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The Tesla Model 3 Performance has been updated and it’s now faster (0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds), it’s also better to drive, and it remains easy to charge – but there are no stalks for indicators, wipers or even gears…
We lived with a pre-production Tesla Model 3 at the very start of the year and we thought it was good to drive, and fast enough. But it obviously wasn’t good enough to drive or fast enough for Tesla, because the Model 3 Performance has now been launched in the UK, with a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 163 mph. So does the driving experience match the pace?
The new Model 3 Performance looks broadly similar to the latest ‘facelifted’ standard Model 3, with new headlights and tail lights and more aerodynamic bodywork, but there are actually more differences between the two variants than in the past. The main change that you might notice are the larger (20-inch) ‘Warp’ wheels, but the frontal styling also gains additional aerodynamic tweaks, and a rear diffuser and carbon fibre spoiler aim to improve high-speed stability.
As with the standard Model 3, improvements in the interior aim to make the car feel more premium, such as higher quality materials, an ambient lighting strip, an audio system designed by Tesla which has 17 speakers, and rear seat passengers get an 8-inch touchscreen with climate controls, Bluetooth connectivity and entertainment. The interior also features new (heated and ventilated) Sport seats which provide more support during cornering.
Rather than being a hatchback, the Model 3 has a boot, which, at 594 litres in size, is large for this class of car, and quite long, and there’s also a large 88-litre front trunk, or ‘frunk’.
The Model 3 Performance’s battery has a total capacity of 78.1 kWh, with an estimated usable capacity of 75 kWh. It has a towing capacity of 1,000 kg.
The dashboard of the new Tesla Model 3 only consists of two main features: a steering wheel and a large 15.4-inch central touchscreen. There aren’t even any stalks on the steering column for the gear selector, indicators, or windscreen wipers. To drive off, you push a small graphic of a car on the touchscreen forwards, and to reverse, you push the car backwards. To select Park, you need to press a very small button on the touchscreen.
The indicators are now initiated by two buttons on the steering wheel. The wipers and lights are also controlled by buttons on the steering wheel – in both cases you press the button, and a small box appears on the touchscreen with further options.
Removing the stalks is a radical change, but you do get used to the new controls – the main issue is trying to indicate while steering, when the wheel is upside down, and the indicator controls are therefore no longer where they used to be.
Adjustments to the position of the steering wheel and mirrors are also carried out using controls on the touchscreen. In fact everything is done via the touchscreen – although we can confirm that, amazingly, the electric driver’s seat is still operated by physical controls.
The Model 3 Performance has no drive modes, but there are other driving settings, which, predictably, are selected on the touchscreen, including the ability to choose ‘insane’ acceleration mode, as well as Track Mode. The 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds feels believable, but perhaps the most impressive thing about the new Model 3 Performance is the traction; if you floor the accelerator on dry or wet roads, there’s virtually no loss of grip (a big difference compared to lots of front-wheel drive EVs that we’ve tested). The all-wheel drive system is obviously a key reason for the excellent levels of grip, as well as the way that the system is managed by the Tesla Vehicle Dynamics Controller (VDC), but the Model 3 Performance also has special tyres.
However despite the amazing grip, the Model 3 Performance, which features new adaptive damping technology, has a rewarding rear-wheel drive-biased feel through the corners. The car also feels compact and low to the ground, and when you turn the (small) steering wheel, there’s an instant change of direction, so it’s very agile. The steering wheel spokes are even thin enough to allow you to wrap your hands around them – a rarity in new cars.
So the huge performance is complemented by high levels of traction, rewarding handling, responsive steering, as well as upgraded brakes. The handling is assisted by good body control, but that does result in a firm ride, which is noticeable on smooth roads, and which is even more evident on roads with poor surfaces – and this is something that won’t be helped by the very low profile tyres.
On the motorway some road noise results from the large (20-inch) wheels and tyres, but the Model 3 Performance is very stable, as well as feeling very efficient.
You won’t be surprised to learn that there no physical controls such as paddles to change the level of regenerative braking, but yes, you guessed it, you can do this through the touchscreen.
The touchscreen also shows you what’s around the car, including other vehicles, people, traffic cones and red traffic lights, reassuring you that the car is aware of its surroundings, and compared to the vast majority of other new cars, the safety systems such as lane departure warning aren’t that intrusive.
We have to admit that we’re not big fans of cars with all controls on a central touchscreen, because physical buttons can be quicker to use, and it’s better to have key information such as speed and satnav directions right in front of you rather than having to look to the centre of the car all the time. However the Model 3 has a more user-friendly touchscreen interface than many rivals. Climate controls are always accessible at the bottom of the screen, but not everything is perfect, for example the arrows either side of the temperature read-out for increasing or decreasing the cabin temperature are very small to press when driving (although a slider bar also pops up to change the temperature). The direction of the ventilation also needs to be changed on the screen, which isn’t as user-friendly as adjusting physical air vents.
There are some small shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen, which change depending on what apps you’ve recently used, and there’s a button you can press to bring up more apps – including toybox, arcade, theatre, karaoke and a whole load of other options…
The Model 3 features Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can drive the car for you on motorways, although from a legal point of view you need to rest your hands on the steering wheel.
Visibility out of the back of the Model 3 isn’t great; the lower half of most vehicles behind the car are blocked off by the bottom of the high rear window – you can see why Polestar scrapped the rear window in its 4 model and used a camera instead.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance has an official combined WLTP electric driving range of 328 miles (with 19-inch wheels). After a week of mixed driving, with 80% on motorways, the real-world range (with 20-inch wheels) was 306 miles.
The Model 3 Performance has a maximum ultra-rapid charging rate of 250 kW. This translates to the ability to add up to 142 miles in 15 minutes.
One of the key benefits of owning a Tesla is that Teslas are, and always have been, very easy to charge. While other EV drivers have often struggled with public charging for many years, with a Tesla, you just drive up to a Supercharger, put the charging cable into the car, and it charges. Charging is generally very fast, and there’s no messing around with cards, apps or payment. Why is it only Tesla that sorted out such a user-friendly charging system so long ago…?
The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance starts at £59,990. The Model 3 Long Range, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds, costs from £49,990. The Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive is priced from £39,990.
Prices and specifications are correct at time of review
Tesla disrupted the car industry with the all-electric Roadster, Model S and Model X. The Model 3 became a more affordable electric option, and the Model Y offered people a more practical Model 3. We now have the revised Model 3, and although it’s a case of evolution rather than Tesla’s initial revolution, important areas have been improved, such as giving the car a more premium feel, which includes better ride quality and less road noise. The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance is faster, it delivers amazing traction, and it’s a genuinely rewarding driver’s car. And Model 3 drivers can charge easily and ultra-rapidly thanks to the excellent Supercharger network.
The Model 3 Performance just misses out on full marks because, in our opinion, having pretty much all car information and controls on the touchscreen isn’t as user-friendly as some rivals with physical buttons (or even separate screens) for key controls, and a driver instrument display and a head-up display, and so the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance gains a Green Car Guide rating of 9 out of 10. However we would also note that many car buyers seemingly aren’t put off by the lack of dashboard controls, so this is obviously a matter of personal preference.
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