Road test: Tesla Model 3 gets a new face, and new controversies

It was an evening in March 2016, and I was setting up camp at the office. Fuelled by some late-day sushi, I was watching the countdown to the unveiling of a new EV – the Tesla Model 3. Elon Musk, in what we now know to be typical Musk fashion, played up the importance of the new plug-in. It was Tesla’s first affordable, mass-produced product with proper global appeal and intent.

Watching the stream and furiously tapping away on my story, I knew then that this was one of the most important new-car reveals of the year. What I couldn’t have predicted was how it would kick off a new era for Tesla and its leader. The brand’s grand success, Musk’s growth in wealth, all the controversies (and there have been plenty) … they all connect back to the launch of the Model 3.

Whilst it might have been superseded by its more practical Model Y cousin when it comes to popularity, the Model 3 remains a key piece of the Tesla puzzle. And now it’s been given its first comprehensive update.

To those not especially well-read on Teslas, the updated Model 3 may look like a pretty mild shift. But for the legions of Tesla disciples out there, it represents a pretty big change. The architecture and motor arrangement mostly carry over, with styling elements like the general proportions and the commitment to minimalism also making an emphatic return.

If anything, the new Model 3 is even more minimalist than the last. Gone is the slightly awkward shaped face – replaced with a pointier, slipperier skin allowing for a superior drag coefficient. Almost all of the styling changes inside, meanwhile, are done with simplification in mind.

The touchscreen’s bezels have shrunk, piano black trim has been replaced for matte finishes, the optional contrast wood trim in the dash and doors has been replaced with a more uniform layout. And the amount of physical buttons has somehow been reduced even further.

The last Model 3 was a pioneer of sorts for motoring, as one of the first cars that quite deliberately shoehorned as many of its functions into the touchscreen as possible, including the previously unthinkable like the speedometer, all in the pursuit of Marie Kondo-ing the dashboard and steering wheel. Tesla has now dropped both stalks from the steering column, re-routing the gear selector and windscreen wipers into the touchscreen and the indicators into a pair of left/right haptic feedback buttons on the steering wheel.

Yeah, more on that later.

As far as all the complicated numbers stuff is concerned, perhaps the most important thing is that Tesla has brought the Model 3 Long Range trim level back to New Zealand showrooms – a much-missed spec with a larger battery, an extra motor, and double the amount of driven wheels.

The Model 3 line-up starts with the pictured Standard Range RWD variant, priced from $67,900 plus on-roads, powered by a 194kW/340Nm motor mounted in the rear paired to a 60.9kWh battery. The Long Range AWD is priced from $76,200, with its dual motors producing 340kW/493Nm. The latter accelerates to 100kph 1.7 seconds quicker, taking 4.4 seconds, and as its name suggests, can travel a longer max distance; 629km to the base model’s 513km.

In our case, the Standard Range’s 60.9kWh CATL-sourced unit seemed to struggle to get near its 500-plus range figure. We estimated that, generously, our tester would likely achieve just over 400km of travel to a charge. Admittedly, the majority of our driving was on motorways, the natural enemy of the EV. And, we threw in a morning blat through the Hunuas, too. Nevertheless, the figure was a disappointing one, and perhaps a sound endorsement for spending the extra dollars on a Long Range.

Taking a Tesla Model 3 for a backroad blat … it might sound like a recipe for snores for the petrolheads out there, but the Model 3 has always been a fairly capable, enjoyable car on challenging roads. The steering decent on direction change, and the low centre of gravity provided by the battery – coupled with the rear-driven bias – makes the chassis feel assured. None of this has changed with the new one. It’s still as fun in the bends as it is deceptively quick off the line.

If the Model 3’s drive has had an issue historically, it’s with ride comfort. Unlike the Model S and X (rest in peace), the Model 3 has always been coil sprung. Couple that with lower ride height and perhaps a little bit less coin put towards refinement, and it makes sense that the nameplate has built a reputation for riding more firmly than most of its peers.

Tesla has been very keen to underline how much work it’s done on making the new Model 3 more comfy, more refined. There’s heaps more sound deadening, improved seals, and acoustic double-glazed windows – all of which makes a genuine, tangible difference in the level of noise that gets to occupants.

What Tesla has also done is given the Model 3 new bushings, new front knuckles, and new adaptive dampers with ‘frequency dependent valves’ that change their behaviour depending on how often compression occurs. These changes also make for a proper improvement in how the Model 3 takes corrugations in the road. A Model Y will inevitably ride better, of course, but this is still welcome news for those who prefer the sedan form factor or want the sharper device.

Let’s revisit the Model 3’s cabin. Material quality appears to have been improved, with more of the dashboard lined with soft-touch surfaces. There’s also a neat screen in the back seat that can stream video, control the rear climate vents, and more. Perhaps not ideal for streaming whilst on the move if you don’t want the kids in the back to get sick and redecorate the minimalist cabin, but a valuable boredom buster if you’re plugged into a charger.

But none of that is quite as important as Tesla’s decision to rid its cheapest EV of its drive and indicator stalks. I’ll be honest, from the time it was announced I was sceptical of the decision, writing it off as a pretty pure example of cost-cutting.

Having driven the car now, my opinion has changed. But, only slightly.

Surprisingly, slotting the car into drive and reverse via the touchscreen actually became reasonably intuitive by the end of my loan. Maybe because it’s often only done at the beginning and end of a drive and you need to be stationary to do it. The actual slide action is fairly forgiving, too, only requiring a faint swipe at a standstill to make the change. The headlights are easier to use than before, as well, having previously been solely accessible through the touchscreen there is now a haptic button on the steering wheel to instantly bring the menu up on the screen.

The indicators, on the other hand, have very few upsides. I got used to them quickly enough for most scenarios, tapping the left arrow to indicate left and the right to do the opposite. But, problems quickly surfaced when it came to navigating roundabouts, particularly when triggering the left indicator prior to exiting a roundabout. At times, I’d have to ensure one of my hands was free in order to help me hit the indicator button at 3’o’lock or sometimes even 6’o’clock.

Bear in mind that, in these positions, the buttons are often upside down – only making things all the more confusing. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t accidently trigger the indicators when trying to skip songs on my Spotify, too.

I have no doubt that some Model 3 owners will adapt reasonably quickly to these changes. But, I struggle to think of any real benefits to these changes other than how the drop-off of buttons helps Tesla’s bottom line. They are more distracting and more taxing to stay on top of than the tried-and-true stalks still offered in the Model Y.

I suppose that brings us to the inevitable elephant in the room, here. This new Model 3, with its big wins (ride quality, refinement, handling) and debatable failings (the stalk delete and, in our case, range) are likely to trickle down to the more popular Model Y by the end of next year. Who knows, maybe customer feedback will see traditional indicators come back from the dead for the next Model Y.

If nothing else, switching back to a traditional indicator and drive system will help put the genuinely impressive inroads Tesla has made in ride and refinement in the spotlight. I suppose all we can do is wait and see.

Bonus images