Restyled Tesla Model 3

 Restyled Tesla Model 3: winter and cold test drive of the best-selling electric sedan

For its sixth anniversary, this electric market star is refining some weaknesses while improving style and aerodynamics. It's a shame, however, that the ergonomics have gone in the opposite direction.

Aside from the slowly arriving Chinese automakers in our markets, Tesla is one of the youngest car manufacturers. Yet, it is also one of those with the oldest average age in its range. Except for the Tesla Model Y, which was born in 2020, all of its products are over six years old, with the Tesla Model S dating back to 2012, the Tesla Model X to 2015, and the Tesla Model 3 to 2017, even though it only reached our markets in early 2019 after a slow ramp-up. It was therefore time for a facelift, even though the electric aspects of the Model 3 weren’t outdated... which, as usual, have been regularly fine-tuned without changing for this update.

Restyled Tesla Model 3

Tesla Model 3 Facelift: A New Look for a New Life

Visually, there are changes, with sharper headlights placed on a lowered hood to further improve its already good drag coefficient (0.219 instead of 0.23), and redesigned rear lights now fully integrated into the trunk lid. Too bad the trunk still isn’t a hatchback (this 4.72-meter car remains strangely a two-volume with a fixed rear window!), which would have made it easier to access a fairly large trunk, with an additional 70 liters of storage under the floor, plus the front trunk which accommodates a large cabin-sized suitcase.

The Best is Inside

The most significant changes are inside, with redesigned seats (heated in all four places and ventilated in the front), a central console clad in aluminum, fabric on the dashboard, and door panels now featuring soft padding all the way down. These efforts are welcome, as the Tesla Model 3 had not been a leader in perceived quality until now. With this updated interior now in line with the category, the beautiful 15.4-inch central touchscreen – the only screen – remains highly responsive, but with thinner edges, it can display slightly more content than before.

We appreciate it, but it’s a pity that, given its large size, some "virtual buttons" are so small, like the temperature +/- buttons, or the deactivation of the annoying and unreliable speed limit alert, making them very difficult to activate while driving without taking your eyes off the road for too long, especially since a finger moves with the suspension's movements. It's almost as if the engineers forgot that the car is in motion and validated their displays only when stationary. This leads to the ergonomics of the Tesla. Like all modern cars, the growing number of functions requires many menus and submenus.

Improving Ergonomics

However, even with a bit of familiarity, it’s not always easy to navigate all the settings and functions, especially since some reset every time you start the car, like the lane-keeping assistance. This system is unbearable on secondary roads or congested highways if you want to let a two-wheeler pass. Tesla has tried to simplify some functions, such as selecting the forward/reverse gears, which can now be selected by swiping left or right on the screen.

It’s even possible to let the Tesla Model 3 do it automatically, selecting the forward gear if it detects an obstacle behind. However, the removal of the traditional stalks for turn signals and wipers, replaced by buttons on the steering wheel spokes, is baffling. For turn signals, the stacked buttons (down for left, up for right) are difficult to feel and require a glance to ensure you’re pressing the right one.

A Simple Steering Wheel

The Model 3 definitely deserves its success, especially as Tesla has improved comfort by adopting laminated glass for the rear windows, helping to reduce wind noise. However, the ergonomics still suffer. The turn signal buttons are hard to find by touch, and the wipers’ automatic function remains unreliable, often responding too slowly when rain intensity changes.

With some practice, they’re easier to use… on straight roads. But once you’re on a roundabout, for example, it’s almost impossible to find the button to signal that you’re taking the next exit. Fortunately, the signals cancel themselves once the maneuver is completed, but for driving safety, this is a real step backward! For the wipers, it wouldn’t be so bad if the automatic function worked well, but it’s consistently delayed in adjusting to rain intensity and doesn’t wipe often enough. You have to manually adjust the frequency via a menu on the central screen, requiring you to take your eyes off the road. Once again, a setback in terms of safety.

A Well-Made Chassis

Despite softer suspensions, there are still some jolts at low speeds, which the large 19-inch wheels don’t help. However, these tires offer great grip on this well-designed chassis, which has a very effective and responsive front end, complemented by a stable rear. The rear is monitored by a traction control system that’s never intrusive but keeps things in check, even on wet roads, despite the instant torque of the rear-wheel drive.

Impressive Range

With 6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h and only 3.5 seconds to go from 80 to 120 km/h, this least powerful Tesla Model 3 already offers performance close to that of good sports cars. Tesla doesn’t officially provide figures for power and torque – excluding the plaid variants – but we can tell you that this base Model 3, weighing 1,765 kg, already has 286 hp (120 hp continuously) and 420 Nm of torque. The performance is excellent, and should not differ much from the pre-facelift Standard version we measured in 2021, as the powertrain remains the same. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6 seconds and 80-120 km/h in 3.5 seconds, offering a performance level close to good sports cars.

It also maintains a respectable range, provided you don’t overindulge in its quick accelerations. With an average consumption of 17 kWh/100 km off highways, this Model 3, with its approximately 57 kWh battery (Tesla doesn’t disclose the exact capacity), offers decent range figures. Thanks to improved aerodynamics, the range should show slight improvements compared to pre-facelift measurements: 318 km in the city, 278 km on roads, and 233 km on highways.

Rapid Charging

As we experienced during our test at 3°C, the battery technology seems to struggle with low temperatures, limiting its recharge power to between 40-50 kW. However, the cheaper LFP battery technology (NMC lithium-ion for other Model 3s) can charge quickly on fast chargers, accepting up to 170 kW. As for regenerative braking, its high intensity – which is good for battery recharge – makes it difficult to smoothly release the accelerator without jerking passengers, particularly on the road. Fortunately, the electric braking system, which can bring the car to a full stop, is now perfectly calibrated at low speeds, avoiding any sudden jolts.

Pricing

As for the price, this Tesla Model 3 Propulsion is currently priced at €42,990, before the €5,000 bonus that it is likely to lose due to being manufactured in China. This is a very competitive price compared to often more expensive German rivals. However, with Tesla frequently playing with its prices (increases or decreases of €10,000 are not rare), we have learned to be cautious.

Source: https://www.automobile-magazine.fr/