Tesla has finally announced the Model 3 EV sedan for the Malaysian market, which is now available for booking via its official website. As you may recall, this particular model was teased alongside the Model Y in promotional materials prior to the brand’s local launch in July.
We should also point out that the Model 3 version arriving in Malaysia is actually the newer “Project Highland” facelift, which features a more aggressive-looking front end and upgraded parts. Speaking of the latter, Tesla claims that it has replaced more than 50% of the parts, offering numerous improvements over the original model. Among these, the company adds, include a boost to range, an all-new premium interior, and a much quieter ride.
Inside, the EV’s dashboard has been redesigned with LED lighting, while new aluminium trim highlights are added around the entire cabin. Moreover, the quality of materials for the interior have been improved to provide a more luxurious feel. Besides that, the facelift also adds a rear cabin screen for passengers, which allows them to watch movies or play games as well as giving them access to the car’s climate and audio controls. There’s also an upgraded USB-C port in front with 65W power delivery, while in the back are two additional Type-C ports.
The interior is available in the default all-black configuration, but you can choose to change it to the optional black and white configuration for RM5,000. Also keep note that the standard Model 3 is only offered with nine speakers and a single amp system, while the Long Range version gets a whopping 17 speakers with dual amp and dual subwoofers.
As mentioned above, customers get to choose to have the newly introduced EV in either a regular configuration with rear-wheel drive, or a Long Range option with dual motor all-wheel drive. Unlike its platform sibling, the Model Y, it is not offered with a top-end Performance variant – at least not yet. You can also upgrade the default Autopilot feature to Enhanced Autopilot for an additional RM16,000, or Full Self-Driving for RM32,000.
The standard rear wheel drive Model 3 is equipped with a single rear-mounted motor that’s claimed to achieve 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 201 km/h, while its onboard battery grants it a maximum range of 513km based on the WLTP cycle. The Long Range variant, on the other hand, is said to offer the same top speed, but with a faster 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.4 seconds thanks to its dual motors. As its name implies, it sports a longer range of 629km due to its larger battery capacity.
The new Tesla Model 3 is available for booking, with the base variant starting from RM189,000 and the Long Range from RM218,000. Take note that ordering the EV now will cost you a non-refundable RM1,000 fee. The company says the car is expected to arrive in Malaysia by late 2023, which is ahead of the Model Y’s estimated early 2024 delivery time.
(Source: Tesla Malaysia official website [1] [2])
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