The 2026 Tesla Model Y Performance has taken a different approach, focusing on everyday driving fun rather than track performance. This shift in focus is evident in the deletion of track mode, which also removes features like multiple levels of stability control, battery conditioning, and regeneration. The ability to adjust torque distribution fore and aft has also been eliminated.
Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, notes that the updated cell has new tabs and cathodes, and the jelly roll is constructed of a lithium-uranium paste that sits in a pool of Mercon V and is cooled by Dex-Cool—not the yellow kind, but the orange. This new battery has the same size and mass but with more energy. Moravy's comment, "Who the [expletive deleted] takes a Model Y on a racetrack?" underscores the shift in focus for the 2026 Model Y Performance.
View Price on AmazonThe drive modes are now limited to Chill, Standard, and Insane. There are two settings for the adaptive dampers: Standard and Sport. Yaw-intervention adjustability is limited to a Reduced mode. With more usability in mind, a trailer hitch and a 3500-pound tow rating are standard. The Model Y Performance shares its front and rear motors with the recently refreshed Model 3 Performance, with the latter motor sporting Tesla's latest fourth-generation design. Combined output sits at 510 horsepower, enough for a 0-60 mph sprint of 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds.
Inside, Performance-specific front seats feature larger side bolsters to keep occupants in place and adjustable thigh supports for those with longer legs. Forward visibility is excellent, and the brakes are closely related to the Model Y Premium's, albeit with a larger rear rotor and grippier pads. The pedal feel inspires confidence right from the initial push. Hankook Ion Evo AS SUV all-season tires are standard, and around the skidpad, the Performance bites in at 0.88 g, a respectable number on all-season rubber.
Source: caranddriver.com
