The Tesla Model 3 has been spotted undergoing testing in India, before the all-electric carmaker’s arrival. The car undergoing testing is that the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant of the Model 3.
After years of will-they-won’t-they, Tesla’s India entry was finally confirmed late last year, by company CEO, Elon Musk, via Twitter and now the testing and validation of its models have begun. The car spotted while testing, the Model 3, is going to be sold in India alongside Tesla’s halo products – the Model S and Model X. Here are a couple of things to understand about the Tesla Model 3 before it arrives.
Tesla’s entry-level model
The Model 3 is Tesla’s most affordable car. With a starting price of $39,990 (around Rs 29.27 lakh), the Model 3 is significantly cheaper than the Model X, which starts at $89,990 (around Rs 65.88 lakh), and therefore the Model S within the USA, which is priced from $79,990 (around Rs 58.56 lakh). it’s even cheaper than Tesla’s affordable SUV, the Model Y ($52,490, around Rs 38.43 lakh), with which it shares roughly 75 percent of its mechanicals and other components.
The available with one and dual-motor setup
The Tesla Model 3 is out there overseas with single- and dual-motor options. Opening the line-up is that the rear-wheel-drive Standard Range Plus, which features a range of 423km and a 0-100kph time of under 6 seconds. Dual-motor versions including the Long Range AWD, which may do 0-100kph in under 4.5 seconds and features a range of 568km.While the range-topping Performance, which boasts of a 0-100kph time of a touch over 3 seconds, achieves a top speed of over 260kph and also features upgraded brakes. It remains to be seen which version of the Model 3 Tesla offers in India.
Being an electrical vehicle, there’s no combustion engine, gearbox, or fuel tank. This frees up tons of room inside the Model 3’s cabin. There’s many legroom at the front and therefore the back for passengers, and therefore the single-pane glass roof adds to the sensation of space and openness within the cabin. Additionally, the Model 3 also has two boots, one at the front where the engine would be during a conventional car and one at the rear.
The cabin itself is extremely minimalistic but tech-driven. Taking center stage may be a large, landscape-oriented touchscreen that controls a huge array of the Model 3’s functions. The touchscreen also doubles up because the instrument cluster, showing all relevant information associated with the car. aside from that, it controls the infotainment, navigation, and AC functions.
The Tesla Model 3 also can be equipped with the Autopilot feature that’s present within the larger Model S sedan. This feature allows the car to steer within a lane, change lanes with just a faucet of the blinker, summon the car, manage speed by using active, traffic-aware control, and parallel-park itself. Since the system relies on perfectly marked roads and signs, it remains to be seen how well it’ll add India.
Tesla Model 3 India launch and expected price
The Model 3 is going to be one among the primary Tesla’s to arrive in India and is predicted to launch by the top of this year. While it’s likely to be Tesla’s most accessible model for buyers, you’ll need to hand over quite a bit for it. Expect the Tesla Model 3 to be priced around Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom).
