So far, every video review we’ve seen of the Model 3 paints the picture of a phenomenal car, but European press has still to get a go in the most hyped EV of the year. Actually, scratch that – Autocar just posted their first driving impressions of the entry-level Tesla.
Instead of waiting for the Palo Alto-based automaker to launch the Model 3 in Europe (and, for the UK, put the steering wheel on the other side of the dashboard), the British magazine flew over to the US in order to see if all the hype is real.
The biggest issue with the Model 3 right now is mostly production-related, as Tesla is struggling to raise the output in order to satisfy the hundreds of thousands of customers that placed an early order.
As Tesla’s first try in the mainstream car market, the Model 3 remains an impressive achievement and perhaps the most credible electric vehicle right now. It has a pretty long range (310 miles/500 km according to the EPA) and the sort of performance (0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds) that makes good headlines and puts a smile on the driver’s face.
Whether you like the simplicity of its interior or not, you must admit that the move to give such an uncluttered cabin was a bold one. Everything is operated via the big touchscreen display on the center of the dashboard, which raises a few questions concerning ergonomics, but the interface and the responses of the system are deemed near excellent.
The biggest question however remains: is the Tesla Model 3 as good to drive as the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class? Let’s see what they have to say about it in the following video.