Stripped-down electric SUV gets RWD, up to 463 km of range

Tesla quietly added a more affordable vehicle to its Canadian offerings on Thursday. The Model Y Standard, which debuted in October, is now available in Canada. The base model of the all-electric compact SUV starts at $49,990.

The Standard model is offered in rear-wheel drive only, and gets up to 463 km of range with a 64 kWh (60 kWh usable) battery. The base model is a full $15,000 less than the next Model Y trim, the Premium all-wheel drive version ($64,990), which gets up to 542 km of range, and a whopping $25,000 below the AWD Performance trim ($74,990), reaching up to 494 km of range.

Back to basics

As you may expect, the Standard loses some of the features of the other trim levels to cut costs. Most obvious visually is the loss of the LED lightbars front and rear, replaced with more conventional headlight and tail light designs.

Also, while the Standard retains the all-glass roof of the Model Y, the interior headliner covers it completely.

Only three colours are available, and only the Stealth Grey is included in the base price, with Pearl White Multi-Coat adding $1,500, and Diamond Black tacking on a full $2,000. It comes shod on 18-inch Aperture wheels, the only choice here.

Inside, a textile interior trim with vegan leather and cloth seats is the only offering, but the front seats are heated. And instead of 15 speakers for the audio system like in the other models, the Standard gets seven.

While the Standard retains the 15.4-inch centre touchscreen, it loses the 8-inch second-row screen found in the other models. It also loses the wraparound interior ambient lighting. The centre console comes without a storage bin.

Many features remain

Plenty of features remain, but have been converted to manual operation. The adjustable steering wheel, folding mirrors, rear interior vents, and second-row folding seats lose the power option found in the other two models.

On the driving side, the Standard eschews the frequency dependant shock absorbers on the Premium and electronic continuously variable shock absorbers found on the Performance for a more conventional passive shock absorber system.

To be fair, the Standard model still comes with plenty of appealing features, such as Basic Autopilot, eight exterior cameras with Sentry Mode, and hands-free trunk release, among others. And it also features a suite of electronic driving aids such as Automatic Emergency Braking and Blind-Spot Collision Warning.

In fact, while it may seem pared down compared with its Model Y siblings, the Standard model still offers a sizeable all-electric range, a long list of features, and that Tesla austere styling. With a price under $50,000 here in Canada, would you buy one?