Six-seat, three-row Tesla Model Y L confirmed, under consideration for Australia

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A larger, longer version of the Tesla Model Y with six seats across three rows will enter production at the manufacturer’s Giga Shanghai, China plant shortly alongside the existing two-row iteration of the Model Y.

Tesla confirmed the existence of the dual-motor SUV, called the Model Y L, overnight on Chinese social media platform Weibo with a brief statement reading “Model Y L, see you in the Golden Autumn”—a reference to the September-October period in China.

The new ‘L’ isn’t the first three-row Model Y to exist, with a six-seat version of the pre-facelift Tesla EV previously sold the United States. However, that shorter version of the three-row Y was built in America and not available to Australian buyers.

America’s smaller three-row Model Y was deemed “not suitable” by both Chinese and Australian Tesla execs in the past—both groups wanted a bigger SUV in order to comfortably fit more passengers.

Australian release of Model Y L appears likely

But the new Model Y L seems very likely to come to Australia for two reasons: first, it is built in the plant that already supplies the local market, and second, the Tesla Australia country director has made his interest in a three-row Model Y clear.

Speaking with Chasing Cars earlier in 2025, Tesla Australia boss Thom Drew said “I’d love to see a higher-capacity Model Y…I’d love to see an expanded vehicle.”

Drew stopped short at that point of flat-out confirming the then-hypothetical model, noting “I would need to look more closely at the specific (car) before I make a decision on it.”

We have asked Thom Drew for his comments on the Model Y L, now that the specific vehicle has been revealed in full.

The release of the Model Y L in Australia would likely provide a desirable bump to local sales of the SUV. The Model Y remains Australia’s top-selling EV (10,431 deliveries in the first six months of 2025) but its run-rate is lagging slightly behind the full year of 2024 (21,253 sales).

Longer, taller, heavier Model Y L specs confirmed 

In a common occurrence for vehicles built in China, the timing of Tesla’s confirmation appears to have been forced by the publication of photos and specifications of the Model Y L by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

MIIT’s latest regulatory catalogue provides details of the Model Y L, including its length of 4976mm (179mm longer than the five-seat Model Y) and its 150mm wheelbase extension to 3040mm.

The Model Y L is also 44mm taller than its sibling (now 1668mm) while width is equal for the two vehicles at 1920mm. Weight is up by 60kg.

The MIIT guide reveals the Model Y L is a six-seater. While a seven-seat Model Y would be even more useful (and is almost implied by the car’s badge, being a Y with two slashes next to it), rear axle load limits might cap the seat count at six.

Dual-motor only from launch, 27% price increase in China 

We also know that the Model Y L will be fitted with dual-motor AWD from launch, with MIIT data revealing front and rear motor outputs of 142kW and 198kW respectively.

While battery capacity and WLTP range are not yet known, it has been confirmed that the Model Y L’s pack will be built by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution.

Chinese sources suggest pricing for the Model Y L is expected to land around 27 percent higher than that market’s two-row Model Y Long Range AWD.

If the same proportional increase carried over to Australia, the Model Y L would cost $87,000 before on-road costs, compared to $68,900 + ORCs for the Model Y Long Range AWD.

That compares to the shorter, smaller seven-seat Mercedes-Benz EQB250+, currently priced from $85,400 + ORCs in Australia, while the larger and more spacious Kia EV9 kicks off from $97,000 + ORCs.