A masterful demonstration of what an electric car could be, seven years ago, the Tesla 3 did not lack flaws compared to the best modern automobiles. The American manufacturer’s immense project made him skip a few steps which seemed secondary to him compared to the heart of his demonstration.
Devotees of the battery and change “whatever it takes” had no difficulty in being convinced by Tesla’s offer which nevertheless, without alarming them, exchanged the deployment of a network of worthy dealers of this name against an ultra-efficient charging network. This causes a brand terminal to recognize an approaching Tesla and open the charging hatch without having to present a subscriber card.
On the other hand, and counting on the real reliability of electric power, Tesla has decided to sacrifice after-sales service, which exposes owners to often Kafkaesque situations in the event of a problem. Repairing a Tesla remains a challenge, not to mention the aging of the model. And as the manufacturer has somewhat botched the quality, the body adjustments, the interior presentation and the fidelity as well as the comfort of the suspensions, really left something to be desired.
In short, there was still a little work on the table. Improvements have come over the course of the Model 3’s career, but not as significantly as with this latest version presented at the IAA show in Munich. After two million Tesla 3s produced, it was time for this Model 3 Highland.
In reality, a few days before, influencers not inclined to criticize were invited by the brand to discover the car in Oslo and to shoot some images for social networks with amazement while covering a few kilometers. Tesla was careful not to invite automotive journalists who are disastrous impediments to driving in circles, never happy with what they are given to try. With the exception of a colleague from Automobile Propre who managed to slip into this restricted circle and who gave us some impressions.
First what is visible with a more pointed front, more tapered and horizontal headlights at the front and C-shaped LED lights at the rear surmounting a more present diffuser. Without changing anything to the central cell and the doors (wheelbase still at 2.88 m), this provides a more robust appearance to this bodywork whose pure design has stood the test of time very well.
The tailgate and glass roof remain, as do the 18- or 19-inch wheels hidden by black hubcaps. They have an aerodynamic function which contributes to the improvement of the Cd from 0.23 to 0.219, excellent on a 4.72 m (3 cm) car.
The interior layout changes a lot giving a feeling of unfinished. There seems to be something missing as the whole thing seems bare – refined, fans of the brand will say –, still without an instrument console behind the new steering wheel. In fact, the comodos and the power selector are absent.
The first are replaced by tactile buttons on the steering wheel, the second is found with the starter in the 15.4-inch central screen with refined edges. Not at all sure that the practical aspect wins, like the absurd image of this steering wheel on the Tesla S. It’s good to innovate, but you still have to propose something constructive behind it. On the other hand, we appreciate useful gadgets like “dog mode” which ventilates the car while you charge with your favorite pet inside. The soundproofing would have been improved – a shame for an electric car – the seats are new and have better quality fabrics.
This is a good thing to compensate for the dryness of the suspension which would however have been softened with, in terms of handling, new settings that are more readable by average drivers. It’s all on the technical level with an unchanged chassis, i.e. propulsion at the base with a battery allowing a range of 513 km and the long range sailing depending on the size of the wheels between 629 and 678 km. Rather reassuring for heavy riders. At 42,990 euros, the first will still be able to deduct a bonus and remain very competitive, the second will remain perched at 50,990 euros. Tesla has clearly, with an increase of 1,000 euros, calmed its prices. Competition is good.