The Tesla Model Y arrived in India as suddenly as a post on X. In this electrified age of automobiles transmogrifying into transportation devices (and they do indeed feel almost like driving laptops from different brands), I couldn’t help but get into the Model Y. After all, Tesla is the one who made EVs cooler than the North Pole, right?
The Model Y has been the world’s largest-selling car for the past two years. It does its own thing, and rather differently, too. Perhaps a bit too differently. It claims to be an SUV — and it is decidedly not one, and no one might take it rock crawling. It doesn’t look like a sedan or a hatchback or an SUV, but has the elements of all three. And that’s not an insult because I do like the way the Model Y looks. Like I said, this Tesla does its own thing.
The Model Y has external speakers behind its front bumper that can play any recording you like from a USB port, and the fact that I could have fun while sitting inside a cavernous and comfortable cabin made it even better. There was also a deep central storage compartment at the front, though the cabin felt so austere, it was like being in a high-tech monastery. That part is down to the all-controlling central screen. Everything happens there, and I was almost surprised that the Model Y even had a steering wheel and pedals.
It is a fantastic and responsive screen, too, and I had no problem accessing anything I needed. For the duration of the brief drive, I set everything to ‘standard’ and set off in typical EV silence. And frankly, it felt like any other electric car at low speeds. However, the Model Y tightened my grip on the steering wheel when I stomped down on the right pedal. I expected this, the 60-odd-kWh version to be a bit tame, seeing as I came to the Model Y after spending some days with a 79-kWh car, but the Tesla somehow felt more powerful. And it’s a proper quick machine, too. Tesla doesn’t reveal power figures for its cars, but it does claim the RWD Model Y can do 0 to 100 kph in 5.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 201 km/h.
The standard Model Y is priced at ₹60 lakh and the long-range version is yours for ₹68 lakh | Photo Credit: Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala
Ride quality
No doubt — there was some clever tech working in the background in conjunction with the Model Y’s aerodynamic design to deliver that kind of unexpected performance. One-pedalling it was quite easy, too, and the Model Y felt composed at all times. And whenever required, I could rely on the brakes to bring the car to a rapid stop. Ride quality was quite acceptable as well, even with 19-inch wheels, and stability was never in question. The steering was light and easy, too, and the car was extremely manageable in town. All in all, the Model Y is a solid car to drive — and I kind of wasn’t expecting that. As for its range, Tesla claims 500 km for the RWD version and 622 km for the long-range RWD version.
There were a few niggles to get used to, though. This was the first time I had a button on the steering wheel for the headlights’ high beam. Then there were the scroll buttons that operated literally everything in the car, including the rear-view mirrors. I had to swipe up and down on the top right of the screen to go forward or backwards, and in the middle to park it. And the areas around the external cameras got pretty hot, too; and it wasn’t even summer in Mumbai. However, as small as the feature may be, the charging port opening automatically when the gun was brought close to it was pretty cool.
Tesla’s much-debated Autopilot feature is a software add-on worth ₹6 lakh, which isn’t available in India due to regulations. It’d make what’s already a pricey car even more so. The standard Model Y is priced at ₹60 lakh and the long-range version is yours for ₹68 lakh, which seems a bit excessive; without the import taxes, it’d be in the same ballpark as premium Indian-made EVs. Then again, the Model Y comes with the aura of a technocrat as standard equipment, one who launches rockets into space, who wants to live on Mars, preaches against and then for AI, commands a major social-media outlet, and still has the spare time to pick a fight with a US President.
Nonetheless, the Model Y displays the kind of innovation and radical rethinking that traditional automotive manufacturers seem averse to, and that has to be applauded. The tech displayed in the Model Y, even if it may come across as a bit gimmicky at first, is quite something else. Nonetheless, I’m not sure what Tesla’s arrival means in the Indian context; would you buy an automobile from a tech brand at this price with some crucial features absent? If yes, the Tesla is a no-brainer.
© Motoring World
Published on September 12, 2025