Tesla began deliveries yesterday of the made-in-China Model Y in simultaneous ceremonies held in 10 different cities around the country. Before that happened, a popular Chinese YouTuber got his hands on one of the impressive machines last week to give us a detailed look at the electric SUV. He was also provided a new refreshed Model 3 allowing him to perform a number of comparisons between the two vehicles.
After searching through an underground parking garage to find the test vehicles, his first impressions of the new interior are positive. The new wood trim on the door panel, now in both the Model 3 and Y in China, now feature a smooth, lacquered finish that extends to the dash.
The two vehicles were also compared in terms of performance and overall driving feel. The Model Y received a positive review for its softer and more gentle (but still fun) ride compared to the Performance Model 3.
The two vehicles were also put through a range test at sub-zero temperatures. After driving at an average speed of 102.7km/h for over 300km, the Performance Model 3 battery was completely empty. The Model Y, which started with 43km more range at the beginning of the test, had just 13km of estimated range remaining.
The YouTuber puts the vehicles through a few other tests to see how the heat pumps in each vehicle perform. In addition to the efficiency gains, he says the heat from the heat pump feels better than from the previous resistive heater in the Model 3.
Check out the full video below, and be sure to turn on closed captioning for the translations.
