Motoring Review

There are three variants of the Model 3 on sale currently: the Standard Range Plus, Long Range and Performance. Here’s how all three stack up… There are three versions sold in the UK in 2021: l Standard Range Plus @£40,990 l Long Range @£48,490 l Performance @£59,990

Design and engineering

The Model 3 flies in the face of the car industry’s obsession to rush headlong into the arms of the lardy SUV. It’s relatively compact at 4694mm long and 2088mm wide, including door mirrors, and shorter than the established junior execs, such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but has managed to remain recognisably a Tesla thanks to its low nose, tapering rear and ample glasshouse. The electric car range quoted above is the official WLTP range, stretching from 278 miles in the Standard Range Plus model via the 352-mile Performance to 360 miles in the Long Range spec. panoramic, and the view forwards is clear and commanding, even if you don’t sit with the seat in a high position.

There are no buttons on the centre console, just a pair of roller-knobs on the steering wheel, four window switches on the door and (buried on the seat) the usual electric backrest and squab adjusters. It’s especially impressive in the rear passenger compartment, where a tall adult can fit comfortably in the middle seat, thanks to a cleverly sculpted centre console armrest with space for a fifth person’s feet.

How does it drive?

Much of the experience will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a Tesla

Model S (or, indeed, any electric car). Niceties such as the Mercedes-Benz-style push-to-hold parking brake remain, but any remaining vestiges of Daimler switchgear have now been eliminated. Quality is good enough in here. It’s a stepchange over the ageing

Model S and we’d judge that users in this price bracket will be quite

comfortable with the trim and materials used, with slush-moulded, soft-feel materials used throughout. The body rigidity is excellent, and the cabin is creak-free on the roughest of B-roads. This is an extremely slippery shape; Tesla quotes a drag coefficient of just 0.23, and the car does indeed cleave through the air quietly and with minimal fuss.

Groundbreaking: The Tesla Model 3 Electric HICHEVER way you look at it, the Tesla Model 3 is a groundbreaking car: its range, tech and the added bonus of Tesla’s Supercharger network make it a difficult package to beat for less than £500 per month.W

The interior: a minimalist cabin

Even as you approach the Tesla Model 3’s interior, it’s apparent this car does things differently. There is no key - rather, you use an RFID card

It is monumentally, addictively rapid, the horizon reeling in at warp-speed on full throttle, with a silent, whirry accelerative thrust. Looking at the specs, even the regular Teslas will be pretty quick. The range-topping one is insanely so. Steering is sublime - beautifully weighted and superbly accurate. In addition, this is one of the quickest steering racks we’ve experienced on a mainstream saloon since the original Alfa Romeo 156; it lends a pointy agility to the way the Model 3 drives. You can tailor the steering weight to personal preference, but European tastes are probably most closely tuned to the firmest setting in Track Mode. Equally impressive is the handling. You think it into a corner and it darts into the apex with all the precision of a Ferrari V8. It’s seriously fast

to react, yet it doesn’t feel nervous or on edge at a motorway cruise. The Tesla Model 3 is a winner - it has an impressive real-world battery range, a roomy and airy cabin, drives beautifully in all versions, and offers driver-assistance tech that works seamlessly in the UK. Despite nearly all controls being accessed via the central touchscreen, it all works well - as if the car’s designers are as well versed in infotainment operating systems as they are in vehicle dynamics. The Tesla Model 3 comes highly recommended. It’s still the most usable electric car on the market, thanks to Tesla’s brilliant Supercharger network, while the interior is bristling with clever design and storage solutions that make day-to-day use even more enjoyable.

Prices and specs in the UK

The Tesla Supercharger network now features more than 600 charging points spread across several dozen locations throughout the UK, so long-distance driving in a Tesla will be entirely feasible for most drivers. There are hundreds of destination chargers at hotels, clubs and other private venues too. Tesla quotes 150 miles of range in half an hour if you’re on a Supercharger; or 37 miles an hour of recharging on a dedicated home charger. It’s also worth noting that you can fully buy a Tesla Model 3 online. There are dealers, of course, but the newly introduced Tesla Chat and Tesla Virtual Consultation mean that you can go through your options without the need to leave your home. If you do want to try before you buy, Tesla dealers can offer a contactless test drive, where the car is opened remotely for you, the screen shows a 15-minute instruction video, and then you’re free to go and drive. Perhaps this is why they proved so popular during the UK lockdown.

Specifications Price when new: £56,490 On sale in the UK: Now Engine: 192kW electric motor Transmission: All-wheel drive Performance: 3.2sec 0-60mph, 162mph, 329-mile range WLTP Weight / material: 1847kg/steel and aluminium Dimensions (lin mm): 4690/1930/1440mm