Two versions of compact crossover, no seven-seat option.

STRATEGY to take on Kiwi-favoured conjoined Koreans – the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 – seems apparent from local pricing for Tesla’s like-sized Model Y.

Stickers and specifications for the Model 3-spun crossover were announced today; it’s a simple choice.

There’s a single motor 220kW Rear-Wheel Drive for $76,200 (so, within several hundred dollars of the rear-drive Model 3) – which, being within the Clean Car rebate zone, drops to $67,575 when eligible for that $8625 discount. Also incoming is a dual motor Performance, at $108,900.

Both are in five-seat format. The third row option offered in North America does not seem to feature as a NZ option.

A mid-range all-wheel-drive currently available overseas could well add in time. That derivative has been certified for sale in Australia, which takes a common specification to NZ.

The order book has opened with customers asked to put down a $400 fee to join the queue, first examples of the car coming in August.

Standard features across both models include black faux leather upholstery, a panoramic glass roof and a 15-inch touchscreen.

The entry spec also includes heated seats, four USB ports, wireless charging, 19-inch 'Gemini' wheels and the base level of Tesla's Autopilot driver assist package, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. On top of those features, the high-end version has performance brakes, lowered suspension and 21-inch 'Uberturbine' wheels.

The car has yet to receive a rating from national safety body, the Melbourne-based Australasian New Car Assessment Programme.

The entry-level model’s lithium ion battery pack is estimated to offer 62.3kWh of energy storage. This version sports a claimed range of 455km on the WLTP cycle and will achieve 0-100kmh in 6.9 seconds. Top speed is 217kmh.

The 393kW Performance boasts a 514km range, drawing from a 82.8kWh (estimated) battery pack and will hit the legal open road limit from a standing start in 3.5s. It’s also 33kmh faster, overall.

Model Y’s sales projections are not shared – Tesla simply doesn’t communicate with local media at all – yet seem obvious.

SUVs and crossovers easily outsell all other body shapes now and interest in anything in that style coming with electric is clear: It’s been a factor in the MG ZS EV being the second strongest-selling battery-pure model here.

Regulatory delays, strong demand overseas and chip shortages have been cited as factors for the car not getting here earlier.

The Model Y shares much more than the Model 3 underpinning and drivetrains - Tesla claims that 95 percent of the sedan’s tech has been carried over – but presents in a SUV profile that delivers more space.  

Its design is a progression of the Model 3’s, with a chunkier body below the window line and a taller roof, which results in a more commodious interior, big enough to run that three-row seven chair format. 

 Model Y comes to NZ from the Giga Shanghai factory in China that delivers this market’s Model 3 SR.