A new entry-level ‘Standard’ version of the Tesla Model 3 has landed in the UK and is available to order from £37,990 – meaning it’s knocked a healthy £2,000 off the best-selling EV’s starting price – or from £249 per month.
For context, at the time of writing the most basic version of the Polestar 2 starts from £45,160, the BYD Seal is priced from £45,705 and the cheapest BMW i4 is £51,370. Not only is it significantly cheaper than the competition, the cut-price Model 3’s 332-mile range is on a par with theirs.
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The Tesla Model 3 Standard is also a significant £7,000 cheaper than the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive version it sits below, which is now referred to as ‘Premium’ in the car’s line-up.
On top of that, Tesla has reduced the top speed and acceleration in the Model 3 Standard slightly compared to the old base version, allowing it to achieve the lowest insurance rating of any Tesla to date – group 32 out of 50 – which will reduce running costs for buyers. It can still do 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds though, so it’s not slow by any means.
The Model 3 Standard follows hot on the heels of the Standard edition of the Model Y that went on sale last month and is available through the Auto Express Buy A Car service from £41,990. Tesla followed the same formula for both, taking the existing base variant of the cars and removing a few of the premium features to bring their starting prices down.
For instance, the interior now features cloth and vegan leather trim and upholstery, instead of fully faux-leather, there’s no subwoofer for the sound system, no ventilated front seats or heated rear seats, no FM or AM radio tuner, no rear touchscreen and no ambient lighting.
The ‘Autosteer’ driver-assistance technology and active dampers found in every other Model 3s are gone, too, meanwhile the steering wheel is now only manually adjustable.
The Model 3 Standard does come with the same 15.4-inch central touchscreen, however, plus a panoramic glass roof, powered tailgate, adaptive headlights, heated front seats, two wireless charging pads on the centre console and a set of new 18-inch ‘Photon’ aero-optimised wheels. You also get access to Tesla’s Supercharger network and smart features like Dog Mode.
The first examples of the new Model 3 Standard should be delivered to UK customers by the end of the February.
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