Tesla Model 3 review: Cheaper electric car lands in Australia

The wait is finally over for long suffering Tesla fans who put down a $1500 deposit on the more “affordable” electric car more than three years ago.

It’s here — finally.

More than three years after Australian customers lined up, Apple iPhone style, to put a $1500 deposit on the “affordable” Tesla, the Model 3 is on sale locally.

Outspoken Tesla founder Elon Musk says the Model 3 “is really important for the future of the world”.

Not one for understatement, he also claims the car is the safest on the road, with peerless technology and better performance than driving benchmarks such as BMW’s M3 sports sedan.

Pitched as a model attainable for mainstream buyers, the Model 3 could prove a vital step on the road to electrification.

Musk’s aim was to sell the Model 3 in the United States for $US35,000 ($50,650) with the help of government incentives.

That’s roughly the same money required to get into a top-end Mazda6, both here and in the US.

The Model 3 starts at $66,000 before on-road costs in Australia.

In Australia, where there are precious few incentives to choose a green car, the Tesla Model 3 range starts at $66,000 for a rear-wheel drive Standard Range sedan claiming about 460km of driving as well as the ability to hit 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, fast enough to keep up with a Subaru WRX.

Spend $85,000 on the Long Range model and those figures shift to 620km and 4.6 seconds while bringing a premium interior.

The range-topping Model 3 Performance can reach the highway speed limit in 3.4 seconds and promises an anxiety-free range of about 560km.

It also has 20-inch wheels, bigger brakes, lower suspension, higher top speed and track mode for high-performance driving.

The mid-tier Long Range version has a claimed range of 620km.

Five-star EuroNCAP safety comes thanks to eight airbags, a strong body and the highest score awarded to the active driver aids on any new model.

Impressive credentials they may be but Tesla’s pricing model for the Model 3 isn’t without controversy. The maker is asking customers to pay upfront for technology that doesn’t work yet.

Owners can tick a box to order “full self-driving capability” for $8500.

The maker claims the tech will deliver “automatic driving on city streets”, the ability to recognise and respond to traffic lights and “automatic driving from motorway on-ramp to off-ramp including interchanges and overtaking slower cars”.

Critics say “full self-driving capability” is misleading.

The top tier Performance version has supercar beating speed.

Tesla says the features are “coming later this year” depending on regulatory approval and other factors. Given the company’s regular habit of missing deadlines — and the caution of governments when it comes to road safety — that seems optimistic.

More than two years ago, there was a similar option on the Model X. Buyers are still waiting for it to be activated.

When it gets the green light, Musk will flick a switch to allow customers to stream YouTube and Netflix videos on the move, with the car taking care of driving duties.

Video play is one of the many features made possible by the Model 3’s 15-inch screen, which replaces conventional displays. There is no dedicated driver display, infotainment screen or climate control readout — it’s all done through the central tablet.

In the United States, Motor Trend magazine rates the Model S as “the most significant vehicle of the past 70 years”, while Consumer Reports does not recommend people buy the brand’s cars due to reliability concerns.

The Tesla has a minimalist interior.

Production and quality issues have dogged Tesla for years, though the brand says it is working hard to address them, and that teething troubles for the Model 3 were resolved in the first year of production.

Tesla supports the car with a four-year/80,000km warranty and a further eight years/160,000km of motor and battery support in Australia.

Electric cars require far less maintenance than combustion models.

There is no scheduled service plan at Tesla but owners are encouraged to bring cars in for annual check-ups for consumables such as tyres, brakes and air filters.

FIRST DRIVE

You are likely to find more heat than light in the millions of words written about the Model 3. The brand’s passionate fans sing its praises, while doubters predict that Tesla’s failure to produce Model 3s quickly or cheaply enough will doom the company to ultimate failure.

Behind the hype and anti-hype, the Model 3 is an excellent car, especially in the guise of the range-topping Performance version we drove in the United States.

The Model 3 is easy to drive and copes well with the extreme forces.

The Performance is based on the existing Model 3 Dual Motor and shares the 80.5kWh battery pack but its punchier rear motor takes the total output to 335kW — this in a car that is pretty much the same size as a BMW 3 Series. Over lesser versions of the 3 it also gets bigger 20-inch wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, lowered suspension and higher top speed.

Acceleration is startling. It doesn’t matter what you are used to, the Model 3 Performance is going to feel fast, the car delivering organ-sloshing longitudinal forces without drama or even apparent effort.

With no gears to swap the Performance can deliver instantly, there’s no pause between pressing the throttle and feeling the surge.

It makes for a car that is remarkably easy to drive quickly but which also delivers unflustered and near-silent progress at everyday speeds. No other EV at anything close to this price point delivers similar straight-line thrust.

The chassis copes well with the huge loads being put through it, although the Model 3 never feels as playful as the best conventional sports sedans. The ride is firm but body control is excellent over rougher surfaces.

The Model 3 doesn’t feel as playful as other top shelf sport sedans.

The Performance is a heavy car (about 1850kg) and that feels obvious in slower turns or when it’s asked to change direction quickly.

Inside, the minimalist ethos creates a cabin that feels almost empty compared to a more conventional car — the enormous portrait-orientated touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard is the defining feature. Almost everything has to be done through this interface, even opening the glovebox or adjusting cabin temperature. Space is good in the front and reasonable in the back.

You don’t need to look too hard to find flaws. Some of the interior fit-and-finish would feel iffy in a car costing far less, with exposed wires under the front seats and some very low-rent plastics in less-exposed places.

Overall the Model 3 is a remarkable piece of engineering and a reminder of how far the rest of the car industry must go to build a true Tesla-beater.

— by Mike Duff

Tesla Model 3 vitals

Price: $66,000-$91,200

Power: 225kW-360kW

Range: 410km-560km

Safety: 5 stars, 8 airbags, AEB, active cruise control, lane keeping assistance, piloted driving

Boot: 425L

CURRENT RIVALS

Jaguar I-Pace

Price: $119,000 plus on-roads

Power: 294kW

Range: 470km

The Brits beat German rivals to market with a usable full-size EV in late 2018. Great to drive, the I-Pace looks unlike anything else while making rivals feel old-fashioned.

Nissan Leaf

Price: $49,990 plus on-roads

Power: 110kW

Range: 270km

The world’s best-selling electric car (for now), the Leaf promises a unique ability to supply power to your home, as soon as local infrastructure permits.

Hyundai Ioniq

Price: $44,990

Power: 88kW

Range: 230km

Cheaper than the Leaf. On paper it looks down on power but performance is above average for a city commuter.

Hyundai Kona EV

Price: $59,999 plus on-roads

Power: 150kW

Range: 449km

Hyundai wants big dollars for its little electric SUV — twice as much as a normal Kona. But it has plenty of go and a long-range battery that makes the Leaf look old-hat.

FUTURE RIVALS

Audi e-tron

Price: $140,000 (est)

Power: 265kW

Range: 400km

On sale later this year. Based on the Q7 family SUV, the e-tron feels relatively normal compared to some rivals. That’s sweet or sour, depending on what you expect from a new EV.

Mercedes EQC

Price: $140,000 (est)

Power: 300kW

Range: 417km

On sale later this year. Beaten to market by rivals, Benz insists this will be the benchmark for quality and refinement, rather than claiming fastest acceleration or longest range.

Mini Electric

Price: $50,000 (est)

Power: 135kW

Range: 270km

On sale 2020. It makes a lot of sense. EV hallmarks — instant torque, low centre of gravity and urban purpose — gel sweetly with Mini’s core values.

BMW iX3

Price: $80,000 (est)

Power: 200kW (est)

Range: 400km (est)

On sale 2021. Improving on the tech in the i3 hatch and i8 supercar, the iX3 electrifies the brand’s popular X3 crossover.