- The 2025 Tesla Model Y Juniper refresh will have full-width front and rear light bars, according to spy shots.
- Its headlights will be moved below the light bar, making it the second Tesla with a two-tier front light design.
- The updated Model Y will likely first enter production in China and reach Europe before arriving in the United States.
The Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car (electric or otherwise) in 2023, and it will likely keep its crown in 2024. It’s not just statistics, though; these things are everywhere and have a highly recognizable shape that you can’t really mistake for something else. But get ready for a new look. We rendered the facelifted Model Y, basing our design on leaked photos that give us a grainy look at the so-called Juniper update.
We had heard rumors that the refreshed Model Y would borrow some updated elements from the revised Model 3 Highland, but it would also be different. One of the most significant rumored differences was the full-width light bars for the front and rear fascias, which the leaked photos have now confirmed.
However, while the rear design mimics the updated Model 3 with a light bar connecting the taillights, the headlights look nothing like those on the smaller sedan. They look more like what Tesla showed on its Cybercab or even the Cybertruck, and they give the front end of the vehicle a very different look from the Model 3.
The light bar only serves a daytime running light function, and the two outer parts are likely the indicators. The actual headlights are lower down on the fascia where the fog lights are on the pre-facelift model, and they don’t appear any bigger than the fog lights. The Model Y Juniper will become the second Tesla with a two-tier headlight setup after the Cybertruck.
Aside from the front and rear fascias, which are very different, Tesla has left the rest of the Model Y pretty much untouched. It will surely get new wheel designs and a more aggressive-looking design kit for the Performance model, but from the side, it will look virtually identical to the older model.
The interior should feature more extensive modifications, which we expect will more closely mirror what Tesla did with the Model 3 Highland. This includes revised seats, a new steering wheel with more buttons, no stalks on the steering column, a central screen with a thinner bezel and a general improvement in fit and finish quality.
Production of the refreshed Model Y is believed to kick off in China first, so it could reach the local market and Europe before it hits the United States. However, numerous camouflaged Juniper prototypes have been spotted in the States, so it could debut around the world at the same time, unlike the Model 3, which debuted here months after it had gone on sale in China or Europe.
