Tesla announces NZ Model Y pricing, deliveries in August

Following years of speculation, Tesla’s local arm has finally announced New Zealand pricing and specifications for the upcoming Model Y; the brand’s first compact SUV.

It has confirmed two trim levels for local sale; the Rear-Wheel Drive and the Performance. The former will be priced from $76,200 and the latter from $108,900.

The former’s pricing sees it qualify for the government’s Clean Car Discount rebate, meaning buyers can claim a $8625 discount after purchase. This effectively means a Model Y can be acquired for $67,575.

Orders for both models are now open, with customers asked to put down a $400 order fee.

This pricing sees the Model Y go toe-to-toe with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, both of which reported strong sales figures in May.

First deliveries of Model Ys are set to kick off in August, just two months away, according to Tesla New Zealand’s ordering portal.

Both Model Y variants bypass the seven-seater models highlighted overseas, instead only being sold locally with five seats.

The entry-level model sports a claimed range of 455km on the WLTP cycle, while the Performance boasts a 514km range.

Standard features across both models include black leather upholstery, a panoramic glass roof, a 15-inch touchscreen with Tesla’s signature interface, and 2158L of cargo room.

Diving deeper, the entry level model gets power-adjustable front seats, heated seats in the front and the back, a heated steering wheel, 13-speaker sound system, ambient interior lighting, HEPA air filtration, and more.

Inevitably the Performance is much quicker thanks to its dual-motor format.

Tesla quotes that it can hit 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, compared to the Rear-Wheel Drive’s 6.9 seconds. It is also rated for a top speed of 250km/h, 33km/h more than the entry-level model.