Tesla has announced that the Model Y will gain a seven-seat option in Europe for the first time. Seven-seat versions of the Model Y have been on sale in other markets, notably the United States, since 2021.
A €2,500 upgrade
The seven-seat option costs €2,500 for the Model Y Long Range All Wheel Drive model - the seven-set layout is exclusive to this version for now. The extra seats in the boot fold away flat, and while they do reduce the maximum available boot space a little, the penalty is quite small. With the extra seats folded away, there’s still a roomy 753-litre boot (assuming you stack it to the roof). That’s less than the space in a standard five-seat Model Y, but it’s hardly a disastrous reduction.
Frunk in the nose
With the third-row seats in use, the Model Y still has 363 litres of available boot space, which is competitive, and Tesla claims that volume means you can carry two carry-on suitcases in the rear and two large bags in the ‘frunk’, which remains at 117 litres in the nose.
With all the rear seats folded there’s 2,040 litres of total cargo volume.
Sliding middle row
Tesla hasn’t given the seven-seat Model 3 a longer wheelbase, but the middle-row seats do have a sliding function, so you’ll be able to juggle the various seats around to fit everyone in. That said, the Model Y has been criticised in reviews in the US for the lack of headroom, legroom and space for feet in the third row. In that sense, it’s hardly unlike any other seven-seat SUV.
When in row three, there are two USB-C sockets so that devices can be charged, while there’s a handy release button on the shoulder section of the middle row seats, so that they can be easily slid and tilted forwards to get in and out of the rear-most seats.
Range up to 565km
Tesla claims a range of up to 565km if you forego the optional 20-inch wheels and stick with 19-inch rims instead, and of course it reminds potential owners that the Model Y gets full access to the Supercharger rapid-charging network. According to Tesla, that network, and the Model Y’s efficiency “translates into shorter charging stops during family road trips, and more kilometres for every euro spent on charging.”