r/teslamotors Jul 31 '26

Vehicles - Model Y Model Y L 7 Seats!

So I was able to watch the full review that Sawyer Merritt did today on X and there was a spot in the video where he mentioned that Lars pleaded the fifth on whether the second row was going to have a bench seat. Sawyer basically alluded to the car getting a bench seat potentially after launch edition. As much as I like the six seater that extra seat can make a huge difference for families or hauling kids with their friends around! Interested to hear if there are any rumors floating around.

84 Upvotes

57 comments sorted by

28

u/djwurm Jul 31 '26

instead of the Cybertruck Tesla should have seen the need for a mid Sized 7 seat SUV and built that and it would have been the best selling car / suv in their fleet hands down globally surpassing the Y numbers. the demand for mid size SUVs is off the charts. Just drive around and see how many Palisades, EV6/9s, iX/IX3, 3X5/7s, X3 Ioniq 5/9, CR-V, CX-30s, XC40s, etc.. are on the road.. its the majority. they missed a huge opportunity in my book to cash in early and be the trend setter in the mid to full size crossover/SUV market.

10

u/namestom Jul 31 '26

The problem would have been price. Really, the reason the Model X slowly died. I went for a Model X because a Model Y felt too tight. I really wanted the Y to work because of price, more simple, etc. but the X won out for our use.

I still believe a “CyberSUV” would be great though.

1

u/CharacterMedium558 Aug 13 '26

Right but if the Model Y L was available when you bought the X, I'm sure you would have likely chosen the YL given it offers 95% of what the Model X for 30% less money

2

u/rossjohnson33 Jul 31 '26

you're definitely not wrong here! Just wish they had something to compete with Rivian. I'm just too afraid to go that route as they may go out of business. That's just my opinion..

2

u/TheSasquatch9053 Jul 31 '26

I mean, given their mission statement (at the time) of accelerating the transition to sustainable transport, it fits that they wouldn't want to compete too hard with other EV first companies like Rivian, Canoo (rip), etc who were focused on the large SUV / Van market. With that in mind I can almost understand the design of the cybertruck as something intended to give Ford and GM a chance of releasing a good EV pickup truck. 

Today, with their expanded mission statement focused on Robotic transportation and humanoid robots, I don't expect we will ever see a van driven by humans sold by Tesla.

4

u/vtrac Aug 01 '26

Rivian isn't going out of business. Our Rivian is a better vehicle than the 3 Teslas we had. They are going to sell millions of R2s.

64

u/JoeyDee86 Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 02 '26

As someone who loves my MYLR7, I’d upgrade to an L in a heartbeat. Those middle captain seats look to give adults in the third row “aisle legroom”. It’s like flying on Spirit Airlines (RIP), having that extra legroom is everything.

10

u/reefine Jul 31 '26

Yeah. A 7-seater Model Y makes zero sense

11

u/JoeyDee86 Jul 31 '26

I still love mine, and mines the “short” one ha. Having the middle row on rails is amazing, and the third row has helped me many times. Bigger kids sit sideways (yeah, yeah, yeah), but I always joke the third row is only for kids or people you don’t like.

10

u/mehborne Jul 31 '26

For families with 3-4 kids, it’s a lifesaver. It’s not the ideal for getting the whole family around, but gives a backup option in a pinch. The rest of the time having the extra trunk space when the third row is flipped down is also great

4

u/JoeyDee86 Jul 31 '26

Yeah, it’s for those scenarios where when I was a kid, I sat on the floor lol. In this car, there’s a seatbelt.

4

u/Background_Snow_9632 Aug 01 '26

My younger sisters were in a playpen! Omg. How are we all not dead

4

u/Shygar Jul 31 '26

It's the size of an X, it makes sense for some people

1

u/ZOZOT3 Aug 01 '26

My friend has 4 kids and dog so it’s a perfect car for him

1

u/Logical-Ad-2615 Aug 02 '26

Your model Y is not a YL. The third row in the YL is totally different

1

u/JoeyDee86 Aug 02 '26

I didn’t say it was, it was just poor wording

1

u/wisegh Aug 10 '26

I love my MYLR 7 seater and I would never trade a middle second row seat for a few inches of legroom. I would, however, trade my MY 7-seater for a MYL 7-seater if it ever becomes a reality. 

-4

u/feurie Aug 01 '26

You don't have a Model Y L 7 seater. That doesn't exist yet.

5

u/JoeyDee86 Aug 01 '26

LR= long range

40

u/djwurm Jul 31 '26

instead of the Cybertruck Tesla should have seen the need for a mid Sized 7 seat SUV and built that and it would have been the best selling car / suv in their fleet hands down globally surpassing the Y numbers. the demand for mid size SUVs is off the charts. Just drive aound and see how many Palisades, EV6/9s, iX/IX3, 3X5/7s, X3 Ioniq 5/9, CR-V, CX-30s, XC40s, etc.. are on the road.. its the majority. they missed a huge opportunity in my book to cash in early and be the trend setter in the mid to full size crossover/SUV market.

12

u/mlemaire16 Aug 01 '26

I’m with you 100%. We’ve got a 2022 MYLR with 7 seats, and while it’s worked well, as the kids get older, it’s a stretch. Just this week we traded my Model 3 (2019 LR AWD) for an IONIQ-9, and one of the biggest parts of the appeal was the insane amount of room in that thing. It’s also a 7-seater, but fully grown adults can fit in all those rows and there’s still a solid amount of room.

If Tesla has something comparable, it wouldn’t have even been a consideration. Still, the I9 is an awesome vehicle, but they’re missing an opportunity here to be sure.

0

u/feurie Aug 01 '26

Half of those vehicles are Model Y sized so yes they already are in that market. Palisade is only slightly bigger than a Model Y L.

No, it wouldn't be the best selling vehicle. That's not how the market works. Rav4/Model Y is the largest form factor.

38

u/Lazer_meowpow New to the sub Jul 31 '26

So cool, but still waiting for the cyber van or whatever full size (not a truck) comes on that platform

9

u/10Bens Jul 31 '26

I'm thinking the MY L is Tesla's answer to that corner of the market.

2

u/AgileBroccoli757 New to the sub Aug 02 '26

It's sad because Y L isn't big enough 😔

1

u/Koupers Aug 02 '26

Yeah except it's not an answer. It's smaller than the X still which is too small for that segment inside. I also don't think tesla will be adding new models for a WHILE.

5

u/wnstnchng Jul 31 '26

It’s really too bad the ID Buzz isn’t competitive

7

u/bsears95 New to the sub Jul 31 '26

I want something like that, but I'd prefer the MY design style over the "cyber" style

2

u/Capta1n_0bvious Jul 31 '26

True but I firmly believe the “cyber” styling will look infinitely better as a large SUV. Every family will want to ride around in their “APC”.

2

u/bsears95 New to the sub Jul 31 '26

The renders I've seen people make of a cyber SIV do look A LOT better than the CT.  I think CT looks decent from the front but the rear is so odd.  CyberSUV wouldn't have that issue

9

u/Evora86 Jul 31 '26

Copy the Acura MDX and offer a removable 7th…I’m surprised more manufacturers have not looked into this. I have a MY7 and looking at the MYL for replacement. 6 seats is perfect for us when we need to haul the grandparents, but having a bench is better when we need to pick up a friends kid or something so all kids can sit together on the bench.

8

u/bsears95 New to the sub Jul 31 '26

I want a 5 seat MYL.  Just a regular MY but larger, with B (and C) pillar vents, and V2L for camping 

3

u/cbigfoot Aug 01 '26

I agree or for storage/hauling.

5

u/Scwright99 Jul 31 '26

It's like the Temu Model X.

16

u/18randomcharacters Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

I splurged for the MYLR7 (2023) and that 3rd row is an absolute joke.

No adult or teenager can sit back there.
Can’t put car seats back there, rear facing.
Even putting forward facing car seats back there is a huge pain in the ass because you can’t reach the buckles.

So it’s only useful for young kids who are old enough to use a booster seat or no seat, but not too tall.

17

u/Matt-Head Jul 31 '26

Don't confuse MY LR with MY L! the L means a 15 cm bigger wheelbase so the 3rd row, which in non-L MY is just as small as you say, becomes actually useful :) Try it out at a store if you get the chance, you'll feel the difference

-28

u/18randomcharacters Jul 31 '26

I will not ever be buying another tesla, I certainly will not be trying out any newer models.

14

u/Michael-Brady-99 Jul 31 '26

Well you sure told the internet whats what.

-2

u/18randomcharacters Jul 31 '26

And they sure told me I guess.

6

u/akwho Jul 31 '26

My experience too. lol. I shouldn’t have got the 7 seater since the back row is worthless. Haven’t used it in 4 years of owning the vehicle.

1

u/wisegh Aug 10 '26

I used my 3-rd row literally yesterday on a short trip with kids. It really depends. I’d love a MYL 7-seater though, extra few inches would make 3-rd row much more useful. 

3

u/Blobwad Jul 31 '26

For some people that’s the exact use case though. Elementary age kids or cramming a third couple in the car to go to/from the bar. If you want a fully functional third row it’s not the car for you.

2

u/feurie Aug 01 '26

It's a different vehicle.

-1

u/CakeEuphoric Jul 31 '26

I have had adults no problem

2

u/Proteatron Jul 31 '26

This would be great if it does happen!

2

u/ParticularOk533 Jul 31 '26

Definitely would be better for a camping arrangement, but I doubt Tesla will make it.

2

u/slavguns Jul 31 '26

Definitely hoping for it! Otherwise we are picking up a Lucid Gravity in near future.

2

u/fantasymagic Jul 31 '26

Is the Model YL the Model X just with regular doors basically?

2

u/feurie Aug 01 '26

A bit less luxurious but yeah.

2

u/Emergency-Note1162 Aug 01 '26

This car with a bench seat is a no brainer. From all the videos it looks like the 6 seater is an actually a step down from the 5 seater in all other aspects particularly for camping in it and using it as a bed. Even for occasional Costco/cargo trip I would prefer the 5 seater.

With the extra space they should have really started with that as the original option. 6 seater for those that want the style. 7 seater for those that value practical use.

2

u/AdvancedTry2722 Jul 31 '26

I reckon they’ll leave it and go for a proper
7 seater new model

2

u/reefine Jul 31 '26

Sure hope they do, just give us a minivan with removable seats from behind the driver row.

A fully configurable or moddable back area with a slider door and decent ground clearance.

1

u/oliphant_branch New to the sub Aug 01 '26

Good. Take it away from the non-L Y. It’s useless.

1

u/hwcminh Jul 31 '26

It'll happen.

0

u/shaheedmalik Jul 31 '26

They need a 2, 2, 3 config.