Tesla Model 3

Build Quality and Materials Transformation

Entering the Tesla Model 3, I saw the significant interior improvements as Tesla has always promised. The automaker has been a leader in EV range, tech, and design, which is reflected in every car that it makes. In that regard, the interior of Model 3 is a prime example of minimalist luxury, as it has a rather conventional design, high-quality materials (premium in feel), well combined with the presence of advanced technology to which it lends the cabin a futuristic look. 

The soft-touch surfaces, synthetic leather upholstery, and adjustable ambient lighting are also classic Tesla innovations, which certainly makes the car stand out, and now copied or discovered by its competitors. The luxury or the tech is not the only thing that feels upmarket, the fit and finish are excellent, and the cabin is fantastic, which demonstrates the attention to detail that Tesla puts into the build quality. 

At the cockpit, what is undeniable is the 15.4-inch touchscreen that was most certainly the biggest innovation of Tesla when the car was first launched, now feels very commonplace. It is coupled with a 8-inch rear touchscreen to make the passenger comfortable. So, you miss the presence of traditional stalks and the lack of physical buttons makes the cabin seem much different to many traditional cars, but you adjust and feel the new normal. 

Front Seat Comfort and Technology Excellence

Sitting on the driver’s seat gave a nice commanding driving position with a clear view of the road and surroundings. I am 5’8 tall and felt comfortable while cruising on the roads. The driver’s seat gets 12-way power adjustments in addition to the lumbar support that ensures personalised comfort for long drives. The front seats are also ventilated and heated to offer relief in the intense heat and the synthetic leather seats feel solid and high-quality. 

I especially like the steering yoke that offers accurate control. The ergonomic design of the seats helps alleviate fatigue, so the Model 3 is rather well-equipped to be used as a daily commuter.

Rear Seat Experience

Shifting to the second row, I found the legroom and headroom sufficient for people my height. The bench can seat up to 3 average-sized people comfortably, making this car an ideal for families or professionals. The rear seats have a fold-down armrest and heated seats, with an 8-inch rear touchscreen for climate and infotainment access to the passenger. 

ISOFIX anchors serve a nice feature for families with young children. The headliner cut out shape gives more headroom to taller occupants without sacrificing the panoramic roof experience, another clever touch that considers real world usability issues.

Storage and Practicality

Storage is not a problem with Model 3. To start with, it features a frunk space (front trunk) of up to 88 litres which can easily accommodate your shopping bags. At the rear, it has 594 litres of cargo space, sufficient enough to load 3 mid-sized suitcases along with 3 handbags. There’s also a hidden compartment in the trunk to keep your valuables safe. 

If you want more storage space, you can fold the second row. This increases the total storage capacity by around 1,200 litres. 

Inside the car, the central console includes cup holders, various charge points, and two storage compartments along with the standard glove box. The rear console also features 2 cup holders in the armrest in addition to 2 coat hangers at each side of the rear door. 

Door pockets can easily fit 1-litre bottles, while the rear passengers have dedicated map pockets to keep their mobiles, wallets handy. 

Sliding into the driver seat of the Highland refresh, which now has the latest Tesla Hardware 4 camera and processing system, I was instantly struck by both an enormous improvement in the Autopilot features and safety. The eight-camera system captures all angles with impressive clarity, a full 360-degree view that is better in resolution and has an appreciably wider field of vision than before.

Travelling on the busy streets of UAE, I was especially relieved to have such standard safety options as Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking. The system responded quickly during my test drives in heavy city traffic, which provided me with a real sense of peace of mind. Blind Spot Detection was also impressive- the visual warnings on the mirrors were clear and bright when changing lanes, which is a life-saving feature on the Emirates highways.

Lane Departure Alert and Lane Keeping Assist was intuitive and it would slightly correct the steering when I drifted out of my lane. It was not obtrusive but only to the extent that you felt supported when driving.

Dubai has some of the busiest malls and business areas to park in and the 360-degree camera system makes it very easy to navigate tricky parking situations. I could easily see all the obstacles surrounding the car- a characteristic that I would not do without in daily use. Another cool feature is that you can leave a message on the center screen if you are leaving behind your pet.

It was also cool to look at the Enhanced Autopilot option. The automatic lane changes, the smooth highway navigation, the Auto Park, and Smart Summon features added actual convenience to long trips and city errands.

To add to all that, the structural safety components are solid. The eight airbags that surround every seat, the correct ISOFIX children seat anchors, and the Tesla battery protection system make the Model 3 continue to receive the highest safety ratings in the world. 

Model 3 is a piece of art that perfectly unites the beauty of aerodynamics and the sportiness of style. This electric sedan has always attracted people from around the world and attracts respect wherever it goes.

The Model 3 is 4,720 mm long, 1,933 mm wide, and 1,431 mm high, which makes it a perfect combination of road presence and maneuverability. 

The panoramic roof is all glass and is one of the most unique design features of Tesla, flowing to the back. The massive glass canopy lights up the cabin with natural light and provides it with a light and open appearance and a connection to the outside world.

All the curves and contours of the Tesla design reflect the philosophy of the design, where the elegant design is combined with the sensible aerodynamics. The flowing lines and sculptural surfaces are not merely aesthetic characteristics, but they are also active in the making of the vehicle highly efficient and performant.

Front-End Transformation

The front-side of the Model 3 represents Tesla’s revolutionary approach towards its cars. The futuristic design of this flagship sedan is enhanced by the sharp full-width LED headlights, which is one of the distinguishing features of this vehicle compared to the rest of the traditional sedans.

Initially, I found it strange that there is no conventional front grille, but there is a reason behind such a design decision. Nevertheless, this design is most aerodynamically efficient, rather than clean, uninterrupted in appearance. This approach maximizes range in the hot climate of the UAE. 

With that said, the lower front splitter is sculpted to provide a slight sporting flair and to channel air efficiently around the car. The sleek and rounded hood adds to an outstanding drag coefficient of only 0.23, not only a smart design but also a basic energy-saving and high-velocity stability strategy. 

Elegant Side Profile

The Model 3’s side profile has clean, uninterrupted lines and a low, streamlined silhouette. I felt that every design element serves as both aesthetic and practical purposes. 

The flush-mounted door handles represent Tesla’s attention to detail as it adds to the aesthetic beauty of the car, and also minimizes aerodynamic drag. All the variants have power-folding side mirrors with turn signals.

The power-folding side mirrors including the turn signals (standard across all variants) gives this car a classy touch. On top of that, Tesla provides the Model 3 with shark-fin antenna and subtle chrome accents that keep the car modern. There are no roof rails, meaning that Tesla focuses on looks rather than cargo spaces. 

Wheel Options

The Model 3 is equipped in two wheel options that balance looks and performance. The Long Range RWD and AWD variants feature 18-inch Photon wheels with 235/45R18 tires. This configuration is known for their excellent efficiency and grip for city and highway cruising. The wheel’s aerodynamic design reduces the air drag and hence aids in the sedan's range enhancement.

Rear Design

The rear design of the Model 3 retains the futuristic and modern look of the car with well thought out details. The full-width LED tail light creates a distinctive lighting signature that is immediately recognizable and adds to the high-end appearance of the car.

A rear spoiler is integrated and low-key and enhances aerodynamic efficiency, yet retains the clean, minimalist design language of the entire car. The spoiler addition appears to be seamless and does not disrupt the aesthetic value but adds to efficiency.

The Tesla Model 3 range of 2025 has attractive choices in all driving styles and budgets in the UAE market.

Powertrain Options and Real-World Performance

I tested the Long Range AWD model that provided outstanding real-life efficiency and performance balance. The all-wheel drive system has two motors that offer assured acceleration at a standstill and an impressive overtaking ability on the Emirates highways. The torque delivery of electric drivetrains is instantaneous, so driving in the city is easy, yet thrilling when needed.

The 0-100 km/h acceleration of 3.1 seconds of the Performance variant makes it one of the fastest sedans on the UAE market, competing with much more expensive sports cars. These values were proven in the real world, with the Highland refresh providing quicker acceleration at high speeds than the predecessor thanks to better sustained power.

The Model 3 refresh has also improved one-pedal regenerative braking, providing more natural braking, which lowers driver fatigue in stop-and-go traffic. The system is effective in recapturing energy and also offers predictable braking feel which is intuitive after a short adjustment period.

In UAE testing, real-world range was always at least as high as WLTP estimates in moderate weather conditions. Under severe summer heat and constant use of air conditioning, range loss was only about 10-15%, which is enough to cover most daily driving conditions in the Emirates. How EVs Make Sense in the UAE with 5x Cheaper Operational Costs Than Petrol Cars. 

Tesla Model 3 Charging and Infrastructure

Depending on the variant, charging was possible up to 170 kW (Standard RWD) and up to 250 kW DC fast charging (Long Range/Performance variants). This implied that I would be able to charge between 20-80 percent within 15-20 minutes at Tesla Supercharger stations that are compatible. 

The Tesla Supercharger network in UAE was already quite large, with trusted charging points at large malls, hotels, and highway spots across the Emirates. The charging fee was initially free but became charged at AED 1.26 per kWh by the end of 2024 and an idle fee of AED 4 per minute at busy stations to promote turnover.

Charging at home with the 11 kW AC charger, it could be fully charged in around 4-6 hours depending on the variant, so could be charged overnight. The J1772 adapter was included to use with third-party charging networks when Tesla Superchargers were not available.

The charging experience was also smooth in my testing, and the Tesla app showed real-time availability, charging rates, and estimates of the cost of charging. The reliability and coverage of the Supercharger network in the UAE allowed long-distance travel to be practical and convenient. Here is the Cost & Installation Guide for Home EV Charging in Dubai.

I was absolutely surprised by the scale of interior tech upgrades when I recently got a chance to experience the refresh of the Tesla Model 3. The polished 15.4-inch central touchscreen was the first thing that attracted my attention not only because of its size, but also because of the speed and responsiveness of the whole system.

The touchscreen can be used to control many features like cabin heating and air conditioning, headlights, etc in addition to control media for entertainment features, and navigation.

What really impressed me was the quality of the sound system. The Long Range model has 17 powerful speakers (9 speakers in Standard Range) and two subwoofers, which can easily compete with the sound quality of the most popular audio brands and turn any drive into a concert. Remarkably, the system is also automatically adjusting depending on the number of passengers inside the cabin and whether the windows are open or closed- so you never have to worry about getting the right sound, no matter what.

The 8-inch rear infotainment also caught my eyes as rear passengers can control heated seat operations from here only. The one feature here that I found not worth it is the front co-driver seat control. If you have some notorious kids at your home, beware to sit in the front passenger seat.

I also enjoyed the voice controls, which have become natural in response to sophisticated language processing. I tried using the “Hey Tesla” feature in English and Arabic, and I can say that it was easy and precise to switch the climate settings, navigation, or entertainment hands-free.

Lastly, the ambient lighting system was another highlight. You have 17 colors to play with, and you can control the intensity and zones, so the cabin will have whatever vibe you desire, particularly when you are cruising in the UAE at night. The lighting is not only fashionable, but also really functional, with controls and storage areas being lit in a non-obtrusive yet helpful manner.

Model Lineup and Value Positioning

Standard Range RWD (AED 167,990)

• 60 kWh battery, 325 horsepower
• 491 km WLTP range, 6.1-second 0-100 km/h
• Standard features include heated/ventilated seats, premium audio, Autopilot
• 9-speaker audio system, rear touchscreen
  

Long Range AWD (AED 197,990)

• 82 kWh battery, 441 horsepower, 493 Nm torque
• 602 km WLTP range, 4.4-second 0-100 km/h
• Adds all-wheel drive, extended range, enhanced performance
• 17-speaker premium audio system with subwoofers
  

Performance AWD (AED 219,990)

• 82 kWh battery, 513 horsepower, 660 Nm torque
• 547 km WLTP range, 3.3-second 0-100 km/h
• Track-focused suspension, enhanced braking, maximum acceleration
• Sport-tuned chassis, performance tires, Track Mode

The Tesla Model 3 is the evolution of the electric sedan as a disruptive newcomer to a mature, luxury car. Tesla has methodically solved the shortcomings of the previous generations and improved the qualities that made the Model 3 an exciting concept in the first place. Its better build quality, high quality materials, greater comfort features and more sophisticated technology make it a sedan that is not afraid to take on traditional luxury models by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

It manages to make the Model 3 feel truly luxurious as opposed to just high-tech. The driving experience is a masterpiece of efficiency and performance, the charging infrastructure and the ability to update over the air offer future-proofing that conventional manufacturers cannot offer.

The Model 3 is a great value in the luxury electric sedan market to UAE consumers. Performance, technology, efficiency, and the established service network of Tesla combine to make the ownership experience better than expected in many ways.