TESLA’S MODEL 3 IS DYNAMIC,
New electric sedan cuts back on older siblings’ bells and whistles
FREMONT, CALIF. The new Tesla Model 3 sedan has impressive older siblings, the Model S and X which can run upwards of $100,000.
But after a short drive in this spartan yet sprightly vehicle on roads surrounding the company’s factory here, it’s clear the Model 3 has inherited a lot of its DNA from those machines while cutting back on enough bells and whistles to bring the starting price down to $35,000.
Stab the accelerator, and the car sprints like an Olympic 100meter champion, thanks to the instant torque provided by its battery-powered electric motor. Launch into a turn, and the steering feedback provided by the thick, sporty wheel is direct and measured. Lift off the throttle, and that familiar regenerative braking starts slowing the car before you hit the brakes. Visibility fore, aft and up is ample, thanks to a massive two-pane glass roof that also serves to make the more compact rear seating area feel larger.
The Model 3’s center console has modernist touches, smooth surfaces that pivot and pop, revealing a variety of storage areas as well as a place for two smartphones to charge side by side.
The trunk is conventional — no massive automatic lift-gate that reveals optional rear-facing seat- ing as in the S — but large enough to stow the luggage of your best friend and his family after picking them up at the airport.
The exterior is not a surprise, since Tesla long ago teased the car. But while it largely borrows successfully from the svelte Model S, there’s something a bit off with the front grille. Whereas the S and X offer a serious and simple face, the Model 3’s divoted front end seems to be trying to smile. The car shouldn’t try to be cute. It’s not its vibe.
Self-driving car enthusiasts will be pleased to hear the Model 3 comes packed with the same dense array of cameras, radar and other sensors critical to autonomous driving, but activating them requires purchasing the Autopilot package.
So where are the compromises? If the Model S and X scream high-tech science experiment, Model 3 whispers it. The dashboard highlights this difference the most. Unlike the S and X, there is no instrument gauge of any kind in front of the driver. In- stead, a lone 15-inch horizontally arrayed display seems to hover in front of the long wooden dash.
One of the most ingenious parts of the Model 3 that represents a true departure from tradition is the inclusion of a single thin opening in the dash. That’s for air, hot or cold, to blast into the cabin (no more individual vents), and it’s all rather simply controlled by touching your fingers to the screen and swiping over the part of the car where you want most of the air directed.
The Model S and X’s snazzy door handles are small blades that anticipate your arrival (thanks to an app on your smartphone) and greet you by automatically extending outward. You’re on your own with the Model 3, whose cleverly flush handles manually lift out when you press down on one end.
The test model we drove was sticker-priced at half of a plusher Model S, or $49,000 — $44,000 for a Model 3 with a 310-mile battery range and zero-to-60 mile- per-hour time of 5.1 seconds, plus extra for aero style wheels, an upgraded sound system and other goodies (the $35,000 base model comes with 220-mile range).
While it may be an entry-level Tesla, there remain a few features that make you feel part of a hip club. For instance, once your smartphone is connected, your Model 3 will be alerted to your arrival or departure, unlocking or locking the car accordingly.
Nearly 500,000 early adopters have put down $1,000 deposits for a Model 3. That’s a good start, but true success will require a zero to be added to that figure. At first glance, the Model 3 could have a shot where the Chevy Bolt and BMW i3 tried and failed.
Make mine silver.