Tesla Model Y Performance launched in China: 460 hp, 0-100 km/h in 3.5s, 659 km CLTC range, built in Shanghai

The Tesla Model Y Performance has officially gone on sale in China. First sighted in MIIT filings in July, the flagship of the Juniper range is now live on Tesla’s Chinese configurator at 369,000 yuan (approximately RM223,000), with deliveries estimated in two to six weeks.

That makes it the fifth and most expensive variant of the Model Y in China, sitting 30,000 yuan above the six-seat Model Y L. The full line-up now reads: rear-wheel drive at 263,500 yuan (RM159k), Long Range RWD at 288,500 yuan (RM174k), Long Range AWD at 313,500 yuan (RM189k), Model Y L at 339,000 yuan (RM205k) and the new Performance at 369,000 yuan.

The launch also marks the return of the Performance badge to China after an absence of over a year and a half – the pre-facelift Model Y Performance, which went for 354,900 yuan, was dropped when the Juniper facelift arrived in early 2025 and never made the transition until now.

Mechanically, the Chinese car mirrors the version that debuted in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in August last year. The dual-motor Performance 4DU drive system – listed in the MIIT filing with a 176 kW front and 291 kW rear motor, and quoted globally at a combined 460 hp (343 kW) – propels the SUV from 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, on to a top speed of 250 km/h.

The Chinese Performance draws from a 78.4 kWh battery pack supplied by LG Energy Solution’s local plant, rated at 659 km of range on the more lenient CLTC cycle – well short of the 821 km CLTC the Long Range RWD manages from the same pack, the price of the dual-motor performance tune. Curb weight is 2,027 kg.

The rest of the Performance kit carries over: front and rear bumpers that cut drag and lift, a carbon-fibre rear spoiler, 21-inch Arachnid 2.0 forged wheels with red brake callipers, adaptive dampers with Standard and Sport settings, and a reduced-intervention stability mode. Inside, there’s carbon-fibre trim, aluminium pedals, Performance-specific front sport seats with heating, ventilation and power-adjustable thigh support, heated power-folding rear seats and the larger 16-inch touchscreen shared with the Model Y L.

The flagship arrives at a difficult time for the Model Y in China. Deliveries fell 25.76% year-on-year in August to 29,260 units – a third consecutive monthly decline – with the year-to-date tally down 6.1% to 226,931 units amid intense pressure from local rivals, so a halo variant certainly won’t hurt.

Production at Giga Shanghai matters to us, too – the plant supplies right-hand-drive Teslas to Malaysia, so the path is now open for the Model Y Performance to return here as well. If it does, expect it to top the current Malaysian range, which peaks with the Y L at RM263,000.

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