Tesla Model 3 (2023) – Back to Basics

Tesla Model 3 ‘rear-wheel drive’ – €42,990

With a new nose, new rear lights, a modified chassis and a solidly upgraded interior, the Tesla Model 3 is ready to go again. You can read exactly what has changed here. We were also able to go out by car and did so in the exact version that stars today in ‘Back to Basics’. The absolute basic version, with the only ‘free’ color – ‘Pearl White’ as usual – and the standard wheels, the 18-inch ones with streamlined hubcaps. Anyone who orders the Model 3 this way knows one thing for sure: you will have to search the parking lot. Model 3s are exceptionally often ordered in basic trim. There are several reasons for this: the basic paint with its metallic finish is not that basic at all, other colors are very expensive and larger wheels are not only expensive but also bad for your fuel consumption and driving range. Add to this the fact that a white interior is not the most convenient choice with growing children, and you know why so many Model 3s hit the road in the version shown here.

Hubcaps not nice? Then, just like before, there is an easy solution. By the way, the wheels are just as new as the caps.

However, there is another explanation for this: such a basic Model 3 was always very easy to live with. Don’t worry: it will remain that way. The range is 513 instead of 495 kilometers than before, which is mainly due to different tires and a further improved aerodynamics. Tesla says that the 18-inch version can even travel 554 kilometers, although that is not an official figure. There is also no shortage of power, because with 283 hp the rear-wheel drive Model 3 sprints from 0 to 100 in 6.1 seconds. Thanks to those economical tires, the top speed is considerably lower than before, but at 201 kilometers per hour this car does it for a EV is still very neat in that otherwise not so relevant area.

On the outside, the difference between a rear-wheel drive and a Long Range is now only visible in the absence of the ‘Dual Motor’ nameplate on the entry-level car. Previously, the missing fog lights were added, but those light units were deleted for all versions with the facelift. Unlike a Model Y, there is a difference in equipment of the Model 3 between the entry-level version and the more expensive and faster Long Range. For example, the rear-wheel drive lacks the necessary speakers, including in the door panel. The audio system is also getting an update: the Tesla Model 3 RWD (‘Rear Wheel Drive’) now has nine instead of seven speakers. The Long Range now has seventeen (!).

The door panel of the RWD (top) and the Long Range (bottom). Pay attention to the speaker and the upholstery, but don’t pay attention to the color of the lighting. It is adjustable.

The door panel itself is also different, at least with the standard black interior. The ‘Long Range’ is finished here with an Alcantara-like material, the Standard Range has a grayish fabric that looks great in our opinion. The new ambient lighting is standard and this reportedly also applies to the also new seat ventilation. From now on, all Model 3s will also have a touchscreen for the rear passengers, for entertainment and to operate all kinds of things.

If we look further at the equipment, it is striking that once again there is very little to complain about. ‘Keyless entry’ is traditionally taken very seriously by Tesla by using telephones as (hands-free) keys. Fully automatic climate control, an excellent navigation system, wireless phone chargers, electrically adjustable and heated seats, artificial leather, heated steering wheel, an electric tailgate and of course full LED lighting are all standard. So the simplest Model 3 is actually completely ‘finished’, just like before. The €1,000 extra that you now pay is compensated by the audio upgrade, a much more beautifully finished interior, a few kilometers of extra range and, above all, more silence and comfort.