Tesla Model Y L review: 0–100, braking

Tesla’s Model Y L is not a performance special. It’s the stretched, six-seat family version — the one you buy because you need more people space, not because you want launch-control bragging rights. But that is exactly why the new hands-on review matters. If Tesla is asking buyers to spend roughly A$6,000 more than a comparable five-seat Long Range AWD, the extra size has to avoid ruining the basics — acceleration, stopping, efficiency, and everyday drivability. (youtube.com) ### What is the Model Y L, exactly? It’s a long-wheelbase, three-row Model Y with six seats in a 2-2-2 layout. Tesla stretched the body, raised the roofline, and paired that bigger shell with a larger battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive. In Australia, it’s sold as a Premium AWD and pitched as the longest-range Model Y in the local lineup. In New Zealand, reviewers are framing it the same wa(youtube.com) a bargain variant. (drive.com.au) ### Why do 0–100 and braking matter here? Because bigger family EVs usually pay a penalty. More length, more glass, more seats, and more mass tend to blunt acceleration and stretch stopping distances. The Model Y L weighs about 2,088 kg in one New Zealand review, so the question is not whether it feels quick in a vacuum. The question is whether it stil(drive.com.au)maybe a weekend’s worth of chaos into the thing. (autotrader.co.nz) ### So how quick is it supposed to be? That depends a bit on market and spec sheet, which is part of the confusion. Drive’s Australian first drive says the local Model Y L does 0–100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. EVKX lists the broader 2026 Model Y L at 4.5 seconds with 340 kW and 493 Nm. Either way, the point is the same — this is still firmly in “fast family SUV” territory, not “lumbering three-row EV” territory. (drive.com.au) ### What did the new review actually test? CarExpert’s May 7 video is explicitly built around an instrumented 0–100 km/h run and braking test, with the verdict framed around value — whether the extra-money Model Y L earns its premium over the standard car. Even from the available metadata, that framing tells you the review is less about novelty and mor(drive.com.au)ose, but one costs materially more. (youtube.com) ### Is the extra price the real issue? Yes — more than outright speed. In Australia, the gap is about A$6,000 over an equivalent five-seat Long Range AWD. In New Zealand, one review puts the same rough premium at about NZ$6,000. That is enough money that “it has more seats” is not quite a complete answer. Buyers want to know whether they are also getting meaningful gains in ride, battery, rang(youtube.com)romised third row. (drive.com.au) ### Does the bigger body hurt efficiency? Turns out, not much. The New Zealand road test reported around 15 kWh/100 km over a long trip, dropping to about 10 kWh/100 km on flatter sections. That lines up with Tesla’s broader pitch for the car — bigger, but still unusually efficient for its size. It’s a bit like adding a third row without turning the thing into a brick. That’s a big part of why the Model Y L is getting attention. (autotrader.co.nz) ### What’s the catch? Space and value, not straight-line pace. Reviews keep circling the same compromise — the Model Y L adds a third row, but it’s still not a full-size people mover. Drive calls it a “halfway house” for big families, and that sounds about right. You get six seats and strong range, but not the sheer room of something like a Kia EV9 or van-shaped EV alternative. (drive.com.au) ### Bottom line? The Model Y L only works if it stays convincingly Tesla-like after the stretch — quick enough, efficient enough, and secure under braking. That is why this review lands. It treats the car the way buyers actually do: not as a new gadget, but as a more expensive version of a familiar one that now has to prove the extra metal is worth the extra money. (youtube.com)