Bhisma Nambiar
A whopping 460 hp (338 kW), with a 0-100 in 3.1s and 528 km range
The Tesla Model 3 Highland was launched some time ago, with only two variants made available to the public: the standard-range rear-wheel drive and the long-range dual motor all-wheel drive.
Finally, the Tesla Model 3 Performance has been introduced in Malaysia. Starting at RM 242k, we believe it offers the best performance-to-price ratio in the market currently, also known as “bang for your buck”. More on this later!
The 460hp (yes, we do not get the 510 hp version since that is made by the Tesla Fremont Factory) Performance has dual motors, one on each axle and is made in Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai. The unit we receive has a similar output to that of Europe.
Even with 460hp, it’s plenty ‘quick’ for the Tesla with a 0-100 time of just 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 262 km/h, which is less quick compared to the 2.9 seconds done by its Fremont sibling. Oh well. So why did i say best bang for you buck when the BYD Seal 3.8s exists? Well apart from performance, (and Tesla’s ‘eccentricities’ like the no stocks, gear level, etc) the Tesla is both quicker to move and quicker to charge. Something the BYD lacks even with its 800V (600V-ish in reality) architecture. How quick?
| Car | AC Charging (kW) | AC Charging Time (hours) | DC Fast Charging (kW) | DC Fast Charging Time (10-80%, minutes) |
| Tesla Model 3 Performance | 11 | 8 | 250 | 22 |
| BYD Seal | 7 | 12 | 150 | 34 |
All these added power does come at a cost. Range. It is a tad shorter than the Long Range variant, which is rated at 528 km (WLTP) compared to 629 km on the Long Range and a tad more at 513 km (WLTP) compared to the Rear Wheel Drive variant.
The Performance only comes with the 20-inch Warp forged performance wheels and black interior as standard, you can add on the white interior for a cool RM 5000. Besides that, there is a new adaptive damping system which means a sportier drive. It also gets larger brake rotors, callipers and performance brake pads.
The exterior has a different front and rear design, with a rear diffuser and carbon fibre spoiler and for some reason, even the dimensions are different with the performance being (W x L X H) 2089mm x 4724mm x 1431mm vs 2089mm x 4720mm x 1441mm. A sleeker top and butt!
The interior gets a rather good looking ventilated sports seats and some carbon fibre in a weave pattern on the dash. Like the other Tesla’s, the car still comes with a screen at the back. The Model 3 Performance can be obtained for a RM1,000 booking fee and expect a Q2 2024 delivery.
