SINGAPORE – I know, I know, I know. You want a Tesla Model Y, just like almost everyone else in the car-buying universe. But hang on for just a minute and read this before deciding if you really want the world’s best-selling electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) or something else. Like the Hyptec HT.

The American Model Y, first reviewed here in August 2022, turbocharged the tortoise-shaped SUV trend when it was launched six years ago. A number of Chinese carmakers are clearly inspired by it, consciously or otherwise. One of them is Guangzhou Automobile, which makes the Hyptec HT.

The HT here is a less fanciful variant of the gullwing model reviewed in March 2025, to be more price-comparable with the facelifted long-range rear-wheel-drive Model Y variant.

Both belong to the Category B certificate of entitlement (COE) – reserved for bigger, more powerful cars, but has recently been less costly than the mass-market Category A.

The Model Y is the smaller car, measuring 4,790mm long, 1,982mm wide and 1,624mm tall with a 2,890mm wheelbase and 1,901kg kerb weight. The HT is 4,935mm long, 1,920mm wide and 1,700mm tall with a 2,935mm wheelbase and 2,250kg kerb weight.

The HT’s larger dimensions result in a roomier interior. With the driver’s seat adjusted for my 1.68m-tall frame, there is 30cm of space between my knees and the back of the front seat, versus 26cm in the Model Y. Rear headroom at its narrowest is 10cm in the HT and 7cm in the Model Y.

The width of the second row at its narrowest is 135mm in the HT and 128.5mm in the Model Y. The driver’s footwell is bigger in the HT too. No one should feel claustrophobic in either car, b...