Everything We Know About the 2020 Tesla Model Y

The American company that created a furor many years back by launching desirable electric vehicles will finally be completing its S3XY range with the launch of the Model Y on the 14th of March. The budget electric crossover will be slotted between the Model 3 and the Model S and will most likely go on to become the startup's best-selling car ever. But, what exactly do we know about it thus far?

The 2020 Tesla Model Y Will be a Model 3 in Crossover Form

Whether you call the Tesla Model Y a crossover counterpart of the Model 3, or a downsized version of the Model X, there is no denying that this crossover will give you the best of both the worlds. From what we can concur from the preview images, be it the sculpted front fenders or the sweptback headlamps, the Model Y bears a design that strongly resonates with the Model 3. In fact, Elon Musk has said that the Model Y will be around 10-percent larger and will share 75-percent of its components with the Model 3.

Note: Tesla Model 3 pictured here.

Tesla has not even released teaser images of the cabin, but the American automaker will surely plonk its gimmicks, as well as the customer interest-inducing features in the Model Y. It will be a tech-savvy's playground, to say the least. We expect the Model Y to be offered with features like a huge touchscreen, Autopilot (probably as optional package), Autopark, and over-the-air software updates, to name a few. Not to mention, a lot of Model 3 features will be seen in here as well.

Being a Heavy Crossover The 2020 Tesla Model Y Will Have a Slightly Reduced Range

As the Model Y will have to appeal to the mass audience, Tesla will play it safe with its range offering at the beginning. For the sake of comparison, when the Model 3 was launched, it was offered only in range-topping form with the biggest battery available. Maybe the company wanted to capitalize on the initial hype back then and later let the 'penny stocks' take over. However, with the Model Y, expect Tesla to neither offer the lowest range, nor the highest range pack at launch. Instead, we'll probably see the mid-range model.

The 2020 Tesla Model Y Should Feature the Same Powertrain as the Tesla Model 3

Just like anything else about the crossover, there is no word on the Model Y's drivetrain. However, a dual electric motor setup is the way to go, along with front-wheel drive. An all-wheel-drive setup will be on offer, even if it's not available initially. We'll not get into the performance specs right now, but we are prepared to have our minds blown on March 14 when the Model Y officially debuts

The 2020 Model Y Will be Simplistic and Won't Have Falcon Doors Either

Note: Tesla Model X pictured here.

From what we can deduce as a logical approach on Tesla's part, the Musk-led company will keep the Model Y more in line with segment trends. It will surely offer some features that add to the pizzazz and the oomph factor, but not the ones that will cause hindrance to a peaceful day-to-day experience. For a car that will become the company's best-seller, this is a wise decision as Tesla is still facing issues with the falcon doors featured on the larger SUV. Unlike the longstanding approach of introducing a 'Model' in various trims to cater to a wider customer base and later shuffling the trims and eliminating them, Tesla will want to keep things simple this time.

The 2020 Tesla Model Y Will Be ABout 10-Percent More Expensive than the Model 3

As for the pricing, we speculate the 2020 Tesla Mode Y to start out in the ballpark of $40,000 for the base model. Earlier this year, Elon Musk reduced the Tesla manpower by around seven-percent and was able to bring down the price of the Model 3 from $44,000 to $35,000. But on the contrary, Tesla announced a couple of days back that the premium models and the higher trims' price will go up by about three-percent. Where does this place the Tesla Model Y? Like we mentioned, the base price could be a steal-deal at around $42,000, but with added range, an all-wheel-drive system, and premium interior, expect the Model Y's top-of-the-line trim to easily go north of the $58,000-mark.

Our Take

Given that the consumers these days prefer crossovers to sedans, the Model Y could eat into a chunk of the Model 3's sales. However, there is no denying that the Model Y will become the company's top-selling product. Tesla has made mistakes in the past and now realizes what a customer wants from an electric-car slapped with the Tesla logo, so the Model Y should be a rather fool-proof product that connects with the customers instantly. According to Business Insider, Tesla is aiming to begin volume production for Model Y by third quarter of 2020. The unveiling will happen on March 14 at Tesla's Design Studio in Los Angeles. So, stay tuned with us for the latest updates on the Model Y.