Since its release, Model 3 has launched minor modifications every year, but there has never been a major change from the outside to the inside, so many people have become aesthetically fatigued with the appearance of Model 3.

Finally, Tesla brought the long-awaited Model 3 refresh version at the beginning of this month. Even compared to the 2022 Model 3, the refresh version has many changes.

Of course, we also know that most people may be concerned about the Model 3 refresh version has increased by 30,000 yuan, which is different from the previous media forecast of 20 Ten thousand The selling price is contrary to the reality, so many potential consumers are curious whether the new version of Model 3 is still worth buying.

Therefore, in this issue of the shopping guide, we will discuss from several dimensions whether the revamped rear-wheel drive version of Model 3 is worth buying.

Appearance: More like a sedan

Compared with the 2022 Model 3, the biggest change in appearance of the revamped Model 3 is that it becomes more like a traditional sports car.

The front and rear lights of the revamped Model 3 have been replaced with a sharper, more integrated design, which looks more aggressive and more modern, but unfortunately, it lacks the futuristic feel of the old Model 3.

If you put the old Model 3 and the new Model 3 together, the new Model 3 actually looks more like a car that other car companies have made following the trend of the old Model 3.

Although the body design of the new Model 3 is also very thoughtful, and the drag coefficient has been further optimized from 0.23 to 0.22, the result is that the Model 3 lacks the ultimate avant-garde feel.

In terms of appearance alone, the design of the Model 3 refreshed version may be more in line with the current mainstream public aesthetic than the old model, but in terms of the design itself, the Model 3 refreshed version is a somewhat boring car.

Power: Obvious reduction

Looking back at the development history of Tesla, we can actually find that the fundamental reason why Tesla was able to reverse the public's impression of electric vehicles is that the Lotus sports car modified by Tesla has burst out with high performance that electric vehicles have never had before.

This pursuit of building high-performance electric vehicles has also made high performance a unique label of the Tesla brand with the successive releases of Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y.

But what is more surprising this time is that the performance of the basic version of the Model 3 has declined significantly compared to the old Model 3. This is not because Tesla has replaced the cheaper electric motor, because both use exactly the same electric motor with a power of 194kW.

The maximum speed of the basic version of the Model 3 is only 200km/h, while the maximum speed of the old Model 3 is 225km/h. The reason for this gap is probably that Tesla adjusted the performance of the motor output through electronic speed limit.

Although the 0-100 km/h acceleration of the new Model 3 is still 6.1 seconds, the decrease in top speed will cause the second half of the acceleration of the new Model 3 to be a bit laborious and slow compared to the old model. So if you buy it with the idea of ​​buying a high-performance electric car, you will most likely be disappointed.

Battery life: Wind resistance optimization, battery life improvement

While domestic car companies have switched to 800V high-voltage platforms one after another, and the charging speed has been unprecedentedly improved, the Model 3 refresh version still uses a 400V voltage platform design. The biggest reason for this is that the Model 3 refresh version is a global model, and the supercharging network built by Tesla around the world is also 400V voltage, so the cost of using an 800V voltage platform for the Model 3 refresh version will be very high.

But to be honest, the old Model 3 rear-wheel drive version has a CLTC range of only 556km, which is indeed not enough, so the new Model 3 version has greatly enhanced its range, but the enhancement is not achieved by replacing the battery pack with a larger one. The new rear-wheel drive version still uses a 60kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.

The main reason for the increase in battery life this time is that Tesla has further reduced the drag coefficient of the vehicle from 0.23 to 0.22. At the same time, the control level of the three-electric system has also been further improved. Therefore, the battery life can be increased from the original 556km to 606km. For most consumers driving in urban areas, such a long battery life is completely sufficient, and battery anxiety is expected to be greatly alleviated.

Intelligent driving: FSD is still a long way off

Not long ago, news reported that Tesla is about to push FSD v12 autonomous driving software to all users in North America. The biggest improvement of FSD v12 is the replacement of the new neural network architecture, which allows the computer to perform real-time reasoning and verification according to the actual scenario, instead of achieving autonomous driving through radar and image scanning as before. The biggest difference is that FSD v12 can achieve full-scene autonomous driving assistance, rather than being limited to certain roads.

Since FSD v12 no longer requires radar intervention, the Model 3 revamped version is not equipped with the popular lidar, and even the previous ultrasonic radar and millimeter-wave radar have been cancelled, which may cause the reversing ranging level of the Model 3 revamped version to be somewhat backward compared to the old model.

Due to safety issues, the introduction of Tesla FSD in China is a long way off. Domestic consumers still have no hope of experiencing Tesla's FSD v12 autonomous driving in the short term. So if you value the experience of smart driving/autonomous driving, choosing the Xiaopeng G6 at the same price as the Model 3 refreshed version would be a better choice.

Interior: simpler and more extreme

Whether it is the Model 3 or the million-level Model S, Tesla's interior has always been criticized by many people. Although many people sincerely believe that Tesla's interior is perfect and the cabin does not require any comfort configuration, once they experience a better interior, it is actually difficult not to be shaken.

So a few years after its release, the interior of the old Model 3 is no longer good enough in front of a number of domestic new forces rivals. Even the seat ventilation requires third-party modification, which naturally provides a very poor experience for consumers.

Therefore, this time the new version of Model 3 has been upgraded to target the parts that consumers complain about the most. It now comes with standard seat ventilation, standard multi-color ambient lighting in the cabin, and Alcantara door panels have replaced the original suede door panels.

From the actual experience, the interior upgrade of the new Model 3 is very obvious, because these are high-frequency and visible functions used in daily life. Therefore, for consumers who are not used to the interior configuration of the old model, they can consider giving the new model a chance and go for a test drive to experience it themselves.

However, what is more outrageous is that the new version of Model 3 has cancelled the hand gear shift and steering lever. The former is integrated into the central control screen. There are also physical touch buttons on the rearview mirror, and the latter is integrated into the steering wheel. It is completely different from the design of other models on the market, which is a challenge to users' driving habits. As for what results such a radical change will bring, let us wait and see.

Purchase suggestions

In general, the Model 3 refreshed version, currently priced at 259,900 yuan, is very uncompetitive in the Chinese market. Although it has obvious progress and improvements compared to the 2022 model, facing strong domestic competitors, the refreshed version does not have much competitive advantage at this price.

Whether it is power, battery life, or autonomous driving and interior, the Model 3 Renewal Edition has many rivals that are far superior to its own strength, such as Xiaopeng G6, Zeekr 001 and NIO ET5. So from an objective point of view, now would be a good time to pre-order the Model 3 Renewal Edition, because a full refund can be made during the pre-sale period. In order to respond to the offensive of Xiaopeng, Zeekr and NIO, Tesla will most likely reduce the price before the Model 3 Renewal Edition is officially launched, and then you can grab the car first at the reduced price.

However, if Tesla does not lower the price, then it is not worth spending 259,900 yuan to buy the new version of Model 3. You can consider other models or continue to hold on to your money and wait and see.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.