faster download speeds. Wi-Fi connectivity has also been greatly improved, with download speeds up to 300% faster for smoother video streaming and software updates, and a range extension of up to 200%, ensuring sustained connectivity in areas like garages and driveways. There's a significant boost in cellular performance; plus phone key performance and reliability have seen a huge improvement, thanks to the addition of Ultra-Wideband and other enhancements, which also enable automatic tailgate opening when paired with the Tesla app.  Safety continues to be a strong point. Tesla says the Model Y is designed to be the safest vehicle in its class. The low centre of gravity, rigid body structure and large crumple zones provide strong protection. Like all new Teslas, this one comes as standard with emergency braking, collision warning, blind-spot monitoring and more. And in future, the brand promises that the Model Y will have Full Self-Driving capability, enabling automatic driving on city streets and highways pending regulatory approval, as well as the ability to come and find you anywhere in a car park: brilliant.

Cost of Ownership

You might be rightly concerned that all this extra power would ruin the exceptional EV driving range that probably drew you towards Model Y ownership in the first place. Don't be. Tesla has fitted this Performance variant with a new type of high-density battery cell that allows it to almost match the standard Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Model Y on range. Despite this Performance version's extreme extra 56hp of power and its bigger energy-sapping tyres and wheels. As we told you in our 'Driving section', the 83kWh battery's 360 mile figure (41 miles better than the pre-facelift Model Y Performance) is quoted between charges (just 4 miles less than the ordinary Dual Motor All-Wheel variant). To give you some class perspective, the Hyundai IONIQ 5N manages just 278 miles. As before, this top Model Y DC charges at up to 250kW and, also as before, the biggest draw for ownership is Tesla's Supercharger charging network, at which you can charge at reduced rates. A 10-80% DC charge takes about 30 minutes - but a full charge from empty might take several hours, depending on the station's charging speed. As for AC charging at home, Tesla reckons that from empty to full, an 11kW wallbox would replenish this Model Y's battery in about seven and a half hours, but the 7.4kW wallbox more owners are likely to have needs 11 hours and 45 minutes. Owning a Model Y will of course be very different from owning a conventionally powered compact-to-mid-sized SUV. There'll be no fuel bills of course and servicing costs will be much smaller. The annual service fee covers an annual inspection, replacement parts like brake pads and windscreen wipers, 24 hour roadside assistance, system monitoring, remote diagnostics, software updates and new features sent through the touchscreen.

Summary

The Model Y Performance isn't one of those fast mid-sized EV crossovers that feels a completely different animal to its humbler showroom stablemates; maybe it should be, but Tesla's not quite ready to build us a car quite like that quite yet. So don't think of it like, say, the brand's old Model S Plaid was to a standard Model S. Here, instead of a completely different high speed variant, you've instead simply got more a Model Y with a bit more of everything. Well, everything except pavement stand-apart presence. Despite the now slightly more overt exterior treatment, it's probably unlikely that anyone will notice that you've bought or leased anything other than a very well specified Model Y. Not until you leave them for dead at the traffic lights anyway. And if that's what you want, then in this car, Tesla offers quite a performance.