Tesla Model 3 revealed

[98elise]

JackThrust said:

I think it looks fantastic. I knew people would moan about the flat screen panel but to me it looks a lot more elegant than the one in the Model S, plus it fits in with the design of the interior, it doesn't look as incongruous as the Merc offerings.

I was telling my wife about these last night and we agreed as long as it doesn't look crap we're having one. Looks like we'll be signing up!

I wasn't convinced by the model s screen. When I first the lack of dash on the 3 I thought WTF.

Now looking at it a second time it really looks good. The minimal interior with just a single screen in the middle looks like the bridge of the enterprise

[kambites]

Hopefully there's a heads up display or something to show speed; I really wouldn't want to have to look down at that screen to see how fast I was going. I'm really not keen on touch screens in cars for functions that the driver might want to use while driving but it just seems to be the way the market is going. I suppose it might have voice control or something so you can keep your eyes on the road while adjusting the climate control, radio, etc.

All in all it looks good; I suspect this will be our next family car when some of those 115000 cars start to hit the used market.

Edited by kambites on Friday 1st April 08:01

[anonymous-user]

I thought they'd make the stupid screen smaller, but they've just flipped it. The steering wheel rim must be blocking quite a decent chunk of the side closest to the driver

[MitchT]

Car Magazine said:

It’s due to cost $35,000 (£24,216)

But how much by the time the 'rip off Britain' premium has been added?

[Funk]

MitchT said:

Car Magazine said:

It’s due to cost $35,000 (£24,216)

But how much by the time the 'rip off Britain' premium has been added?

Turn $ to £ usually, so £35k+ I'd suspect.

Liking the look of this a lot though!

[EricE]

RenOHH said:

I thought they'd make the stupid screen smaller, but they've just flipped it. The steering wheel rim must be blocking quite a decent chunk of the side closest to the driver

It's flipped and smaller (15" Model 3, 17" Model S).

I personally can't imagine that they'll produce the car without some sort of alternate instrument cluster like a heads up display or some other form of windshield projection.

[Jimmy Recard]

Isn't GM's Bolt supposed to come out sooner and be similarly capable?

I really hope that interior isn't like that for production

[Jimmy Recard]

MitchT said:

But how much by the time the 'rip off Britain' premium has been added?

Sadly for people who love to complain, that doesn't really exist. You may however find that the price quoted here includes VAT whereas that will usually be added at point of sale in the US. As such, things often tend to seem much cheaper like for like.

[kambites]

Funk said:

Turn $ to £ usually, so £35k+ I'd suspect.

Liking the look of this a lot though!

£35k would be around the same price as the competition - the 330d, etc. so that would be my guess too. The place it will really make sense is on BiK company car schemes.

[fooby]

I wonder how electric cars will handle age and milage. It's mad to think that at this price point, in ten years you might be able to buy a tesla for the same price as a used Mondeo now.

[David87]

Blimey. When will the established manufacturers respond to this? Can they?

[DoubleD]

I find it odd that people have already decided that it's there next car, what if it doesn't handle very well? Or you can't get comfy in it? I would never spend all that money without knowing what I was going to get.

[kambites]

DoubleD said:

I find it odd that people have already decided that it's there next car, what if it doesn't handle very well? Or you can't get comfy in it? I would never spend all that money without knowing what I was going to get.

In my experience an astonishing number of people order new cars without ever having driven the model they're ordering. Even when it's already on the market, many people don't bother.

[swimd]

If Tesla is able to produce this car at volume and at this price point then I feel it's fair to say that Musk caught the whole automotive industry with their pants down.

For a basic daily car I can't think of any other car that compares. Not to mention that the dashboard appears to be designed with autonomous driving in mind. Retract the steering wheel into the dashboard, flip the two front seats 180° and you have a small living room like this mercedes concept. This may not be possible in the Model 3 but it is certainly heading in that direction.

[MitchT]

Jimmy Recard said:

MitchT said:

But how much by the time the 'rip off Britain' premium has been added?

Sadly for people who love to complain, that doesn't really exist. You may however find that the price quoted here includes VAT whereas that will usually be added at point of sale in the US. As such, things often tend to seem much cheaper like for like.

Sales taxes vary from state to state though. Always lower than our 20% VAT and in some states you don't pay any.

The OH wants an electric car. The Model S is too big and too expensive and everything else looks like a squeaky toy you'd give a toddler to play with in the bath. The Model 3 would fit the bill perfectly and at £25k it'd be a no-brainer. She wouldn't pay £35k though.

[AnotherClarkey]

Jimmy Recard said:

Isn't GM's Bolt supposed to come out sooner and be similarly capable?

I really hope that interior isn't like that for production

The Bolt costs more, has less range and isn't as quick though.

[JD]

EricE said:

Feels like Nokia vs the iPhone all over again.

+1

They aren't going to be able to build them quickly enough.

my halfway house PHEV lease (once arrived) will run out in 2018, so hopefully UK deliveries will be starting to happen about then.

Edited by JD on Friday 1st April 08:39

[IforB]

kambites said:

DoubleD said:

I find it odd that people have already decided that it's there next car, what if it doesn't handle very well? Or you can't get comfy in it? I would never spend all that money without knowing what I was going to get.

In my experience an astonishing number of people order new cars without ever having driven the model they're ordering. Even when it's already on the market, many people don't bother.

Most people wouldn't know what good driving dynamics were if they jumped up and bit them on the bum! Most purcasing decisions seemed to be based on looks, pricing and brand recognition (or snobbery to put it another way!) rather than on how the car made you feel. Or what their mate Dave/Clarkson said.

[David87]

Ah, bugger, I just seemed to have reserved one. My wife's dreadful Nissan Qashqai goes back next June, so I'll just buy something cheap until the Tesla arrives.

[RobDickinson]

not even a dealer here which is a shame, have to go via Oz. all our power is hydro too would be great.