Electric exec gets its first big update, with comfort and efficiency tweaks among the changes On sale Now Price from £39,990
Neil Winn neil.winn@haymarket.com
APPLE AND TESLA both identify as tech companies, but they have very different attitudes toward product updates. While Apple’s iPhone is updated with clockwork regularity, Tesla has previously given only one of its four models, the Model S, a major update since its UK launch in 2014. This makes the facelifted Model 3 particularly significant.
Externally, the previous slightly bulbous headlights are now slimmer, the front foglights have gone, and there’s a reshaped rear bumper and smaller C-shaped rear lights. These changes not only lend the Model 3 a sleeker look but are also said to improve aerodynamic efficiency.
As a result, despite the battery capacity being unchanged at 57.5kWh (usable) for the Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and 75kWh (usable) for the four-wheel-drive Long Range, the former’s official range jumps from 305 miles to 318 and the latter’s from 374 miles to 390. However, those figures are for cars on 19in wheels (optional in the UK); Tesla estimates the RWD will cover 344 miles and the Long Range a huge 421 miles on standard 18in wheels.
Inside, the love-it-or-hate-it minimalism of the old model remains, but there are some welcome improvements. There’s much more widespread use of soft materials, the cupholders now have a sliding cover, the faux wooden trim has been replaced with a more premium-looking suede material, and there’s an ambient lighting strip along the top of the dashboard. More significantly, though, it all feels much better screwed together than before.
Comfort is improved, too; the front seats are now ventilated, as well as heated, while the rear seats use new padding materials to improve lumbar support. Those in the back also get a new 8.0in touchscreen that controls everything from the climate control to music, and it even enables them to watch YouTube or Netflix, with sound via Bluetooth headphones.
Perhaps the most important improvement, though, concerns refinement. There’s new acoustic glass and increased sound dampening, and Tesla’s engineers claim the new car is 30% quieter. We believe them; wind noise has been greatly reduced and there’s minimal tyre noise. Granted, the Model 3 isn’t quite as hushed as a BMW i4 inside, but it’s not far off.
The updated Model 3 also exhibits a newfound sophistication when it comes to ride comfort. It retains a firm
