After months of speculation, this is our first look at the facelifted Tesla Model Y without disguise – and it is not just a copy-paste of the latest Model 3 sedan.
The hotly-anticipated facelift for the 2025 Tesla Model Y electric SUV – reportedly codenamed Juniper – has broken cover in undisguised spy photos, ahead of a formal unveiling expected imminently.
Images posted across social media on Thursday evening, Australian time confirm the updated Model Y will not be a facsimile of the latest version of its Model 3 sedan sibling, and will instead wear unique styling to set it apart on the road.
As forecast in earlier spy images of disguised prototypes, Tesla’s top seller will move to split headlights – with upper daytime-running lights and lower main beams – split by a light bar across the nose.
MORE: 2025 Tesla Model Y – Closest look yet at ‘Juniper’ update before imminent reveal
The tailgate is new, with a light bar stretching across the rear end – expected to feature ‘TESLA’ script in its centre – and a new, sportier rear bumper thought to house the number plate.
While the vehicle spotted wears a new front bumper resembling the latest Model 3 Performance, the wheels appear to be a new design in the standard variants’ 19-inch size – not the 21-inch diameter of the current Model Y Performance.
Full details are expected to be confirmed by Tesla in the coming weeks, amid reports production of the vehicle is ramping up in China.
Wait times in some European countries have blown out to the middle of the year, suggesting buyers who place an order there would receive the new model, rather than run-out stock of the current version.
If history is a guide, the updated Model Y will arrive in showrooms about two to three months after it is unveiled globally.
The mid-life upgrade for what is expected to remain the world’s top-selling car is expected to introduce an upgraded interior similar to the 2024-onwards Model 3, with a larger screen and new front seats with ventilation.
Also likely is the deletion of the steering column stalks, with the indicators moved to buttons on the steering wheel, and the gear shifter to a slider on the side of the touchscreen.
It remains to be seen if there are changes to the electric motors and battery packs, but the styling changes may translate to improved aerodynamics that, in turn, increase the driving range.
More details of the 2025 Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ – or ‘Opal’, as reports suggest it may instead be codenamed – are due closer to its global debut.
Below: Current Tesla Model Y
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