Tesla’s Model 3 is the latest to be released after the Model X and S were updated long ago. The difference is that the Model 3 also has a new design and there’s more.
introduction
I just tested the new Long Range model with lots of extras. The price is still less than NOK 550,000 with all the extra equipment. If you buy the cheapest version with rear-wheel drive (the Long Range has 4 x 4), the price is just over NOK 400,000, but keep in mind that the range is much less.
The range is 629 km during summer driving, while in winter, when it is cold, you can expect around 550 km, a value still well above the average of cars sold in recent years, and made possible by the more aerodynamic ever made by Tesla.
Specifications Model 3 Long Range (model tested at NOK 540,239)
- Range up to 629 km (WLTP)
- 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds
- Maximum speed: 201 km/h
- Battery charger with speed up to 250 kW
- Electric all-wheel drive (standard)
- Premium audio system (standard)
- Heating in all seats, steering wheel and windshield wipers (standard)
- Cooling in the front seats (standard)
- Glass roof with UV and infrared protection (standard)
- All-black premium interior with upgraded materials (standard)
- 8” rear window with integrated climate control, ventilation and entertainment (standard)
- Adjustable ambient lighting throughout the cabin (standard)
- Ultra red paint
- Summer wheels: 18” Photon rims (standard)
- Winter wheels: 18” Photon rims
Project
“The Model 3 has been optimized for aerodynamics. Sharper lines and aerodynamic surfaces reduce drag, improve sound insulation and increase range. Wheels and tires have been redesigned and have updated styling with improved aerodynamics, along with tires optimized for noise and range. The updated Model 3 has the lowest drag of all Tesla models, at 0.219”.
This is how Tesla introduces car “efficiency and charging”. For a “man in the street” like me, who cannot evaluate the value of air resistance in numerical values just by looking at the bodywork, I can easily see that changes have been made to the design. The entire bodywork has received a restyling that expresses sportiness. Where the old Model 3, and even the Model Y and 3, are overly “soap designed”, and not so much boring and floppy, the Model 3 looks great with a much tighter design language.
It helps that the test model I tested was delivered in “Ultra Red”, an extra option for around NOK 14,000. It’s not up to me to judge whether it’s worth the expense, but I can confirm that the paint job is incredibly beautiful. That was the first thing I noticed when I saw it: the reaction was an automatic verbal “wow.”
Tesla on noise reduction:
The Model 3 cabin is now feather-soft thanks to 360-degree acoustic glass, door trim, seals and improved sound-deadening materials. Collectively, these changes significantly reduce noise:
- Wind noise improved by 30%.
- 20% improvement in road noise.
- Insulation and ambient noise improved by 30%.
- 25% improvement in clothing sales
From a “wow” when you see the paint, I was almost shocked as soon as I got into the car. This even if I don’t want to AS I tested the Model S Plaid a while back, a car that actually disappointed me a bit, but that will be a digression. However: the interior is AS minimalist that my brain spent several hours getting used to driving something that doesn’t want to be driven, but wants to drive you. Yes, I know, the future of autopilot takes time in California, not to mention Norway and the EU, which are probably many decades away from true automatic driving.
Completely new design headlights. Rear lights with bright colors and updated design integrated into the tailgate for improved fit.
Tesla
Also keep in mind that I currently drive a 2013 midsize SUV, and am therefore accustomed to buttons and an old-fashioned driving experience, which I’ll talk more about in the next section. Among the improvements, in the new Model 3 you will find a new screen for those sitting in the back, just like on the more expensive models. I’m surprised that even the cheapest Tesla comes with a passenger screen, but I find it even stranger that the two most expensive ones don’t have two screens in the back. Because the problem is the same as with expensive cars: the screen is low and centered, so children have to lower their heads. If you have small children, they won’t be able to see anything anyway because the seat is turned the other way.
I don’t expect this on the cheaper Tesla models, but I think the more expensive ones should have come with two “tablets” that can be placed in different places in the car. It’s natural for a company like Tesla to see itself as a technology and AI company first, rather than an automaker.
Internal improvements as described by Tesla:
A cocoon-like cabin architecture with improved execution and premium materials (real aluminum, fabrics and the like).
- The seats are brand new, both front and rear. Ventilated and heated front seats throughout the car, integrated with automatic climate control systems.
- Redesigned center console with aluminum, large storage compartment and two wireless cell phone chargers. Quickly charge laptops and more with one USB-C charging port on the front and two on the back, each with up to 65W output.
- Connect everything seamlessly using Bluetooth to sync everything from your contacts to your music.
- The super clear and responsive 15.4-inch central screen is the same size as before, but the screen area is better used thanks to a narrower bezel. The user interface is customizable and improves over time with OTA updates.
- Passengers sitting in the rear now have access to an all-new 8-inch screen with integrated climate control, ventilation and entertainment. More will come with future OTA updates.
- For the first time, Model 3 offers ambient lighting that can be adjusted throughout the interior. Owners can customize the color based on their mood of the day with a few quick taps on the screen.
Functions and help
The convenience is incredible! I have a hard time thinking that it’s worse than the air-cushioned Model S Plaid that I tested in the spring, but then I also drove in winter conditions and so the driving experience is completely different. In any case, I think this is great comfort for the money, but Tesla has also updated the damping system.
I have to mention this for winter driving, because the test period was special. I live in the “suburbs” and there have been low temperatures and the same old snowpack for several weeks. This resulted in very weak grip regardless of the car, with the snow so hard and cold that it was almost like driving on ice. So I’m happy that I just bought studded tires for the SUV, but even more scared when I immediately noticed that the Model 3 was supposed to have the same one. On a test drive I drove home at around 15km/h for fear of sliding sideways off the road, while stationary.
Left and right indicators as buttons on the same side of the steering wheel are still a bad idea. At least it is delivered without a “yoke” steering wheel. Even “moving” back and forth from the screen isn’t optimal, but at least it’s something you get used to.
Sometimes I try products without reading them first for a “pure experience”. I try to avoid PR texts influencing me during the probationary period, things like that. So when Tesla called me after the test and asked how it went, I said that I was impressed with the improvements, but that I probably would have preferred the 4 x 4. “After all, it has the 4 x 4,” Tesla explained, and I felt stupid. I just have to live with it. The fact that the car went up and down my winding descent home speaks volumes that the car is good on what I would call a normal snowpack.
Bottom line: It was so smooth I thought it only had rear-wheel drive. The fact that I am used to petrol cars with slow acceleration and that there is no modern technology to help the driver on slippery surfaces has not improved the situation. In short: I had opted for studded tires.
Combining low fuel consumption and fast charging speed, Model 3 can charge up to 282 km in 15 minutes at one of our more than 12,000 Supercharger stations across Europe. With competitive pricing, 99.95% uptime and a built-in trip planner, owners can travel longer distances seamlessly.
Tesla
The problem remains that the cameras are not shielded. Mao. they get muddy quickly and cannot perform basic functions when it is wet, muddy or if there is a lot of snow. I’m not sure how Tesla can solve this problem, maybe with mini wipers and heater? As for autopilot, it’s not very relevant in Norway anyway, and I prefer to be a very traditional driver anyway.
I may not be familiar with this, but I think the car is too far in the left side of the lane with autopilot on, and with a lot of snow it doesn’t see the road markings anyway. Therefore, I doubt I would have bothered to shell out for the full “AI” package for Norwegian roads, but, as always, I really appreciate the adaptive cruise control. Not that it’s new or sophisticated.
Conclusion
Until Tesla manages to launch some sort of city car, a smaller version of the Model Y, and the Model 3 as some sort of hybrid, for maybe NOK 300,000, the Model 3 in the 2023 edition will be a really good sedan. However, the sedan shape has lost much of its luster in recent decades, and has largely had to give way to SUVs of various sizes. The biggest problem is obvious for owners of large dogs, as the cargo area is separate from the rest of the car, not large enough for medium-sized dogs, and which in many cases won’t be large enough if you’re shopping in Sweden with a family of five. .
The cabin noise level is more than acceptable for the price range.
For those who don’t need large amounts of space and prefer a sporty driving style where you sit low and get great range and exceptional comfort, the Model 3 is a good choice that in many respects matches the very more expensive Model
2023-12-28 11:40:59
#amazing #update #Tesla #Model
