Tesla finally stretched the Model Y and brought it to America. The Model Y L (Tesla also calls it the Model Y Long Wheelbase) opened for US and Puerto Rico orders on July 2, 2026, as a six-seat, three-row SUV with a real third row, not the jump-seat afterthought the regular Y has been selling for $2,500 since January.
It arrives only as a loaded Launch Series, priced at $61,990 before destination. That is more than Tesla’s own Model Y Performance, and more than a Kia EV9 or Hyundai Ioniq 9 starts at. Deliveries are built at Gigafactory Texas, with the first customer cars expected this fall.
What Tesla actually stretched
The L adds 150 mm (5.9 inches) to the wheelbase, taking it to 3,040 mm / 119.7 inches, and about 180 mm (7 inches) to overall length. Tesla used that extra metal for a 2+2+2 layout instead of cramming a seven-seat bench into a compact crossover.
Second row: independent captain’s chairs with heating, ventilation, powered armrests, and one-touch fold. Third row: heated seats with power recline and child-seat anchors. Tesla claims 89 cubic feet of cargo with the seats down, plus adaptive damping, upgraded acoustic glass, a 19-speaker audio system, a second-row 8-inch touchscreen, and 50W cooled wireless charging pads.
The spec sheet Tesla wants you to remember
- Dual-motor AWD, 0–60 mph in 4.4 seconds (Tesla estimate)
- EPA-estimated range: 325 miles on 19-inch wheels, 320 miles on 20s
- About 196 inches long, 65.7 inches tall, roughly 4,600 pounds
- Peak Supercharging around 250 kW
Those are Tesla’s numbers, not ours. Motor Trend’s first-drive writeup of the 2027 Model Y L put combined output around 496 horsepower and called it the best-riding Model Y yet, with usable cargo behind the third row. Take the “best-riding” part as a first-drive impression, not gospel.
The price is doing a lot of work
China got the Model Y L in August 2025 for roughly $47,000. Analysts figured the US car would land around $54,000, a similar premium over a regular Y. Tesla opened America with a $61,990 Launch Series instead, about $4,000 above the $57,990 Model Y Performance and roughly $22,000 above the $39,990 rear-wheel-drive Y.
The Launch Series is the only trim you can order right now. Tesla is bundling the usual launch bait: special badging, free choice of paint, interior, and wheels, plus 12 months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and 12 months of Supercharging. Destination is about $1,390 on top. Reports in August said the Launch Series was nearly sold out, with newer orders sliding into November and December.
Tesla has run this playbook before. Skim the people who will pay anything to be first, then decide whether a cheaper L ever shows up. Until that happens, the L is a halo Y, not a volume family hauler.
Why this car exists
Tesla killed the Model X earlier this year and left itself without a real three-row SUV in the US. The standard Model Y’s optional third row is still there, and it is still a kids-only squeeze. Europe got a seven-seat Y in February. None of that is what families actually asked for.
Elon Musk had even floated the idea that America might not get the L at all, or not until late 2026, because robotaxis would supposedly make extra seats less necessary. Then Tesla put it on the configurator in July. Demand for six usable seats beat the TED talk.
The L also walks into a segment Hyundai and Kia already occupy. The EV9 starts around $54,900 with up to 304 miles. The Ioniq 9 starts around $58,955 with up to 335 miles. Both undercut the Launch Series. Tesla’s counters are the 4.4-second 0–60, Supercharger access, and the fact that a lot of shoppers will still buy the badge.
Can you get one?
Yes, if you are fine with Launch Series money and a fall or early-winter delivery window. Configure it on Tesla’s site. Production is already underway in Austin. Cheaper non-Launch trims have not been announced, which is the whole plot: Tesla is testing how much a three-row Y is worth before it bothers to build the one most people can actually afford.
Images courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
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