New Tesla Model 3 RWD (formally known as Standard) Now On Sale
Let’s tackle the elephant in the room at the start because this is actually a new entry-level trim and not just the shortest range Tesla Model 3, as it was known before.
Initially called the Standard, Tesla changed that trim name and reverted to using RWD or Rear Wheel Drive, although it is £2,000 cheaper than the RWD before it.
The rest of the range is called Premium for the Long Range Rear Wheel Drive, or Premium Long Range Dual Motor, and then there’s also the highly entertaining Performance.
The New Tesla Model 3 RWD
The headline figures are:
Price: £37,990
Range (WLTP): 332 miles
Efficiency: 4.78 mi/kWh
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 6.2 seconds
Insurance group: 32
Charging speeds: 175 kW (max)
Warranty (vehicle): 4 years / 50,000 miles
Warranty (battery & drivetrain): 8 years / 100,000 miles
So what makes the Tesla Model 3 RWD cheaper than it’s predecessor?
From the outside there are no differences between this and the Premium trims. It keeps the glass panoramic roof and the same 18-inch Photon wheels as the Premium Model 3’s and it also keeps the new additional front bumper camera.
The LFP battery pack from the previous Premium RWD Tesla Model 3 carries over, too.
Tesla’s famed panoramic roof
What’s Changed?
Inside, there is no touchscreen for the rear passengers, instead you get air vents and two USB-C ports to charge devices, just like the legacy Tesla Model 3.
Speakers have reduced to 7 from 9 found in the Premium Long Range RWD, or 15 for the Premium Long Range AWD.
The steering wheel is manually adjusted for height and reach, but still offers the same flexibility of positions.
The seats are now part cloth and part vegan leather, with the rear bench feeling particularly comfortable and supportive. There’s no ventilated seat option and only the front two seats are heated, but being cloth it’s kinder in the winter compared to the cold touch of the vegan leather seats.
Part cloth, part vegan leather seats
The cupholders are now exposed vs the covered cupholders with a sliding lid found in the Premium and Performance cars.
The front seats are still electrically adjustable and the memory is consigned to the user’s phone key via their profile on the touchscreen, effectively providing limitless memory options for multiple drivers.
But the buttons to adjust the seats have been replaced with easy-to-use functionality on the touchscreen with zero lag in response.
Electric seat adjustment via the touchscreen
For the entry level car, this Tesla rides on Passive shock absorbers rather than the Frequency dependent shock absorbers in the Premium cars.
The expectation is a worse ride, but in reality the differences are almost imperceptible. It still has the same planted handling and feel as before and it attacks course road surfaces comfortably and confidently. The Premium suspension just adds a touch more finesse to the ride over the rough stuff, but most won’t notice a difference.
Ambient lighting is now consigned to the footwells and is no longer wrapped around the dashboard. Some may prefer this since it doesn’t reflect in the glass. However, there is a new matte metallic looking strip in its place which looks smart enough.
What’s Included?
On the touchscreen the same options exist on the entry RWD compared to the Premium, so you still get music apps, such as Apple, Amazon, Spotify and TuneIn, for example.
Netflix and YouTube can be found in the Theatre app, with video games and more to entertain the family in the Arcade app.
Tesla Arcade App
Eight cameras are included for 360º augmented parking visualisation and Sentry Mode (CCTV security for the car when left unattended).
Plus there are useful features like Dog Mode that keeps the cabin cool for your treasured pets. This displays a message on the touchscreen to ensure passers-by don’t panic seeing an unattended pet in a car on a warm day.
Auotpilot is included in the RWD, as well as matrix LED auto-headlights plus a heated steering wheel and heatpump to extract the best efficiency from the car on cold days.
And of course Tesla’s mobile app is used as a phone key providing many useful features and functions like hands free boot opening, self-presenting lock and unlock without the need for a physical key or card, and charging or pre-heating/cooling schedules plus much more.
Tesla app
One big addition that arrived this week via a software update - and available to all new Tesla’s and older ones with Hardware 4 (AI4) - is the new natural language AI assistant, called Grok in partnership with X Ai. You can read more about in-car natural language assistants here.
Cargo space remains unchanged at 682 litres combined for the boot and frunk, expanding to 1,659 litres with the seats down.
Tesla puts safety first so Automatic Emergency Brake assist is standard on all Tesla’s irrespective of the trim, plus there is blind spot monitoring, too, as well as the over-the-shoulder camera feed to the touchscreen when the indicator is selected.
Summary
There’s much to like about the new entry level Tesla Model 3 RWD. And given it’s price, range, efficiency and extensive spec list, it doesn’t feel like an entry-level car.
Only the interior trim sees the most obvious changes, but all the usual functions and features found in the touchscreen and app remain, and this sets Tesla apart from the competition.
To see a summary of the car, head over to YouTube and watch a quick review by our very own Jim Starling at Definitely Not A Guru.
The Tesla Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive is priced from £37,990 with deliveries starting now.
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About the Author
Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.
You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb or YouTube @REV-EV.