TheTeslaNewswire no X claims this image briefly appeared on the official Tesla website before getting pulled down. The company has spent quite a while working on an affordable Model Y version, so this could be it (but sources say it’s not that affordable after all).
Based on the photo, the SUV sports very basic-looking headlights – no more light bar spanning the entire width of the bumper. The bumper itself is new, and so are the 18-inch wheels in the arches.
Insiders claim the cheapest Model Y also does away with the panoramic roof and gets manual steering wheel adjustments instead of power-assisted. Allegedly, the rear seat occupants won’t have any HVAC controls – just retro AC vent deflectors – and the AC itself will no longer come with a fine particulate filter.
Interestingly, we are told that this spec will start from U.S. $39,990, just $5,000 below the much better-equipped Model Y Long Range. That’s a bit more than most of us expected, but still enough to make it Tesla’s cheapest offering right now. That is, if we disregard the recently discontinued entry-spec Cybertruck that most buyers ignored in favor of higher trim levels.
Tesla’s latest premiere in the United States was the range-topping Model Y Performance (see video). It can sprint to 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) in 3.3 seconds and is otherwise a sporty electric vehicle, but with a price of $57,490, it’s not exactly affordable for most customers.
