Tesla Model Y

Of more than 30 cars tested over 2022, the Tesla Model Y was the “top performer” by ANCAP, scoring a five-star safety rating but also managing the highest average score (weighted across the four criteria) of all vehicles tested.

It achieved a 97 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 82 per cent for vulnerable road users, and 98 per cent for safety assist. Unsurprisingly, it is loaded with standard safety technology.

Standard features include:

• 7 airbags incl. front-centre airbag
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
  • Forward, Reverse
• Blind-spot assist
• Lane keep assist
• Reversing, side view cameras
• Front, rear parking sensors
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Automatic high-beam
• Intelligent speed limiter
• Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
• Junction assist
• Backover prevention

The Tesla Model Y is also equipped with Sentry Mode, which uses the car’s nine cameras (internal and external) to monitor any undue interference with the vehicle.

It’s reassuring to say the least, especially when you can observe the car from all angles both internally and externally, and even beep the horn and flash the lights via the Tesla App on your phone once you’ve set up your profile.

You should service your Model Y at your authorised Tesla dealer or service centre, however servicing it at third party mechanics that follow OEM servicing instructions should not impact the Model Y’s warranty.

The great thing about driving an EV is there’s no warming anything up like you should do in an combustion-powered car.

You just hop in, move the right-hand instrument stalk up or down and off you blast – it’s that easy. When you arrive at your chosen destination, simply push the button at end of the stalk, get out, and walk away.

There’s no handbrake to worry about or key fob to push – all of that stuff is automatic in the Tesla.

There’s so much instant torque on tap that small gaps in traffic are dealt with ease. And don’t bother about joining the queue of cars at the next set of traffic lights, either – as long as there’s a free lane, use that, and you won’t even need to punch it.

Just a quick prod of the throttle and you’ll be 50 metres down the road before the rest of the mob even get rolling.

With the complete absence of a driver’s instrument display, you obviously don’t have a speedometer ahead of you. Instead, it’s on the top-right-hand corner of the touchscreen at eye-level.

You’ll get used to it in no time at all – but it’s still not the ideal position for a quick glance.

You can find more details on all the options and inclusions across the Tesla Model Y variants on the official website, and within the official Tesla Model Y specifications page.

This is where Tesla lags behind almost all its rivals – only offering a four-year, 80,000km warranty.

Still, there’s a battery and drive unit warranty than covers eight years/192,000km for AWD Models, which will guarantee a minimum 70 per cent battery retention at that point.

Tesla does not publish specific service intervals, though it recommends a brake fluid check every 24 months, cabin air filters every two years, HEPA filter replacement at three years and an air-conditioning service every four years, in addition to the standard wheel balancing and tyre rotation.

Efficiency-wise the Model Y Performance is slightly worse off than its standard Model Y sibling by claiming an average of 15.4kWh/100km – a figure I got very close to, albeit with the occasional prod of the throttle.

Charging the Model Y Performance at an AC charging box at home means you can go from 0-100 per cent in around 8 hours 15 minutes. Using a Tesla Supercharger cuts the charging time down to 27 minutes.

Tesla is also unique in its ability to offer access to its Australia-wide Supercharger network of more than 50 charging stations, along with plenty of other fast-charging options, too.