Cut-price Model Y Standard soon arrives in Britain - will a cheaper version of Tesla's best-selling EV be a hit?

• e-mail

Tesla has brought out a new Model Y in Britain which is £3,000 cheaper. 

The US EV maker is swapping out its Model Y Rear Wheel Drive model for a fresh Model Y Standard to entice customers with a more 'affordable' entry point into its SUV range.

Model Y Standard buyers will enjoy 314 miles of range - four miles more than the old RWD model.

And while the old Rear Wheel Drive started at £44,990, the new Standard version of Tesla's best-selling model will start from £41,990. 

It puts the Model Y around the Skoda Enyaq price point - the Enyaq SE L starts from £39,010.

Tesla has revealed a new cheaper Model Y today: The Model Y Standard is available to order and is £3,000 cheaper than the outgoing Model Y Rear Wheel Drive

The Elon Musk owned brand says that it has specifically considered a lower total cost of ownership for the Model Y Standard, as well as only factoring in the reduced upfront cost of the EV.

The move comes almost two months after Tesla launched the Model Y Standard in America in a bid to entice customers back to the brand after a difficult year.

The US car maker's shares have slumped and $380billion wiped off its value - the worst-performing large-cap stock this year.

Tesla has tailored the Model Y Standard to be more affordable by reducing its top speed and acceleration to make sure it fits into a lower insurance group rating of 34, the lowest of any Tesla vehicle. 

The Standard covers 0 to 60mph in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 110mph. The next cheapest Model Y, the Premium, does 0 to 60mph in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 125mph. 

The Standard is also the most efficient Model Y Tesla's ever made, with a consumption of 4.5 miles per kWh.

Part of the lower cost of ownership package is a monthly lease of £299 per month on a 36-month lease with a £3,588 deposit. 

On sale now, the Standard will start deliveries to customers in February. 

The old Rear Wheel Drive started at £44,990 but the new Standard version of Tesla's best-selling model will start from £41,990

The Standard comes with 19-inch Crossflow Wheels in the UK instead of the 18-inch wheels offered in other markets 

Why has Tesla brought in a more affordable Y? 

A stripped-back 'Standard' trim Model Y debuted in the US in October but at that point it wasn't confirmed for the UK market. 

In the US the Standard is priced at $39,990 - some $5,000 cheaper than the rest of the range.

A Model 3 Standard was also revealed, costing $36,990 - $5,500 less than the next most affordable variant of the compact exec saloon. 

The UK and US Standard arrive after years of Elon Musk promising to debut cheaper EVs to more cost-conscious buyers. 

The US firm is likely hoping that the cheaper Standard model will help it recover from a brutal sales year. 

This year has seen Tesla lose customers due to its ageing vehicle line-up, increased competition from China, and anti-Musk boycotts.

November hasn't proved any better for the beleaguered car brand, with UK registrations dropping and steep declines recorded in European markets.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed a 17.2 per cent year-on-year decline in Tesla UK sales to 3,772 units, putting Tesla behind other household automakers and Chinese rivals.

The full-width front  light bar is no longer - instead there are slinky, separate headlights 

What's different about the new Model Y Standard?

Read More

Tesla Model Y review: FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL on whether it can help boost sales for the Musk owned car firm in Britain

Visually the Standard differs from the rest of the Y line up as it has several features removed and materials swapped out.

The full-width front light bar has gone and instead there are slinky, separate headlights and the front bumper has also been simplified. 

The panoramic roof is no longer, the interior faux leather has been replaced with cloth and the centre console is smaller.

To access the car you'll have to use the remote key on the smartphone app as there is no physical key card. 

The dampers are now passive rather than active, but the Standard comes with 19-inch Crossflow Wheels in the UK instead of the 18-inch wheels offered in other markets. 

Tesla customers prefer these wheels but they are also better for residual value, delivering better value long term for buyers.

Part of the lower cost of ownership package is an affordable monthly lease of £299 per month on a 36-month lease with a £3588 deposit. On sale now, the Standard will start deliveries to customers in February

What's the same?

The remote access via the Tesla app is carried across to the Standard and with it everything from real-time supercharger availability to Tesla's gaming suites, remote climate control and sentry mode - to name a few.

Over-the-air updates will continually enhance the Standard at no extra cost and it comes with standard autopilot. 

The Standard is also hardware-ready for full self-driving (supervised) when regulation allows.

There are 835 liters of cargo space with five passengers, and 2,118 liters with the second row folded - enough to carry bikes, camping gear, or other large items. 

The panoramic roof has gone and the interior faux leather has been replaced with cloth and the centre console is smaller

How much does the rest of the Tesla Model Y line up cost? 

The Standard marks the entry point to the Model Y range, followed by two versions of the Y Premium: the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive which costs £48,990 and Long Range All-Wheel Drive which costs £51,990.

At the top end is the Model Y Performance which will set you back £61,990 and delivers 360 miles of range, a top speed of 155mph and a eye-watering 0 to 60mph of 3.3 seconds.