Tesla announced on Wednesday that the six-seat version of its best-selling Model Y, the ‘Model Y L,’ is coming to China “this fall,” according to a post on Weibo.
The model was included in the latest catalogue of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which revealed the vehicle’s dimensions.
It has a length of 4,976 mm, width of 1,920 mm and height of 1,668 mm and a wheelbase of 3,040 mm.
In comparison, the 2025 five-seater Model Y measures 4,751 mm with a 1,920 mm width, and is 1,624 mm high. It has a 2,891 mm wheelbase.
The model will be dual-motor, with peak power outputs of 142 kW for the front motor and 198 kW for the rear one. The Model Y L reaches a top speed of 201 km/h.
It will feature batteries supplied by South-Korean company LG — which were also used in the five-seat iteration.
Over the next two weeks, Li Auto will launch the six-seater Li i8, while Nio‘s sub-brand Onvo will release its three-rowed L90 SUV.
Late last year, Reuters reported that Tesla was planning to produce a six-seat version of the Model Y SUV in China, aiming to compete with several Chinese automakers that offer six and seven-seat SUVs in the market.
According to the media outlet, production was set to start in late 2025.
However, local media reports later revealed that the brand already started manufacturing a new trim of the SUV at the Shanghai Gigafactory.
In April, Tesla enthusiast zhongwen2005 posted on X that the company’s Shanghai plant was starting production of a new Model Y trim, with three rows and more cabin space.
The rumours were reiterated on Tuesday, with X user Tslachan further sharing that “the configuration behind the C-pillar has been changed” for more space in the third row and that “the wheelbase has been extended, and is about 15-20 cm.”
Last month, Tesla enthusiast Greentheonly had shared on X that the company’s latest firmware version hinted at a six-seater variant.
“The much rumored about 6-seater Model Y made an appearance in the firmware,” he said, adding that it was “unlikely to be China-only as some of the speculations said.”
The user also leaked that a fully functional version of the Grok conversational AI assistant was already included in Tesla‘s firmware — ahead of the official update by the company last week.
Earlier in June, the US brand had already teased a seven-seat Model Y in a marketing e-mail.
“Ready for anything with long range, seating for up to seven, and enough room for everyone’s gear,” it said. However, as of the time of writing, no details were further given about that trim.
Tesla had previously unveiled in late 2020 that a seven-seater option for its cheapest SUV would be launched. The option was included on the website in early 2021.
However, when the Model Y was refreshed earlier this year, a seven-sear configuration was not made available.
Last week, Tesla sold 12,300 units in China, from which 9,410 were Model Ys.
Figures more than doubled from the previous week’s 5,000 units, when the Elon Musk-led company recorded its lowest figures in two months, reflecting the typical slowdown seen at the start of each quarter in the automotive industry.
The refreshed SUV was the best-selling vehicle in China last month. From the total 71,599 vehicles sold by Tesla in the country, 44,848 were Model Ys — according to data released by China’s Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
