Model Y scores new colors and NHTSA safety first as Tesla retires old hue

Tesla pulled the plug on the Deep Blue Metallic color for the Model Y and Model 3 in the US. The color was getting long in the tooth, as it has been an option in Tesla's configurator since 2017, becoming one of its most popular paid hue options.

In its place, buyers now find two distinctly different shades of blue depending on the trim they tick. The Marine Blue arrives from abroad for the Premium AWD and RWD variants, while the lighter, icier Frost Blue Metallic is a hand-me-down color that is now reserved exclusively for Performance models of both the Model 3 and Model Y.

New Model Y and Model 3 colors

Marine Blue comes from Tesla's global markets, as it has been available in Europe and Asia-Pacific for quite some time but its North American debut marks the first time the U.S. and Canadian buyers can pick a deeper, near-black metallic blue that is arguably more intense than the Deep Blue it replaces, as a $1,000 option

The Frost Blue Metallic, meanwhile, gets handed down to the Model Y and Model 3 from the Model X and Model S that Tesla deprecated. The hue debuted last year for the facelifts, and it would've been a pity to lose it with the demise of Tesla's flagship models. Their visual badge is now reserved for the fastest, most powerful Model 3 and Model Y Performance trims, indicating that they now sit the highest on Tesla's portfolio totem pole.

What's even better is that Performance buyers inherit the crown jewel of a royal family that has abdicated its throne for free. Some Tesla fans scoff at the fact that the Marine Blue Metallic option isn't available for the Performance trims, too, as the Frost Blue is considered more airy and less aggressive.

Model Y aces self-driving safety test

Speaking of aggressive, the Tesla Model Y units produced after November 12, 2025, have become the first vehicle to ace the NHTSA's newly expanded Advanced Driver Assistance Systems benchmark under its updated New Car Assessment Program.

The Model Y cleared all eight criteria, including four newly minted categories like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention, on top of the four original ADAS tests it had already mastered.

Considering Tesla's love-hate relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this is a landmark safety achievement that its rivals are also queuing for, and it remains to be seen if they'll pass muster.

"By successfully passing these new tests, the 2026 Tesla Model Y demonstrates the lifesaving potential of driver assistance technologies and sets a high bar for the industry," said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison, adding that the agency hopes to "see many more manufacturers develop vehicles that can meet these requirements."

Get the Tesla Universal Wall Connector with 24' Cable on Amazon