The new Tesla Model 3 (MY2021) sports a few changes to the exterior and interior design, and also gets improved driving range
Tesla is currently the biggest EV manufacturer in the world, and Model 3 is the most popular vehicle in its range. It is also the most affordable vehicle in the American carmaker’s lineup. For model year 2021, Tesla has updated the Model 3 with a minor refresh; the vehicle gets a few design changes on the exterior as well as interior, along with a few new features.
The 2021 Model 3 now gets black embellishments for the door handles, window trim, and turn signals, ditching the chrome plating on the older model. Inside the cabin, the sill plates, window controls, seat controls, and the door handles get a new trim as well. Power-operated boot and wireless smartphone charger have been added to the car.
The wheel design has also been updated for the 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, and new 20-inch ones have also been added to the range. The 2021 Tesla Model 3 is available in the same three variants as before – Standard Range Plus (RWD), Long Range (AWD), and Performance Long Range (AWD) – priced from $39,190 to $56,190 (Rs. 28.78 lakh to Rs. 41.26 lakh). The manufacturer has improved the driving range of all the variants.
Standard Range Plus has a range of 423 km (an increase of 21 km), the Long Range model offers 568 km (an increase of 50 km), and the Performance trim gets a range of 507 km (an increase of 25 km). Interestingly, no changes have been reported for the power and torque figures. The Standard range model gets a single electric motor on the rear axle, and generates a peak power of 283 HP and a maximum torque of 416 Nm.
The Long Range model gets a dual electric motor setup (one on each axle), and develops 346 HP and 527 Nm. The top-spec Performance trim also sports a dual electric motor setup, but has 450 HP and 639 Nm on tap. It is capable of sprinting from 0 to 96 kmph in just 3.5 seconds, which is supercar territory!
The Tesla Model 3 gets a massive 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Android Auto and Apple Carplay aren’t available, but surprisingly, the vehicle offers Netflix, YouTube, and even the option to play arcade video games.