Tesla begins the month of September and the start of the school year with the formalization of a new Model 3. The restyling can be seen inside and out. On the other hand, road performance remains mostly the same, with a slight gain in autonomy.
Tesla is making a comeback, and with style. The American firm formalized the arrival in October of a new Model 3, which offers its first real restyling six years after its arrival on the electric car market. The main changes are visible inside and out. But what about on-road performance?
Tesla surprises by directly launching two versions, including the entry level. Propulsion and Long Autonomy are already available to order. For the moment, this redesigned Model 3 is therefore deprived of a Performance version, and no one knows if (or when) Tesla will end up launching one in the months to come (everything is possible with the manufacturer). In practice, this means that the Model 3 is no longer able to go below the 4 second mark on the 0 to 100 km/h exercise.
Same engine(s) and same battery, but more range for the new Model 3
Tesla has modified the chassis of the Model 3, but also the ground connection elements (the suspensions, in particular). On the other hand, nothing has changed with regard to the powertrain, whether for the Propulsion version, or the Long Autonomy version.
We therefore find :
- Propulsion: a rear engine with a power of about 280 horsepower, coupled to an LFP battery with a capacity of about 60 kWh;
- Great Autonomy: a rear motor and a front motor combining approximately 441 horsepower, coupled to an NMC battery with a capacity of approximately 80 kWh.
The staffing does not change, but the few improvements made by the engineers still allow us to see a slight gain in autonomy (thanks to the drag coefficient which goes from 0.255 to 0.219).
Here are the performance updates :
| Autonomy (WLTP)* | 0-100km/h | Top speed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Model 3 Propulsion | 491km | 6.1s | 225 km/h |
| New Model 3 Propulsion | 554km | 6.1s | 201 km/h |
| Old Model 3 GA | 602km | 4.4s | 233 km/h |
| New Model 3 GA | 678km | 4.4s | 201 km/h |
We still observe a gain in autonomy of a little less than 11% for the Model 3 Propulsion and a little more than 12% for the Model 3 Long Autonomy. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is the same. However, the top speed is now limited: 201 km / h for both, which will only be a problem for those who love to go fast on German motorways.
Remember that the size of the rims have an impact on autonomy. If you opt for the 19-inch models (option at €1,190), the range drops to 513 and 629 kilometers. Interesting point to note, the Model 3 Grande Autonomie, when fitted with 18-inch rims, is ahead of the Model S Dual Motor on 21-inch rims, which is content with 634 kilometers.
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