Tesla Model Y third-row seats offer 6 inches of legroom

Unveiled in 2019, the Tesla Model Y brought a seven-seat configuration to a platform shared with the Model 3, with which it also shares about 75% of its components. Accommodation in the rear quarters of the Model Y were not shown at the model’s debut, though what’s called an official support video on the Drive Tesla Canada YouTube channel now shows the third-row seats being operated.

There still isn’t a demonstration of the third row’s ability to accommodate actual passengers, however it does show the movement of the second row of seats in order for the third row to be accessed. Here, the third-row seats accommodate two passengers, have adjustable head rests as well as two USB-C outlets for charging mobile devices.

The short video clip doesn’t show available space with a person seated in the third row, however Tesla Owners Online said in a tweet that third row legroom is subject to the positioning of the second-row seats, which move on sliders, and offer the third row about five to six inches (127 mm to 152 mm) of legroom. Currently, videos describing the Model Y’s third row have yet to appear on Tesla’s official channels.

The Model Y features a front occupant cabin that is nearly identical to that in the Model 3, where in both models a 15-inch touchscreen takes centrestage. A panoramic glass roof offers an airy ambience, while an elevated seating position comes courtesy of the vehicle’s floor-mounted battery pack.

Conveniences include the smartphone-as-a-key interface, which engages the Tesla Mobile app for functions such as remote unlock, Summon, remote pre-conditioning, location tracking, Speed Limit Mode, and more. A choice of two powertrain option are available for the Model Y, with either a single-motor RWD or dual-motor AWD configuration.

The Long Range AWD variant does 0-96 km/h in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 217 km/h, with its fully charged battery pack yielding a range of 508 km (EPA estimate). Meanwhile, the Performance variant improves on the Long Range AWD performance with the 0-96 km/h sprint done in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h, though the trade-off is a fully charged battery range of 468 km.