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7 Seater Pics and Details

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I was able to sit in a 7 seater yesterday at Fashion Island Tesla Store in Newport Beach. The sales rep told me that because they were a flagship store, they received the first 7 seater on Tuesday 1/12. She took me down to the garage where the test drive vehicles are and they had one white 7 seater with black interior.

First impressions - the third row is definitely NOT for adults. I’m only 5’7’’ and my head almost hit the glass and definitely would hit if there were the slightest bump in the road. It was really difficult for me to squeeze in and out through the second row also. That being said, this will be perfect for our 7 and 9 year olds which is exactly what we’re getting the third row for.

The leg room was very narrow also - you’re basically sharing the 2nd row leg room by sliding those seats forward. The 2nd row has the traditional bar underneath that you can pull and slide into multiple positions. It also has the electronically slide on the bottom/side of the seat and the shoulder electronic slide. In order to slide the seats forward when you’re standing outside the car, you only have to use one hand on the shoulder lever and it slides and then pops up hugging the front seats which is nice. I’m not sure my 7 and 9 year olds will be strong enough to do it, but they’ll figure it out.

It appeared the third row when flat was about 5 inches higher than the rear cargo cover, so there is a little ramp piece they added to the cover as a transition.

Quick Facts:
Comfortable for adults? No
Vents? No
USB C? Yes x2
Cup holders? Yes x2
LATCH? No (but there is a place to anchor a car seat if you needed to (see back of third row in pics)
Performance available? No

Another rep shared this information with me from their training:

Model Y Seven-Seater
Can adults fit in the third-row seats?
As is the case with all three-row SUVs, taller passengers will be most comfortable in the first and second rows. Rare customers who expect to frequently have taller passengers riding in the third row may want to explore the surprising affordability of model X, which offers more space in its third row thanks to it’s larger overall size.

Why isn’t the seven seat configuration available on model Y performance?
This simplifies production as we expect the vast majority of model Y performance customers to continue to prefer the five seat interior, which provides the best handling dynamics - a core focus for these customers. Model Y long range is awfully quick, and it can be made even quicker by adding the acceleration boost upgrade. Model X is also a great alternative for some customers with Ludicrous performance available for seven passengers.

Can a third row be retrofitted to a five seat model Y?
Tesla does not offer this retrofit for existing or new model Y. If customers want the third row, they should order their model Y new as a seven seater.

Does the third row have LATCH attachments for child seats?
No. The third row is a great place for children who have grown out of child seats. Child seats should be used in the second row.

Does the third row have climate control vents?
The third row does not have dedicated vents. However it’s climate is controlled via the first and second row vents. Set in climate from the Tesla app in advance of a drive will maximize comfort in all three rows. Also, the “fresh air“ setting (turning recirculate off) improves airflow to the third row.

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Yeah, I definitely didn't expect that hump, but it makes sense since I couldn't really figure out how they could make it flush and also provide any sort of seat back.

The biggest question I have... you mentioned the 3rd row shares the leg room with the 2nd row. From the earlier video it looks like the 2nd row on rails MIGHT be mounted further forward than the 5 seater. Can you confirm if that's true or not?

Also, with the 2nd row pushed all the way back, is there ANY leg room in the 3rd row? ...or are you required to slide the 2nd row up a bit just to fit anyone in the 3rd row?
 
Thanks!

I think I'll stick with the 5 seater. I didn't know there was that big of a hump when the seats are folded. The website makes it look completely flat.

Agreed, it makes sense in hind-sight. I used to have a convertible with tight back seats (Volvo C70) and while I didn't use the seats often they were nice to have occasionally in a pinch. I thought these two extra seats in the MY would be a bit like that but it doesn't look like anyone would appreciate getting in/out of there. Also while slight, I'm not sure I'm willing to give up the trunk space--for when we camp in the car.
 
The biggest question I have... you mentioned the 3rd row shares the leg room with the 2nd row. From the earlier video it looks like the 2nd row on rails MIGHT be mounted further forward than the 5 seater. Can you confirm if that's true or not?

Also, with the 2nd row pushed all the way back, is there ANY leg room in the 3rd row? ...or are you required to slide the 2nd row up a bit just to fit anyone in the 3rd row?

It appeared to me that the 2nd row was mounted in the same position when pushed all the way back as the 5-seater model, but I was just eye-balling it.

When the second row was all the way back, there was maybe a few inches of leg room for the third row; I remember being surprised by how little there was. So you will definitely have to slide the second row forward a notch or two if there are little kids in the back, so you’ll lose a minimum of a couple of inches of leg room for the second row when the third row is occupied.

The third row won’t fit everyone’s needs of course, but it will be perfect for our family - we have five young kids ages 2-14 so we will get some good use out of the third row from the younger kids. I’m going from a five-seater MX to the a seven-seater MY; we will only use my car for the whole family when we aren’t in my wife’s large SUV, so it will be nice to have a second option for our entire family for quick/shorter drives to sports, dinner, etc.

In other words, the third row is still a great option for short drives for kids; but definitely would not be comfortable for an adult.
 
It appeared to me that the 2nd row was mounted in the same position when pushed all the way back as the 5-seater model, but I was just eye-balling it.

When the second row was all the way back, there was maybe a few inches of leg room for the third row; I remember being surprised by how little there was. So you will definitely have to slide the second row forward a notch or two if there are little kids in the back, so you’ll lose a minimum of a couple of inches of leg room for the second row when the third row is occupied.

The third row won’t fit everyone’s needs of course, but it will be perfect for our family - we have five young kids ages 2-14 so we will get some good use out of the third row from the younger kids. I’m going from a five-seater MX to the a seven-seater MY; we will only use my car for the whole family when we aren’t in my wife’s large SUV, so it will be nice to have a second option for our entire family for quick/shorter drives to sports, dinner, etc.

In other words, the third row is still a great option for short drives for kids; but definitely would not be comfortable for an adult.
Thanks for the feedback. That's actually more promising than I thought..

I kind of figured the 3rd row would touch the 2nd row if the 2nd was pushed all the way back. The fact that there's a few inches is better than expected. If memory serves correct, the 2nd row has a decent amount of leg room, so splitting the difference would still be fine.

I have a 5, 12, and 13 year old. All of them are skinny and I think all of them would fit fine back there for the occasional trip. We certainly aren't planning to use the 3rd row every day.

Another thing that looks promising is that there's actually a footwell in the 3rd row! If you watched that video of the guy who mocked out his own 3rd row, there was literally no foot well (because it was on the 5 seater).

These pics and your review are really helpful. Thanks again!
 
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Seems like rear facing would have been so much better...but guess it wasn't safe enough for something.

Have you seen the rear end crash pictures of the Model Y? Even a minor rear end crushes the rear lift inward. (Not the bottom frame support, though)

Having said that, I wonder if they’ve made modifications to the structure for 7 seat Y, though I doubt it. The 3rd row seats are awfully close to the rear when up that I’d be at least somewhat concerned in a rear end crash of even moderate speed.
 
Thanks, this is really helpful. I have a couple questions. Did you get a chance to drive it? Is there really a noticeable detriment to handling as compared to the five seater? And, did it have the coveted heated steering wheel and hepa filter? Thanks a bunch!
 
USB C? Yes x2

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Can you describe the location of the USB ports?
Are they located at the bottom part of the central 3rd row console?

So the 3rd row seatbelt are attached inside the back of the 3rd row seats?
They are not bolted into the body frame?
Is this very sturdy solution in case of crash?

Does the 2nd get raised a little bit because of the rails?
If so, did you noticed any difference when seating?
Is the head clearance below the glass roof is noticeable?

Can a 3row passenger put the front of their feet under the 2row seat?

If the middle seat of the 2nd row is folded, do you think that is is comfortable to put 3rd row passengers legs?
Can this car carry then 6 persons?
 
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Can you describe the location of the USB ports?
Are they located at the bottom part of the central 3rd row console?

So the 3rd row seatbelt are attached inside the back of the 3rd row seats?
They are not bolted into the body frame?
Is this very sturdy solution in case of crash?

Does the 2nd get raised a little bit because of the rails?
If so, did you noticed any difference when seating?
Is the head clearance below the glass roof is noticeable?

Can a 3row passenger put the front of their feet under the 2row seat?

If the middle seat of the 2nd row is folded, do you think that is is comfortable to put 3rd row passengers legs?
Can this car carry then 6 persons?
I think most of this has been covered before.

The USB ports are on the front of the cup holder frame. You can see it more clearly in other pics.

The seat belts have to be anchored to the body. This is something we can safely assume.

The 3rd row appears to be able to slide their feet under the 2nd row because of the rails. That can be seen in the pictures.
 
This is super helpful! Perhaps we should name this bunch the Tesla Dad's group. :D
Like previous posters, I have kids; 9,11,13 and 15. One too many to bring the whole fam in 5 seater, so that's what I'm here.
We have a minivan for the 2% of the time everyone is in the car, so I see this as a contingency capability. It's both a big step up in capacity from my BMW 330 Convertible (which seats 4, 2 uncomfortably) and a lot cheaper than an X, which given how little I drive, makes zero financial sense.

I'm curious if the base of the 2nd row moves as a single unit, or if it's split as well? So I could put a shorter kid in one of the middle seats and push that forward, giving the 3rd row more space on one side, but preserving leg room for the teens on the other side.

Did you happen to see if it's split that way?

Thanks again for the super helpful post!
 
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This is super helpful! Perhaps we should name this bunch the Tesla Dad's group. :D
Like previous posters, I have kids; 9,11,13 and 15. One too many to bring the whole fam in 5 seater, so that's what I'm here.
We have a minivan for the 2% of the time everyone is in the car, so I see this as a contingency capability. It's both a big step up in capacity from my BMW 330 Convertible (which seats 4, 2 uncomfortably) and a lot cheaper than an X, which given how little I drive, makes zero financial sense.

I'm curious if the base of the 2nd row moves as a single unit, or if it's split as well? So I could put a shorter kid in one of the middle seats and push that forward, giving the 3rd row more space on one side, but preserving leg room for the teens on the other side.

Did you happen to see if it's split that way?

Thanks again for the super helpful post!
The middle seat in the 2nd row is attached to the left (driver's side), and it slides as a unit. The right (passenger) seat slides individually.
 
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Thanks!

I think I'll stick with the 5 seater. I didn't know there was that big of a hump when the seats are folded. The website makes it look completely flat.


A thicker trunk cover would make it flush (
Thanks!

I think I'll stick with the 5 seater. I didn't know there was that big of a hump when the seats are folded. The website makes it look completely flat.

a thicker trunk cover would make it totally flush, although it would probably be a little heavy and obviously not flush with the bottom of the trunk opening. Maybe an aftermarket solution could be made.