After months of teasers, spy shots and speculation, we now officially know what the updated Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ will look like.
And could it have leaked anywhere else other than Elon Musk’s X?
Spy shots published to the platform by ThinkerCar show the new Model Y testing in heavy snow with all of the new exterior features we expected.
A sportier rear bumper is present as well, along with some freshly designed rims. Based on their apparent smaller size, they appear to be fitted to a standard variant – not the Performance grade.
We expect even further changes to be made to the car’s underpinnings, interior and potentially its range, though nothing has been revealed in these spy shots, nor confirmed otherwise.
2025 Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ (Image: ThinkerCar)
US-based Forbes has previously speculated a new performance variant could crack the 0-60mp/h (0-98km/h) mark in under three seconds.
If true, that would suggest a healthy bump in power from the current model’s 413kW to better rival the Porsche Macan Turbo Electric. Though once again, nothing has been confirmed.
2025 Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ (Image: ThinkerCar)
Despite remaining the best-selling electric car globally, including in Australia, Tesla sales have begun to taper due to increasing competition from budget Chinese rivals such as BYD, which has quickly emerged as the world’s second best-selling EV brand.
In Australia, Model Y sales fell by 26.1 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year from 28,769 sales to 21,253. The brand’s total sales dipped by 16.8 per cent, or from 46,120 sales to 38,347.
To counter the downward trend, Tesla is likely to release the Model Y Juniper across global markets, such as the US, China and Europe, imminently, with Australia likely to receive it by the middle of this year.
