The arrival of American electric carmaker Tesla is a long-awaited one. The brand and the aura of Elon Musk has made the automaker larger than life and quite desirable too. Earlier this year, we told you that Tesla is looking to set up shop in India and even finalised its first dealerships that would be located in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the corporate office would be located in Mumbai. The automaker seems to be closer to beginning operations in the country and the Tesla Model 3 was recently spied too, further cementing this claim.
Spotted testing on the street of Pune, the Tesla Model 3 on test is the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version. In fact, the three Model 3s have come to India for testing, validation and homologation requirement. The Model 3 is the brand’s most affordable offering and borrows cues from the Model Y in the company’s line-up. It’s also packs LED headlights and taillights, sharp character lines blending with the curvaceous face now common with most Tesla models. The electric sedan rides on 18-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the Tesla Model 3 is loaded with features with the clutter-free dashboard packing the 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The unit comes with over-the-updates, while the front seats get 12-way electrical adjustability, 14-speaker audio system, tinted sunroof and more. Internationally, the sedan gets Tesla’s AutoPilot feature and the Ludicrous mode. It needs to be seen if these features will make it to the India-spec model. And if not what will the pricing be.
The Tesla Model 3 is offered in three versions – Standard Plus, Long Range and Performance. The Standard Plus sends power only to the rear wheels and drives up to 423km on a single charge. The Long Range, as the name suggests packs a bigger battery with dual motors and a range of 568km. The Model 3 Performance offers a range of 507km, while 0-100kmph comes up in just over 3 seconds.
There’s no word on the launch date yet and it won’t be surprising to learn that the launch plans have been pushed forward owing to the pandemic. However, we do think Tesla will make its India entry this year itself, possibly around the festive season. That’s great by marketing standards, and the automaker will be able to reach out to potential buyers more actively. Expected to priced between Rs. 55-60 lakh (ex-showroom), the Tesla Model 3 will be a CBU and take on the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Volvo S990 and the likes.
