Tesla updates the Model Y in China with a larger, higher-resolution center display and introduces a black headliner option.
Tesla has quietly upgraded the Model Y’s interior in China, bringing features that were previously exclusive to the higher-end Model Y L and Performance variants to the Standard and Premium models.
Tesla has quietly upgraded the Model Y interior in China, bringing features that were previously exclusive to the long-wheelbase Model Y L and Performance variants into the Standard and Premium trims.
Standardized interior across Model Y lineup
Tesla is standardizing several interior components across all Model Y variants—Standard, Premium, Performance, and the extended-wheelbase Model Y L—reducing differentiation between trims and creating a more uniform cabin experience.
Luxury for more buyers
The changes follow the introduction of the Model Y L last year, which raised Tesla’s interior standards with upgraded materials and functionality. By extending those upgrades to standard-wheelbase models, Tesla narrows the gap between entry-level and high-end trims. Buyers of the base RWD model now receive an interior that is visually consistent with the top-tier trim, reinforcing a more premium overall design.
Display upgrade
The center display in Standard and Premium Model Ys has been upgraded from 15.4 inches to 16 inches. While the diagonal increase is modest, the new screen adds about 3 square inches of display area—a 2.63% increase—and features thinner bezels, higher contrast and a higher resolution.
Key display comparisons:
- Size: 15.4" → 16"
- Resolution: 1920×1200 → 2560×1440 (QHD)
- Aspect ratio: 16:10 → 16:9
- Display width: 13.06" → 13.95"
- Display height: 8.16" → 7.84"
- Screen area: 106.59 in² → 109.39 in²
The slimmer bezels and improved resolution give the cabin a more modern feel and help standardize displays across Model Y variants—and likely future Model 3 revisions.
Black headliner replaces gray
Perhaps the most visible change is the replacement of the light gray fabric headliner with a black Alcantara-style material previously reserved for Performance models. The gray headliner had long been cited as a factor that diminished perceived cabin quality; replacing it with black simplifies aesthetics and manufacturing while delivering a more premium interior across the lineup.
Likely global rollout
These updates are currently specific to vehicles produced at Giga Shanghai, but they are likely to spread to other factories. Tesla often pilots manufacturing changes at Giga Shanghai before adapting processes at Giga Berlin and Giga Texas. With recent European type-registration activity for the Model Y L and Tesla’s drive for supply-chain efficiency, the company is positioned to phase out older headliners and screens and make the newer components standard worldwide. It’s likely a broader rollout is only a matter of time.
Standardized interior across Model Y lineup
Tesla is standardizing several interior components across all Model Y variants—Standard, Premium, Performance, and the extended-wheelbase Model Y L—reducing differentiation between trims and creating a more uniform cabin experience.
Luxury for more buyers
The changes follow the introduction of the Model Y L last year, which raised Tesla’s interior standards with upgraded materials and functionality. By extending those upgrades to standard-wheelbase models, Tesla narrows the gap between entry-level and high-end trims. Buyers of the base RWD model now receive an interior that is visually consistent with the top-tier trim, reinforcing a more premium overall design.
Display upgrade
The center display in Standard and Premium Model Ys has been upgraded from 15.4 inches to 16 inches. While the diagonal increase is modest, the new screen adds about 3 square inches of display area—a 2.63% increase—and features thinner bezels, higher contrast and a higher resolution.
Key display comparisons:
- Size: 15.4" → 16"
- Resolution: 1920×1200 → 2560×1440 (QHD)
- Aspect ratio: 16:10 → 16:9
- Display width: 13.06" → 13.95"
- Display height: 8.16" → 7.84"
- Screen area: 106.59 in² → 109.39 in²
The slimmer bezels and improved resolution give the cabin a more modern feel and help standardize displays across Model Y variants—and likely future Model 3 revisions.
Black headliner replaces gray
Perhaps the most visible change is the replacement of the light gray fabric headliner with a black Alcantara-style material previously reserved for Performance models. The gray headliner had long been cited as a factor that diminished perceived cabin quality; replacing it with black simplifies aesthetics and manufacturing while delivering a more premium interior across the lineup.
Likely global rollout
These updates are currently specific to vehicles produced at Giga Shanghai, but they are likely to spread to other factories. Tesla often pilots manufacturing changes at Giga Shanghai before adapting processes at Giga Berlin and Giga Texas. With recent European type-registration activity for the Model Y L and Tesla’s drive for supply-chain efficiency, the company is positioned to phase out older headliners and screens and make the newer components standard worldwide. It’s likely a broader rollout is only a matter of time.
