Road test: Tesla Model Y Performance, the silent supercar slayer

Wednesday, 3 December 2025

Tesla’s second-generation Model Y Performance is a more comprehensive package than its predecessor.

A decade ago, conversations about the best bang-for-buck performance car would inevitably gravitate towards diminutive hatchbacks with manual transmissions and a penchant for the analogue. It’s now 2025, and the best value performance car on the market might just be an awkwardly proportioned fully electric dual motor family SUV that weighs more than two tonnes.

A more aggressive front bumper and rear diffuser means the new Performance stands out a lot more than the old one.

In a relatively short span of time, the Tesla Model Y has become New Zealand’s go-to electric car choice. And its secret weapon has long been the flagship Performance variant. I say secret as the Performance has always looked almost identical to its standard-range siblings. A true ultimate ‘sleeper’ package, visually inseparable from the base model and capable of slaying almost any unsuspecting supercar at your nearest motorway onramp Grand Prix.

The 15.4-inch touchscreen remains surprisingly intuitive, and comes with dual wireless charging pads underneath.

But, that’s just changed. Tesla’s new Model Y Performance is now a pretty easy spot. Enlarged front and rear vents, a deeper front spoiler and rear diffuser section, an elongated duck-tail spoiler on the tailgate, and a set of very spicy looking ‘Arachnid’ 21-inch wheels all make the fastest Y a feast on the eyes. Still a little rotund in its side-profile, but a feast nonetheless.

... and bucket seats up front with adjustable thigh support bolstering.

The Performance’s interior comes with snazzy carbon fibre trim ...

The Model Y Performance is the only locally sold Tesla not produced in China. All units shipped here are instead made in Berlin, Germany.

These tweaks echo what Tesla rolled out a little over a year ago with the Model 3 Performance, finally bowing down to those wanting a little maximalism from their aesthetically minimalist electric car.

The Performance’s adaptive suspension feels fairly well suited to our occasionally coarse roads.

There’s plenty of similarity between the two pumped up Teslas, from the shared dual-motor all-wheel drive layout churning out 343kW/741Nm and the 82kWh battery (Tesla claims a 580km range, and DC charging speeds of up to 250kW), to the addition of adaptive suspension, to much of the interior.

The Pirelli P-Zero rubber is staggered, with wider stock on the rear.

There’s at least one considerable difference between the two quick Teslas, and it’s a difference that you cannot see. Whilst the ‘M3P’ sold here is made in China, the Model Y Performance that we take is made in Germany (both are also produced in the US for their home market).

The extent of the extended carbon fibre rear spoiler is only noticeable when you spot a standard Model Y that doesn’t have it.

There isn’t necessarily any black and white reason as to why the Model Y Performance is built in Europe as opposed to China. Maybe it’s because Tesla expects to sell plenty in Europe, and the ‘made in Germany’ tagline might appeal to all the ‘M’ and ‘RS’ fans out there. Maybe it’s because China is making its own unique Model Y, the long wheelbase 6-seater Model Y L.

Tesla New Zealand’s first shipment of Model Y Performance units is already sold out, but the brand will be bringing more here soon.

The build quality of our tester was admittedly the best we’ve seen of any media unit we’ve been handed, although to be fair this has generally been true of each Tesla I’ve driven — the brand's incremental improvements in build quality haven’t gone unnoticed.

But, you’re probably not here to read about fit and finish. The Model Y Performance is all about jaw-dropping numbers. Tesla quotes a 250kph top speed and a 0-100kph time of 3.5 seconds, which is two-tenths quicker than the old one and six-tenths quicker than a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera. It accomplishes this feat whilst being able to seat five and whilst being just a third of the price.

At $100,900 (plus on-roads), the Model Y Performance is essentially the same price as the old one was at its launch … ignoring all the violent price adjustment Tesla implemented in the years since. Regardless of how you feel about electric vehicles or Mr Musk himself, it’s hard to ignore the sheer value of the Model Y Performance. It’s two thirds the price of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and half the price of a BMW M3 Touring.

By now, it’s been well established that Tesla’s fast cars are capable of backing up their pace with strong cornering chops. And, as per our test of the Model 3 Performance last October, their latest attempts have made meaningful steps forward in terms of driver engagement and that much coveted intangible; feel.

It accomplished this in part by introducing numerous customisable levels to the powertrain, chassis and steering. It was more locked down to the road thanks to improved dampers and wider, staggered Pirelli P-Zero rubber. And Tesla added the ability to adjust the car’s rotation bias within its drive mode menu, meaning you can ask for the car to have more understeer or more oversteer as you please.

Not nearly as deep and nerdy a set of options as what you get in an Ioniq 5 N, and that last understeer-oversteer dial didn’t make much of a difference behind the wheel. But we were nevertheless hugely impressed by the leap the Model 3 Performance represented. And, given all those aforementioned tweaks also exist in the Model Y Performance, it unsurprisingly follows a very similar path.

Whilst the old Model Y Performance was a fairly strong performer out of the box, there was a lack of depth to the driving experience. It was obviously a rocketship in a straight line, but improvements to its platform were limited to sticker rubber and a more taught suspension package. A decent handler thanks to its low centre of gravity and good tyre package, but not especially rewarding for a driver.

The new Model Y Performance feels like a considerably more thought out driver’s car when you’re flicking it around a tight and twisty road. It of course rides more firmly than a standard Y, but in a way that feels well suited to our roads. Notably, it rides bumps better than the Model 3 Performance — a good nugget of info for those considering either for day-to-day use.

The wider rubber and the calibration of the adaptive dampers instil handling confidence in a way the old model couldn’t. And inevitably, there’s a mountain of instantaneous power and torque always waiting underneath your right foot.

Its steering is still devoid of feel, but it is a lot easier to be precise with than its predecessor. Interestingly, the Model Y Performance skips on having a ‘Track Mode’. Instead, it’s swapped in what it calls ‘Reduced Mode’. This acts like a sort of drift-mode-lite, relaxing the car’s traction control and allowing a little bit of wheel slip — particularly in the rear. It’s not all too discernable on public roads at posted speed limits, but perhaps allows the Y to let its hair down when you’re on a track.

With a higher centre of gravity than a Model 3 Performance and about 160kg of extra weight, the Model Y Performance isn’t quite the sharpest tool in Tesla’s shed. But, the comfort and practicality benefits relative to its sedan sibling will make this incredibly compelling to anyone wanting a weekday family workhorse and a weekend canyon-carving dynamo.