Six-seat Model Y may be released globally with a longer wheelbase
Tesla will indeed be releasing a six-seat Model Y version, it seems, as, after insiders from Giga Shanghai tipped about the variant's preparation, references have now been found in Tesla's latest firmware code.
This time around, however, the code strings infer that the Model Y six-seater will have a global launch and not be exclusive to China as previously thought. Family SUVs with six captain seats are quite popular in China, but Tesla may have decided that such a version will have a market success elsewhere, too.
Currently, Tesla doesn't have a classic 3-row SUV for hauling big families around in its portfolio. Instead, it used to offer a 7-seat version of its most popular vehicle, the Model Y, which just adds two small and cramped seats in the trunk. A Model Y seven-seater may still be in the pipeline, just as Tesla offers three seating configurations for the Model X.
The Model X six-seat version is the most expensive interior trim at $6,500 more, since it offers full-size seats with an aisle between them, instead of a second row bench. The two extra seats at the back should now offer a bit more legroom, since the 2026 Model X refresh comes with a slightly larger body.
Tesla may go for a similar layout with the six-seat Model Y, offering a slightly longer wheelbase and four separate captain seats, with two extra ones in the trunk. The new Model Y offers some ingenious seat folding with the push of a button, so the six-seat version could come with clever ways to pop and rearrange the seating configuration, too.
A Model Y six-seater will certainly make it more comfortable to lug around five adults as well, since they will all be separated in their own chair with armrests and plenty of legroom, even for the person in the supplemental seats at the rear.
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