A Reddit user named Abomb1997 claims to have shared images of the new Model Y refresh, dubbed Juniper. Could this be true or just a rumor? An anonymous Reddit user, potentially a Tesla employee, has shared images claiming to show the backside of the Model Y refresh, known as Juniper, featuring a new Tesla emblem.
The emblem on the back, displaying the word 'Tesla,' appears sleek and smooth, with several Reddit users praising it as a promising and stylish design.
The question that one might ask about these pictures on Reddit is if they are real or not. If they are real, then this Tesla employee is risking their employment by revealing them. Nevertheless, it has garnered quite a bit of attention from those looking for the new Model Y Juniper.
Full-Width Strip Taillights
In recent years, one of the most overused designs on cars has been the continuous light bar, found on both the front and rear of vehicles. This has resulted in severe homogenization, where at a glance, you can hardly tell which brand of car you're looking at.
Among the many brands, Tesla has been relatively unique in this aspect, as it has not yet adopted the continuous light bar design. However, this may soon change. Recently leaked spy photos of the facelifted Model Y suggest that Tesla might be following this trend.
The photos reveal that the new Model Y features a continuous decorative strip on the rear, with an illuminated continuous light strip above it. However, since it is concealed, it still differs somewhat from most other cars on the market.
Some netizens have created renderings based on the spy photos, showing that the new Model Y's taillight design is largely in line with the new Model 3, featuring a C-shaped, sleek, and minimalist appearance. The taillights appear to be connected on either side by a glossy decorative strip.
Compared to the common direct light source, this reflected light undoubtedly appears softer. In summary, Tesla is indeed adopting the continuous taillight trend, but not entirely. This design is actually quite innovative and is likely to inspire imitations in the future.
Door Side Edge Light Bar
The second picture shows someone inside the Tesla Model Y, presumably the Juniper refresh, working with the electronic controls and noticing a light bar on the side of the door. It seems to be the front passenger seat. The center console appears to have more layers, providing a richer visual effect. The ambient lighting strip on the door panel is quite prominent, and the interior materials seem to have been updated. Otherwise, there are no significant changes, with the door still using a button-activated opening mechanism.
In fact, I'm personally inclined to think that this could be an actual image of the Model Y refresh. Elon Musk has previously made it clear on social media that the Model Y refresh won't be released this year, but we could see it, along with Tesla's new range of compact cars, early next year.
That's all we know about this Reddit post - pure speculation at this point, but it's interesting to see the new backside of the car with the Tesla logo as well as the light bars on the inside of the doors. What do you think - is this a real Model Y refresh from a Tesla employee, or did someone make this up?