The Tesla Model 3 has finally arrived in Malaysia and you can finally view the fully electric sedan in the flesh. If you’re among the first batch of customers who have placed their booking, deliveries for Malaysia are expected to start in the coming months. Here’s a closer look at the Tesla Model 3 here in Malaysia.
Priced from RM189,000 for the RWD Short Range model, the Model 3 is the cheapest Tesla in Malaysia right now as it costs RM10,000 less than the bigger Tesla Model Y. The RWD model gets a single motor which can propel the EV from 0-100km/h in just 6.1 seconds, up to a top speed of 201km/h.
With its smaller (likely 60kWh) battery, the Model 3 RWD has a claimed WLTP-rated range of up to 513km and it supports DC fast charging up to 170kW.
If you need more range and performance, there’s the Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range that’s priced at RM218,000. The twin-motor setup provides more grunt as it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.4 seconds, up to a top speed of 201km/h. With its larger (likely 78.4kWh) battery, it has an impressive range of up to 629km on a single charge.
The Model 3 AWD LR can support up to 250kW DC fast charging at a Tesla Supercharger. At the moment, there are three live Supercharger locations in Malaysia located at Pavilion KL, Sunway BigBox Johor and Sunway Pyramid. In order to get the maximum charging rate, you must arrive at the Supercharger at a much lower state of charge due to the charging curve.
Cheapest EV with over 600K range in Malaysia
As we’ve highlighted previously, the Tesla Model 3 AWD LR is currently the cheapest EV in Malaysia that can offer more than 600km of range. In terms of pricing alone, it is significantly cheaper than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 RWD and the Mercedes EQE 350+.
The extra range for the Model 3 is made possible by its aerodynamic design as the facelifted Model 3 boasts a drag coefficient of just 0.219cd. That’s close to the Hyundai Ioniq 6 which is rated at 0.21cd. The front gets a sleeker design with slimmer headlamps and it loses the rounded flat nose appearance of the previous model.
The rear also gets some notable design changes as well as. Similar to what you see on the new Lexus models, the T-badge has been replaced with TESLA spelt in full. Meanwhile, the taillights now get a single C-shaped design which is fully attached to the boot lid. To ensure visibility when the boot is open, Tesla has added backup lights at the lower bumper which include indicator, brake and reverse lights.
Since this is a facelift rather than an all-new model, the sides including the door remain unchanged. The Model 3 still gets flush door handles as well as cameras on the front fender and on the B-pillar.
New interior upgrades on the Model 3
Tesla has made some notable improvements on the interior with extra features to give it a more upmarket feel. You now get a mixture of leatherette and denim-like materials on the dash and the door trims. The new Model 3 finally gets ambient lighting as well as perforated seats. The front seats are now ventilated which is a nice add-on for our hot Malaysian weather.
Tesla claims that the new car is quieter with double-glazed all around including the rear windows and rear glass panel. They also claimed to have tweaked the suspension for comfort which hopefully addresses the stiff ride of the previous model.
Similar to the Model Y, you still get a central 15″ display which practically controls everything including the direction of the aircon vents, the boot, frunk and even the glovebox. There’s no Apple Car Play or Android Auto, so you’ll need to rely on Tesla’s very own system which has built-in navigation as well as video streaming apps including Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube.
Below the display is a pair of wireless charging pads and below that is a rather deep cubby hole and cup holders which are now covered by a two-piece sliding cover. Similar to the Model Y, the sliding cover has a nice damper effect which gives it a more premium feel. However, the same can’t be said about the glovebox which is tiny and it shuts loudly via magnets. There’s a single USB-C port in the armrest compartment which now supports up to 65W which should be good enough to charge most USB-C laptops.
No stalks for the signal indicator and gear selector
As highlighted before, the most controversial design change is the removal of physical stalks for signal indicator and drive selector. You’ll have to rely on buttons on the steering wheel to indicate left or right, high beam and wipers. We still think steering-mounted buttons for signal indicators would be tricky, especially when driving through a roundabout and this is something that might take a while to get used to.
Since there are no physical controls for drive selection, you’ll have to use swipe gestures on the 15″ touch-screen to switch between P-R-N-D. As a backup in case the screen isn’t responding, Tesla has added buttons for P-R-N-D on the ceiling where the hazard light is located.
Tesla has a feature called Auto-Shift out of Park, where it will automatically detect your situation and select the appropriate Drive or Reverse mode for you. However, this feature is still in Beta and it is disabled by default.
Over at the rear, the Model 3 isn’t as spacious as the Model Y. The front seats are mounted much lower to the floor and your feet space varies depending on the height adjustments of the front seats. There’s enough knee room but the recline still feels quite upright for my liking. Since it uses a glass roof, you’ll get ample amounts of headroom but we recommend getting a shade if you don’t like the heat during sunny drives.
The new Model 3 now gets an 8″ display which can be used to control the aircon, aircon direction and to stream videos from Netflix, YouTube and Disney+. The rear screen also offers “boss switches” where you can adjust the front passenger seat. However, the screen is mounted quite low and it can be obstructed if there’s a middle passenger at the rear.
Boot space is pretty decent for a sedan which is slightly more than 400 litres and it still offers a decent underfloor storage which can be used to store your charging cables. Being a sedan, the opening isn’t as wide as the Tesla Model Y but at least the boot lid is powered. If you need more storage, there’s also a frunk up front which can be used to store a medium-sized backpack.
Overall, the Tesla Model 3 offers great value in terms of range and performance but the tradeoff is the lack of physical controls which most drivers are accustomed to. This is obviously a cost-cutting measure to eliminate as many moving parts as much as possible. We hope to get a better idea of what it is like to drive through a test drive ahead of its official delivery.
[ UPDATE 10/11/2023 ] We have also gotten the opportunity to test drive the upgraded Tesla Model 3 on Malaysian roads. Is the lack of stalks a problem at roundabouts? Watch our video below:
Related reading
- Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ has arrived in Malaysia, up to 629km range, priced from RM189K
- Tesla Model 3: Here’s where you can check out Tesla’s new electric sedan in Malaysia
- Want to test drive the Tesla Model 3 in Malaysia? You can register your interest now
- Tesla Model 3: Malaysia launch happening this month, deliveries by end of this year
