October 13, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
Tesla has been promising a new, more affordable electric car for years now, and it’s finally here. This is the new Tesla Model Y Standard, and it does without features like leather seats, exterior light bars and a power tailgate in the name of reducing the price.
In the United States it starts from 39,990 USD, which equates to £29,990. It’s also on sale now in mainland Europe for around 40,000 euros, which is close to £35,000. That’s only around 5,000 euros less than the normal Model Y, which I’m not convinced is enough to make the Model Y Standard stand out.
The thing is, Tesla has no plans right now to bring the Model Y Standard to the UK, but if it did then it would likely cost around £40,000. So if you’re after a spacious electric SUV for that sort of cash, I’ve picked five of my favourite options.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
My favourite Tesla Model Y Standard alternatives

For just £39,000 you could get yourself the hugely practical Skoda Enyaq. It has palatial rear seats and a large 585-litre boot, although the driving range is some way off the Tesla’s. A basic Enyaq will do 270 miles on a charge, whereas the Model Y Standard will do 310 miles.
But if that’s an issue, you can always spend an extra £3,000 for the 85 model. This one gets up to 360 miles of range, as well as nice features like a heated steering wheel, heated seats, wireless phone charging and a power tailgate. You can also save an average of £3,200 on a new Enyaq through Carwow at the time of writing.

The Kia EV6 may have been around for a while now, but it still looks fresh and modern thanks to a recent facelift. The interior is also really well-made and spacious, plus you get loads of kit as standard.
All cars get dual 12/3-inch touchscreens, a 14-speaker sound system and adaptive cruise control. The boot isn’t exactly massive at 490 litres, but at least the EV6 is good to drive with sharp steering and smooth suspension. Prices start from just over £39,000, although you can save an average of almost £4,000 on a new EV6 through Carwow.

You may not have heard of Xpeng, but its G6 electric SUV impressed me when I drove it earlier in the year. For £40,000 you get a well-equipped car with heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, a full-length sunroof, a 15-speaker sound system and a 15.0-inch infotainment screen with excellent software which is intuitive to use.
It may not be quite as good to drive as a Model Y, with firm suspension which thuds over bigger bumps, but the interior makes up for this. It feels properly posh, with plenty of soft touch materials and solid build quality.

There are no other sub-£40,000 electric SUVs which are as comfortable to drive as the Citroen e-C5 Aircross. The seats are sumptuously soft, and the suspension simply wafts you over bumps in the road without fuss.
It’s a stylish-looking thing as well, although it’s not very exciting to drive. Some of the interior materials feel a bit cheap as well, but with prices starting from just £34,000 this is easy to forgive. A top-of-the-range model can be yours for £39,300, and that car gets adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera and a head-up display.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 combines space-aged styling with a practical interior to make a really appealing electric SUV for families. The cabin feels impressively posh as well, and it looks modern as well.
The basic Ioniq 5 gets 273 miles of range, but if you need more than this there’s a bigger battery version which will do 354 miles on a charge. This version costs £43,500, but through Carwow you can pick it up for just £37,700.
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* Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term, 8000 miles annually, inc VAT, excluding fees. Vehicle returned at term end.
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Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Carwow vs manufacturer RRP. Where it is shown that the EV Grant is included, this refers to the Government grant awarded to manufacturers on certain EV models and derivatives, the amount awarded under the EV Grant is included in the Savings stated and applied at the point of sale. Carwow is the trading name of Carwow Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and insurance distribution activities (firm reference number: 767155). Carwow Leasey Limited is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking (firm reference number: 313486) Carwow and Carwow Leasey Limited are each credit brokers and not a lenders. Carwow and Carwow Leasey Limited may receive a fee from retailers advertising finance and may receive a commission from partners (including dealers) for introducing customers. All finance offers and monthly payments shown are subject to application and status. Carwow is covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (please see www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk for more information). Carwow Ltd is registered in England (company number 07103079), registered office 2nd Floor, Verde Building, 10 Bressenden Place, London, England, SW1E 5DH. Carwow Leasey Limited is registered in England (company number 13601174), registered office 2nd Floor, Verde Building, 10 Bressenden Place, London, England, SW1E 5DH and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carwow Ltd.

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