The long-awaited Juniper model is now available for order, but the outgoing versions aren’t going away just yet.

Tesla opens orders for updated 2025 Model Y in the US, after launching the refreshed crossover in China and Europe.
The 2025 Model Y receives new front and rear fascias, in addition to a tweaked suspension and improved sound insulation, addressing some longtime complaints from owners.
The Launch Series is based on the AWD Long Range version and will start at $61,630, with other variants expected to follow later in the year.

Mid-cycle facelifts usually don’t get a Launch Series, but Tesla isn’t your usual automaker.

The updated Model Y crossover, which was introduced first in China, is now available for order in the US, with the Austin-based automaker kicking things off with a special, fully-loaded, launch-only flavor.

And it’s based on the All-Wheel-Drive, Long Range version of the Model Y, with Tesla adding special badging to the door sills, rear liftgate, puddle lamps, and the center console.

The updated Model Y will also feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and Acceleration Boost options as standard items.

The Launch Series models will offer a choice of an all-black or two-tone black-and-white interiors, while the exterior will be offered in a choice of four colors: Stealth Grey, Ultra Red, Pearl White Multi-Coat, and Quicksilver.

The main event, of course, are the updated front and rear fascias, with the Model Y “Juniper,” as it is known in Tesla circles, gaining a revised headlight strip reminiscent of the Cybertruck, while the rear fascia receives a similar horizontal bar.

The entry-level single-motor Model Ys won’t be here until later in the year.

Tesla has reportedly reworked the suspension in the Model Y for a smoother ride with the Juniper update—an issue not helped by larger wheel options for what is not a large car—while also improving interior sound insulation, connectivity, and screens.

Those fearful of seeing a yoke in their cars with this update can breathe a sigh of relief—Tesla had quietly dialed down that experiment, or at least not extended it to the cars that matter most for its quarterly sales figures.

Depending on wheel choice, the Launch Edition Model Y will offer a range of 320 miles when optioned with 19-inch Crossflow wheels, while choosing the 20-inch Helix wheels will bring that down to 303 miles in the EPA cycle.

Tesla
Tesla introduced additional sound insulation and revised some of the screen functions with the 2025 update.

The Launch Series Model Y will wear a $61,630 sticker, being an example of a better-equipped model, but the outgoing pre-facelift versions including the Performance and RWD guises will still be available to order for some time.

As usual, the heavier-optioned versions will go first, so the entry-level single-motor Model Ys won’t be here until later in the year.

Tesla plans to begin deliveries of the updated Model Y Juniper in March, eager for a smooth transition to the refreshed model across all three regions—something that hasn’t always been achieved with similar model updates in the past.

Tesla hasn’t said just how long the Launch Series Model Y will stay on the menu, but that period could last months. This means those looking for the less expensive RWD models with updated front and rear fascias might have to wait until the second half of the year.

The biggest unanswered question when it comes to the Model Y and the Model 3 sedan that it is based on is just when Tesla will feel compelled to do a complete redesign of both. The automaker has yet to replace the larger Model S sedan, lest we forget, which entered production in 2012 and received updates over the years.

Its two smaller models are far more important to the automaker, representing over 90% of its annual sales, but they also have yet to see a serious rival in North America. So the motivation for a complete redesign of both may take some time to materialize.