Faster, smoother, quieter and less ugly: Every update coming to the new Tesla Model Y 'Juniper' which makes it brand's most important electric car ever - reports

The new Tesla Model Y 'Juniper' is shaping as the electric car brand's most important car ever, with the brand's best-selling model also its key weapon in the face of increased competition from legacy car makers and a slew of Chinese brands like BYD, MG and Geely.

In fact, US Media is now encouraging the EV brand to begin acting like a legacy carmaker to ensure its survival, releasing regular facelifts and new models that keep customers coming back for new cars.

“Tesla is now delivering vehicle volumes like a legacy automaker, and legacy automakers know that a fresh lineup is what keeps customers coming back,” Edmunds' consumer insights analyst Joseph Yoon, recently told Forbes.

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And it would appear Tesla is listening. Despite company head Elon Musk claiming in June that "no Model Y “refresh” is coming out this year", mysterious images have begun surfacing of what appears to be at least a face-lifted model under the code name 'Juniper'.

If Musk is being truthful, then that would mean testing is underway for a model that will launch in 2025, and it is shaping as the most important model in the company's history.

Now US media is forecasting just what to expect, based largely on the changes recently made to the Model 3.

According to Forbes, we can expect a long list of important updates aimed at making the Model Y a better looking, and better driving, vehicle.

2025 Tesla Model Y Performance render (Image: Thanos Pappas)

They include a Performance model that should reduce the zero to 100km/h time to just over three seconds.

Visually, expect a sleeker, less bulbous front end with lower-profile headlights, while at the rear, a full-length LED light bar with bold Tesla lettering should appear.

Inside, new ventilated front seats, a new steering wheel with buttons, while 360-degree acoustic glass should make the cabin considerably quieter. Also helping will be new tyres and wheels that will also help reduce road noise.

2025 Tesla Model Y (Image: X/Teslaconomics)

Also in the cabin should be a new and upgraded stereo, a better central screen and a new screen for rear passengers.

Dynamically, new frequency response dampers borrowed from the Model 3 will smooth out road bumps, and the Model Y will be fitted with Tesla's HW4 hardware, delivering more computing power for functions like Autopilot and Full Self Driving.

As usual, news from Tesla is shrouded in secrecy, so for now you'll have to watch this space.