Tesla’s China division has unveiled plans for a six-seat, long-wheelbase version of the Model Y after details surfaced on the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information website. The Tesla Model Y L represents a bigger take on 2023’s best-selling electric vehicle.
The Model Y L – with ‘L’ standing for ‘long-wheelbase’ – stretches 18.6cm longer than the standard Model Y, reaching 4.7 metres in total length. Tesla also bumped the height from 1.6m to 1.7m.
Those size changes allow the Model Y L to seat six people across three rows. Two passengers sit up front, two in the middle, and two more in the third row.
The configuration differs from Tesla’s larger Model X, which offers seven seats.
Design Updates and Specifications
Based on the recently updated Model Y, leaked images show the long-wheelbase variant features 19-inch wheels and a new boot lip spoiler. Tesla finished this particular model in a soft gold paint option.
Patent documents suggest the Model Y L will pack a twin-motor powertrain generating up to 455bhp. That’s a notable jump from the European-spec Model Y AWD’s 375bhp output.
The extra length and third row come with a weight penalty – the Model Y L tips the scales at 2,088 kilograms compared to the standard car’s 1,997kg.
Market Strategy
Tesla hopes the long-wheelbase Model Y will help recover lost ground in China, where the company saw a 12% sales drop during the first half of 2025. No word yet on whether the Model Y L will reach UK shores.
Tesla faces growing competition in its home market. BYD narrowly outsold Tesla in the UK earlier this year, moving 7,231 units compared to Tesla’s 7,165.
Tesla did hit a milestone in March, delivering its 250,000th UK vehicle – eleven years after introducing the Model S.
The Model Y L will compete against China-exclusive rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which starts around 253,000 Chinese yuan (roughly £26,000). Xiaomi’s top-spec YU7 produces up to 680bhp, though like Tesla’s long-wheelbase Model Y, there’s no confirmation about UK availability.
Neither the YU7 nor the broader Xiaomi automotive brand has announced plans for European expansion.
