The Tesla model YL is coming to Australia in 2026, offering the American brand a three-row SUV option Down Under for the first time in several years.
The introduction of the stretched Model Y derivative appeared to be a fait accompli, considering it was in the Australian government’s approval documents in February.
However, Tesla Australia has now confirmed the launch of the vehicle – although it has not yet been confirmed when it will arrive in 2026.
Tesla Australia has also not yet released pricing and specifications.
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The Model YL, like all of Tesla’s current local model range, is sourced from Shanghai, China, with the exception of the Model Y Performance, which comes from Germany.
There are few electric SUVs under $100,000 with a third row of seats. The only competition for the Model YL currently comes from the smaller Mercedes-Benz EQB and the larger Kia EV9, which the Tesla is expected to significantly undercut in price.
First introduced in mid-2025, the Model YL takes over the regular Model Y and extends its wheelbase by 150 mm to 3040 mm.
This frees up space for a third row of seats, with the Model Y’s bench seat replaced by a pair of captain’s chairs in the second row. However, the still steeply sloping rear roofline could affect headroom in the third row of seats.
With an overall length of 4969 mm, the Model YL sits squarely in the large SUV segment – it is, for example, 3 mm longer than a Toyota Kluger, although it is 67 mm shorter and 140 mm narrower than the Tesla Model X, the American brand’s last three-row SUV.
Compared to the five-seater Model Y, the L is also 34 mm higher, offers 2 mm more ground clearance (169 mm) and is the same width despite a 20 mm wider track at the front and a 12 mm narrower track at the rear.
There’s more luggage space too, with a claimed 2539 liters versus 2138 liters for the five-seater versions, and the extra dimensions increase the curb weight by 96kg to 2088kg.
The Model YL differs from the regular Model Y not only in its longer body, but also in unique alloy wheels and emblems.
Recent government certification documents show it uses the same dual-motor electric four-wheel drive and battery as the Premium Long Range AWD, with a claimed output of 378kW.
Tesla doesn’t release power and torque figures, but a filing from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) confirmed outputs of 142 kW and 198 kW for the Model Y L’s front and rear electric motors, respectively.
On Tesla’s Chinese website, the brand claims a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 4.5 seconds.
According to reports, the YL model was approved for the European market in December 2025. The 88 kWh battery offers a range of 681 km on the WLTP cycle.
For comparison, the Australian market Model Y Premium Long Range AWD has a WLTP range of 600km and a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.8 seconds.
In China, the Model YL costs ¥339,000 (A$72,800), meaning it is ¥25,500 (A$5,500) more expensive than the equivalent Model Y there.
In Australia, the Model Y Premium Long Range AWD costs $68,900 excluding on-road costs.
Standard equipment in China includes an 18-speaker sound system, a 16-inch front touchscreen, an 8.0-inch rear touchscreen for climate control adjustment, a power tailgate and adaptive LED headlights.
These second-row captain’s chairs feature heating, ventilation and power controls, as well as power armrests. The two-seater bench seat in the third row is heated and folds down electrically.
Tesla claims to have improved the suspension, which features continuously variable damping.
The Model YL will be Tesla’s first three-row SUV offering in Australia since the Model
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