Tesla is preparing to launch six-seater model Y variant in India

Tesla Inc. is preparing to introduce a new, larger version of its global best-selling electric SUV in India as early as next week, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Model Y L — a six-seat, long-wheelbase configuration that made its global debut in China last year — will be Tesla’s first new product in India since the Elon Musk-led carmaker’s tepid market entry in the South Asian nation. The variant features a three-row seating layout for families seeking more space than the standard five-seat Model Y, which Tesla began selling in India last July.

The new addition will be shipped out of China’s Shanghai gigafactory — the only site making this SUV so far and from where Tesla also imports the Model Y standard and long-range variants for India.

The expanded lineup is part of a broader effort at Tesla to refresh its portfolio without launching entirely new platforms as well as bolster its underwhelming sales in India, where imported cars face tariffs ranging from 70% to 110%.

Tesla representatives in India and China did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the new car launch.

Tesla registered only 227 cars in the country for all of 2025, according to India’s official vehicle registration data. The weaker-than-expected demand forced the carmaker to offer discounts of as much as 200,000 rupees ($2,153) as it tried to offload the vehicles it had imported to India, Bloomberg News reported in January. The company had originally aimed to utilize its full 2,500-car annual quota last year.

About Tesla’s Model Y L

Globally, Tesla has been leaning on incremental upgrades and new variants like the Model Y L to sustain demand in an increasingly challenged electric-vehicle market. Its worldwide sales fell in 2025 for a second consecutive year, losing the No. 1 EV-seller spot to China’s BYD Co.

Tesla unveiled the Model Y L in China in August, where it is priced from about 339,000 yuan ($49,679), positioning it above the standard Model Y in the world’s largest electric-vehicle market.

The company has signaled that the Model Y L is not a China-only product. The vehicle has already been confirmed for markets such as Australia and New Zealand, and Tesla has indicated other regions could follow.