Tesla Model 3: Malaysia launch happening this month, deliveries by end of this year (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — The latest Tesla Model 3 ’Highland’ is making its debut in Malaysia this month. This was revealed by Tesla Regional Director Isabel Fan during the launch of the Tesla Centre in Cyberjaya.
Deliveries for the latest fully electric sedan are set to begin in Malaysia by the end of this year and Tesla is making sure that its service centre will be ready by then.
Tesla Model 3 making its official debut in Malaysia in October
As revealed last month, Malaysia is among the first countries to get the upgraded Tesla Model 3 and it is already open for bookings with a non-refundable RM1,000 order fee. Priced from RM189,000, the Model 3 sedan starts at RM10,000 lower than the bigger Tesla Model Y.
The Tesla Centre at Cyberjaya is not only an office but also serves as a retail experience, service, delivery and after-sales support centre. If you’ve already secured your Model 3 or Model Y, this would be the venue to pick up your new EV.
Tesla Malaysia has yet to provide the exact dates of the Model 3 launch but we reckon that the newly upgraded electric sedan would be showcased to the public similar to the Tesla Model Y. Tesla is also opening a showroom at Pavilion Damansara Heights which could be a possible location for customers to view the new Model 3.
Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ Malaysia price and options
To recap, the Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ is officially priced as follows in Malaysia:
• Tesla Model 3 RWD – RM189,000
• Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range – RM218,000
The above base price excludes other costs such as delivery and administration, number plate and other applicable registration fees. The base Model 3 RWD provides a WLTP-rated range of 513km on a single charge and it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds. Meanwhile, the twin-motor Model 3 Long Range with a bigger battery boasts a whopping 629km of range and a quicker 0-100km/h time of just 4.4 seconds. The Model 3 Long Range is currently the cheapest EV in Malaysia that offers over 600km of range on a single charge.
Similar to the Model Y, the base white colour option is free but you’ll have to pay more for other colours. Here’s how much it costs to change to other colours:
• Solid Black – RM5,000
• Deep Blue Metallic – RM5,000
• Stealth Grey – RM7,500
• Ultra Red – RM11,000
In addition, you can also upgrade the interior from all-black to black & white for RM5,000 and you can also upgrade the wheels from standard 18″ Photon to 19″ Nova wheels for an additional RM7,500. In the advanced safety tech department, basic auto pilot is included as standard. If you want to upgrade, the Enhanced Auto Pilot option costs RM16,000 while the Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability costs RM32,000.
Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ new upgrades
The new Model 3 gets a couple of notable upgrades which include a refreshed front and rear design which looks sleeker than the pre-facelifted model. The new car claims to be more aerodynamic with a lower drag coefficient of 0.219 and this translates to more range on a single charge. On the inside, the Model 3 gets newer seats which are also ventilated for front occupants. There’s now a secondary screen for rear occupants to adjust the air conditioning and stream video content.
For a more upmarket look, the interior finally gets ambient lighting and Tesla has also upgraded the audio system with a new 17-speaker setup which includes two subwoofers and two amps for the Long Range variant. However, the base RWD model only gets 9-speakers.
The most controversial change on the new Model 3 ‘Highland’ is the lack of stalks for the signal indicator and gear selector. This means you’ll have to push buttons on the steering wheel to indicate left or right, while the drive selection for park, reverse, neutral and drive is operated by swiping the touch screen. In case the touch-screen doesn’t work, Tesla has fitted backup P-R-N-D buttons on the ceiling where the hazard lights are located. — SoyaCincau
