The Tesla Model 3 is one of the best value-for-money EVs you can buy in Malaysia that’s priced from under RM200,000. However, the biggest controversial design change is the removal of the traditional signal and gear selector stalks on the upgraded Model 3.
Without a physical stalk, drivers of the new Model 3 will have to rely on buttons mounted on the steering wheel to indicate left or right, while gear selection is now done by swiping on the central touch screen. The potential issue we highlighted was that the buttons do move along with the steering while making a turn and we reckon that it would be tricky to use at a roundabout.
To find out if our concerns are valid, we drove the upgraded Tesla Model 3 through several roundabouts in Petaling Jaya. You can see what it’s like in our test drive video below:
Improved suspension and noise isolation
From our quick test drive which lasted for about an hour, we found that the Tesla Model 3 rides better than the Model Y. The initial Model Y which we tested last year had a very stiff suspension and you can feel every single imperfection on the road. That’s no longer the case with the upgraded Model 3 as the suspension has been reworked and it glides smoothly through brick roads as well as rumble strips on the road.
According to Tesla, the upgraded Model 3 is also quieter as they have used double-glazed glass not just for the front windows, but also for the rear as well as the glass roof. During our drive, the loudest thing we heard was the aircon as wind noise and road noise were hardly noticeable.
While this is essentially a facelifted model, Tesla has added new features and textures to give the Model 3 a more upmarket look. The interior still looks very minimalistic but they have added fabric and textile elements on the door trim and the dashboard for some contrast. The seats are now perforated and the front row gets ventilated seats which is great for long drives in our hot Malaysian weather.
On top of that, Tesla has also added ambient lighting which runs from the front all the way to the rear doors. There’s also a small blind spot warning LED that’s hidden on the base of the A-pillar which can be easily missed.
Indicating using steering buttons takes a while to get used to
To find out if the lack of stalks makes driving a nightmare on Malaysian roads, we made 5 attempts at 4 different roundabouts in Petaling Jaya. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as expected from our experience. Being an RHD country, we drive clockwise at roundabouts and this means that the signal indicator buttons turn upwards which is easier to notice. For LHD markets like in Europe, the signal buttons might end up somewhere around your lap while driving anti-clockwise at the roundabout.
For a more extreme test, we also drove the Model 3 at the tiniest roundabout we could find at Kampung Tunku. Interestingly, at lock to lock, the indicator buttons on the steering are at the original position. Perhaps the situation may vary depending on the radius and angle of the turn and it could be something you might be able to get used to after extensive driving.
For the on-screen gear selection, it wasn’t really a big deal. The touch-screen itself is super responsive and you swipe up to go forwards and swipe down to reverse. To set to park, just tap on P on the top right corner of the screen and to set it to neutral, you’ll have to tap and hold on the N button on the bottom right.
Just in case of emergencies or if the screen fails to respond, Tesla has added backup buttons mounted on the ceiling where the hazard lights are located. These are capacitive P-R-N-D buttons which are hidden by default and it will appear when you tap on it. From our experience, the buttons are not very responsive and we had to press twice to get it to change gear. The on-screen buttons are still easier to operate and you don’t really need to bother with them unless you need to park or perform a U turn.
Auto Shift out of Park is helpful but it is still in Beta
The Tesla Model 3 has a beta feature called “Auto Shift out of Park” and it is disabled by default. This feature supposedly helps you drive off from a parking lot without the need to select the gear. When enabled, it uses its cameras to detect your situation and if there’s an obstacle at the rear, it will auto-select D by default to move forward. If you parked your Tesla facing a wall, the default option will be R as that’s the only way you can exit.
It worked well as expected but it is limited to just drive and reverse. It would be interesting if this feature can be developed further for three point turn as that would save a lot of time from swiping up and down on the touch screen.
if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
While the lack of stalks isn’t as bad as we thought, we still think it was totally unnecessary to remove them in the first place. Nobody has complained about it and everyone knows how to signal naturally without staring down on the steering column.
For those who are thinking of getting a Tesla Model 3 as a shared family car, it would take a while for your family members to get used to the steering-mounted buttons. Unless, of course, they don’t mind being honked at by other drivers.
If you really want a Tesla Model 3 and prefer to use stalks for signal and gear selection, there’s still hope from 3rd party accessory makers. Enhance Automotive, the company which makes the S3XY buttons and SEXY knob has announced plans to bring back the stalk for the upgraded Tesla Model 3 as well as the newer Model S and X. The company claims that the installation will be easy and it connects to the vehicle’s OBD port.
Tesla Model 3 deliveries to start very soon in Malaysia
Following the official local launch, Tesla Malaysia will start delivering the Model 3 to its first batch of buyers by the end of this year. To recap, the base Model 3 single-motor standard range model is priced at RM189,000 while the dual-motor long-range model is priced at RM218,000. The listed prices exclude additional registration fees and admin costs, as well as the non-refundable RM1,000 order fee.
If you’re interested in trying out the Tesla Model 3, you can register your interest for a test drive on their website.
Related reading
- Tesla Model 3 Malaysia: No signal and gear selector stalks, but is it the best EV under RM200K?
- Tesla Model 3 vs Model Y: Things you can get on the cheaper Model 3 Highland but not in the Model Y
- Signal and gear stalks are coming back to the Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’
- Tesla Model 3: Here’s where you can check out Tesla’s new electric sedan in Malaysia
- Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ has arrived in Malaysia, up to 629km range, priced from RM189K
