Tesla will launch a long-wheelbase version of the Model Y in China, a new filing with the nation’s Ministry of Industry and Information has revealed.
Compared with the regular Model Y, it has been stretched by 186mm – 150mm of which is between the front and rear axles. It is also slightly taller, at 1668mm compared with the regular model’s 1624mm.
Inside, there are three rows of two seats, giving a total capacity of six.
It gets a dual-motor powertrain with a combined output of 456bhp, suggesting it could keep pace with the previous Model Y Performance.
The news comes as the recently introduced, updated Model Y struggles to find traction in China. Its sales are currently down by almost 18% compared with at the same point last year and look unlikely to rebound quickly.
Tesla will be gambling that the addition of an extended-wheelbase version – to better accommodate the Chinese market's expectation for interior space – will help to steady the ship.
The Model Y L will be unveiled officially this autumn. Tesla has yet to reveal whether it will be offered outside China, but such models rarely make it out of that market.
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