2024 Tesla Model 3 electric car facelift unveiled, due in Australia next year

The world’s best-selling electric sedan has just received its most comprehensive update – with more driving range and a new look – since it arrived in US showrooms six years ago.

The facelifted 2024 Tesla Model 3 electric car has been revealed – after months of reports, spy photos and leaked images – ahead of first Australian deliveries early next year.

It is the most significant update to the Tesla Model 3 – the company’s all-time best seller in Australia – since it arrived in US showrooms in 2017, and in Australia in 2019.

The update brings a refreshed look, upgraded interior with new seats and trims, and increased driving range for all models.

Prices have risen across the range – with the entry-level rear-wheel-drive model now priced from $61,900 plus on-road costs, up from $61,300 previously, and the Long Range from $71,900 plus on-roads, up $1500.

Orders are open now on the Tesla Australia website ahead of first deliveries due between January and March 2024, pending any delays.

There are two models in the updated Tesla Model 3 line-up: the base Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and all-wheel-drive Long Range AWD.

There is no mention of the flagship all-wheel-drive Performance in the launch materials; it is unclear if it has been axed, or will return at a later date.

Driving range has been lifted across the board due to improved aerodynamics, and a reduction in the drag coefficient from 0.23Cd to 0.219Cd, making it one of the world’s most aerodynamically-efficient production cars – reportedly contributing to energy efficiency of just 13.2kWh/100km for the base model.

The Tesla Australia website lists claims driving range has increased from 491km to 513km, and the Long Range from 602km to 629km. The outgoing Performance quoted 547km.

Interestingly, these Australian figures apply to versions with 18-inch and 19-inch wheels – whereas in Europe they are applicable only to 19-inch wheeled versions. In Europe Tesla claims 554km for the RWD, and 678km for the Long Range with 18-inch alloys.

Acceleration is unchanged, with zero to 100km/h still covered in a claimed 6.1 seconds for the RWD and 4.4 seconds for the Long Range. Top speed has dropped to 201km/h for both models, compared to 225km/h for the old RWD, and 233km/h for the old Long Range.

Tesla does not quote battery sizes or power outputs. There does not appear to be any change to the batteries.

Model 3 RWD with 18-inch wheels.

Exterior changes for the Model 3 are considerable, led by a new front end with slimmer matrix LED headlights inspired by the Roadster sports-car concept, and a simpler front bumper with a reshaped air intake.

There are new 18-inch Photon and 19-inch Nova alloy wheel designs, and the rear end has been revised with lower-profile LED tail-lights – which adopt a ‘C’ shape – plus a restyled lower bumper with a Model S-like diffuser insert.

There are two new colours, Ultra Red and Stealth Grey. The updated model is about 25mm longer bumper to bumper than its predecessor.

According to reports, Tesla quotes a 30 per cent reduction in wind noise, 25 per cent reduction in suspension noise, and 20 per cent reduction in road noise thanks to acoustic glass on the rear windows (in addition to the front windows and windscreen, as fitted before), and more sound insulation.

Tesla has also reportedly reworked the suspension with new springs and dampers, which are said to combine with new tyres for a softer ride.

The Model 3 is believed to have upgraded to newer driver-assistance cameras of a higher quality, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Photo via Twitter.

Inside, the landscape infotainment touchscreen now measures 15.4 inches, up from 15.0 – with Tesla-designed software without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – and there is no instrument cluster or speed readout directly ahead of the driver.

The screen is said to be brighter, with slimmer bezels.

The gear selector stalk has been ditched in favour of a slider on the touchscreen for switching between Drive, Reverse and Park – and the indicator controls have moved from a stalk, to touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel.

Photo via Twitter.

Elsewhere inside the changes are significant, with new-design front seats trimmed in synthetic leather-look upholstery, and fitted with power adjustment, heating and, for the first time, cooling.

There are new designs for the dashboard, centre console and door cards, and ambient multi-colour lighting is now built into the dashboard and doors.

Long Range models are now fitted with 17 speakers – three more than before – plus two subwoofers and two amplifiers, while the RWD has nine speakers and one amplifier.

Photo via Twitter.

Rear-seat passengers are now treated to a touchscreen in the back of the front centre console, akin to the larger Model S sedan.

Buyers can continue to choose from black or white upholstery, but the new dashboard means the faux wood trim inside versions with black seats has been dropped in favour of fabric dashboard trim.

First Australian deliveries of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 are due in early 2024, with production in China already underway for left-hand-drive markets.

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Kia EV6 production halted after factory fire – report

A major fire in the paint shop of a Kia factory has forced the production of the EV6 electric car to be suspended for more than a week.

The aftermath of a fire at the Kia EV6 factory. Credit: The Korean Car Blog.

One of Kia’s eight South Korean factories will remain closed until the second week of September due to a fire.

The Kia plant is responsible for manufacturing the electric EV6, though it’s understood the fire was caused by a spark from the cabling of a robot in the paint shop, Yonhap News Agency reports.

The facility’s automatic fire suppression system came into effect, before Kia’s own fire brigade arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire after 40 minutes, according to multiple reports.

There have been no injuries reported, however all eight paint robots were damaged in the incident.

Management and worker representatives agreed to suspend all plant operations until 7 September, as the company works to quickly restore its paint shop.

It’s not known exactly how many EV6s are produced each month, but it’s estimated the delay will affect approximately 2500 vehicles.

As reported by Drive in June 2023, Kia Australia was able to increase its local allocation of EV6 vehicles, reducing waiting times for customers to around three to four months.

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2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric hot hatch price announced for Australia

The first electric Hyundai N performance car is the South Korean company’s most expensive model ever – and more than twice the price of a Hyundai i30 N hot hatch.

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric ‘hot hatch’ will become the most expensive car ever to wear the Hyundai badge in Australia when pre-orders open this month.

The Ioniq 5 N will be priced from $111,000 plus on-road costs – $31,500 more than the regular Ioniq 5 Techniq all-wheel drive on which it is based.

It is comfortably the most expensive Hyundai sold in Australia – beating the Ioniq 6 Epiq electric sedan ($88,000 plus on-roads) – and is more than double the price of a top-of-the-range Hyundai i30 N petrol hot hatch ($53,700 plus on-roads).

Estimated to cost close to $120,000 drive-away – depending on where it is registered – the Ioniq 5 N is also significantly more expensive than its Kia EV6 GT relative under the skin, which lists for $99,590 plus on-road costs.

MORE: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric hot hatch unveiled, due in Australia next year

While the price is the highest of any Hyundai, the Ioniq 5 N is also the largest (400mm longer than an i30 N hatch nose-to-tail), most powerful, quickest-accelerating, and heaviest vehicle ever sold by the Hyundai N high-performance division.

Hyundai Australia has announced an “online pre-sale” for the first Ioniq 5 N examples due in Australia between January and March 2024, scheduled for 15 September 2023.

For 12 hours from 12:00pm AEST to midnight on 15 September, buyers will be able to configure their chosen specification and place a $2000 deposit to secure their place in the queue.

Options are limited to a panoramic ‘Vision Roof’ for $2000, and matte paint for $1000 – while customers who order in the pre-sale will receive “a special gift package” valued at $1000, including two Hyundai N-branded Pelican hard cases, a torch, and “additional N merchandise”.

A full list of standard equipment will be published closer to launch.

Available colours will include Performance Blue Matte, Performance Blue, Abyss Black, Cyber Gray, Ecotronic Gray, Atlas White Matte, Atlas White, Gravity Gold Matte and Soultronic Orange.

Hyundai Australia says the September 15 pre-sale – intended to coincide with the so-called “N Birthday”, the day the Hyundai N division was announced at the Frankfurt motor show in 2015 – will be the only opportunity to pre-order the Ioniq 5 N before launch.

“Vehicles will be built to order in each customer’s chosen combination of option(s) and exterior colour – there is no pre-configured specification for Ioniq 5 N,” Hyundai Australia says in its media release.

The first shipments of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N are due in Australia in the first quarter of 2024 (January to March), pending any delays.

It is powered by dual electric motors developing 478kW and 770Nm in N Grin Boost mode, good for a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.4 seconds.

While it is based on the same technical framework as the Kia EV6 GT, a series of upgrades – including a larger 84kWh battery with newer chemistry, upgraded battery cooling, and improved brakes – are claimed to make it capable of sustained driving on a race track without overheating or a degradation in power.

For all the details on the new model, click here to read our story published at the car’s unveiling at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2023.

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is due to make its Australian public debut at the World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, with a series of demonstration laps driven by famed drift and racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya, who is nicknamed the “Drift King”.

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Jaguar electric-car reboot to include flagship super sedan by 2025 – report

An electric version of Jaguar’s flagship XJ sedan was axed at the eleventh hour two years ago – but now overseas reports claim the car-maker is interested in a battery-powered rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class once again.

Plans by British car-maker Jaguar to target Bentley with a new range of high-priced electric cars – intended to save the company from extinction globally – will reportedly include a four-seat electric luxury sedan to succeed its iconic XJ.

As previously reported by Drive, the ‘reboot’ of the Jaguar brand – due to commence next year – will spawn three new electric vehicles planned to rival Bentley and Porsche, after it failed to gain traction in pursuit of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Now UK publication Autocar claims one of the vehicles will be a full-size flagship sedan planned as an indirect successor to the XJ – alongside a sportier Porsche Taycan sports-sedan rival, and a luxury SUV.

While Jaguar had been working on an electric XJ as recently as late-2020, the project was canned in February 2021, just months before it was expected to be revealed – ending the nameplate’s 51-year history.

The vehicle was deemed out of step with Jaguar’s new Bentley-rivalling strategy – as it had been developed as a Mercedes-Benz EQS and BMW i7 electric sedan rival – and would have felt out of place in showrooms alongside the next-generation model range, according to executives at the time.

2019 Jaguar XJ

According to Autocar, sources close to Jaguar told the publication three models will be based on the company’s upcoming, ground-up JEA electric-car platform – a luxury SUV (one of which will rival the Bentley Bentayga), a “four-seat GT [sports sedan or SUV]”, and “an imposing limousine conceived in the mould of the XJ”.

The Jaguar insider also claims the electric super sedan will be all-wheel drive and have “no less than” 335kW, allowing for a 0-100km/h sprint time between 3.0 and 3.8 seconds.

A price between £100,000 and £125,000 ($AU195,000 to $AU250,000) has been suggested, though these claims are, for now, unsubstantiated.

As a part of Jaguar’s brand image reinvention – which will see the car-maker’s role restructured within the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) group – the upcoming electric cars will reportedly ditch the traditional leaping cat logo of old, instead adopting cleaner J-A-G-U-A-R lettering.

Autocar reports the as-yet unnamed electric sedan could go into production within two years, though it says it will not be the first model in Jaguar’s next-generation model range, which is due to commence next year with the four-door ‘GT’ sports sedan.

All generations of the Jaguar XJ

The move to the new range of higher-priced electric vehicles will spell the end for all current Jaguar vehicles – including the I-Pace electric SUV.

“When we launch our new JEA platform, the change from today on Jaguar is very dramatic,” JLR CEO Adrian Mardell told Autocar. “We don’t want older-looking cars and newer-looking cars.”

Throughout 2022, Jaguar sold 61,661 vehicles globally – down 28.5 per cent on 2021, 40 per cent on 2020 and 66 per cent down on its record of 180,833 sales in 2018.

Jaguar’s sales split within JLR compared to Land Rover has also fallen in recent years, standing at just 19 per cent in 2022 – albeit as production of more profitable Land Rover Defender, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs has been prioritised.

In Australia, Jaguar sales have slumped from 2274 vehicles in 2019 to 700 vehicles in 2022 – a drop of 69 per cent.

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Lotus Emeya electric car: Porsche Taycan rival to be unveiled next week

The first four-door sedan from UK sports-car specialist Lotus since the 1990s will be unveiled next week, with battery power and a focus on the Porsche Taycan.

The Porsche Taycan rival from British sports-car maker Lotus will be known as the 2024 Lotus Emeya when it is unveiled on 7 September, European time.

Known during development under the codename Type 133 – and previously mooted to wear the Envya or Etude names – the Emeya will be the company’s third electric car, following the Eletre large SUV and Evija hypercar.

A rival for the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT, the new Emeya will be the first Lotus sedan since it applied its badge and twin-turbo V6 power to the Vauxhall Carlton (or Opel Omega), a distant relative of the Holden VN Commodore, in the 1990s.

While Lotus and Volvo’s electric-car spin-off Polestar are both owned by Chinese car giant Geely, the Emeya is not expected to share its underpinnings with the similarly-sized Polestar 5 electric sedan due next year.

Instead, the Emeya will be underpinned by the UK specialist’s Electric Premium Architecture, as used under the Eletre SUV.

The Eletre provides features including adjustable air suspension, active anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering, and a limited-slip differential on the rear axle.

If it borrows mechanicals from the Eletre, the Emeya could utilise a 112kWh battery pack and two electric motors capable of up to 665kW, linked as part of an 800-volt electrical system good for rapid charging at up to 350kW.

As previously seen in spy photos, the Emeya features a coupe-inspired four-door body, akin to the Porsche Panamera and Audi A5 Sportback.

The Emeya is expected to borrow heavily from the Eletre’s screen-heavy interior, as well as lidar and high-resolution camera systems for semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

More details are due at the 2024 Lotus Emeya’s official unveiling on September 7, European time.

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How to pay off your car loan faster

Paying off your car loan sooner rather than later can save you thousands of dollars in interest repayments.

Being lumped with a car repayment amid a cost-of-living crisis isn’t exactly an ideal situation.

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Unfortunately, it’s a reality for many Australians. For a secured car loan, market interest rates are currently hovering between eight and 11 per cent. Ouch.

Here are some ways you can knock off a car loan faster, which can save you on interest repayments.

Ensure you won’t face a penalty 

Before you change anything, know that some loan contracts include harsh penalties for paying your car loan out faster.

“These can add up pretty quickly, and they are a clause of the contract you need to understand when signing on the dotted line,” warns financial advisor Brenton Tong, of Financial Spectrum.

When you pay your loan out early, any outstanding interest wouldn’t be payable, so if you break that contract the lender recovers the costs by charging an early exit fee. These fees vary significantly. 

Don’t be turned off. It still could be worthwhile to know that the loan has been knocked over and that you’ll save on interest payments. 

Increase your payment frequency

If your direct debit for your car loan is monthly, you’re making 12 repayments a year.

But if you shift to paying off the car loan fortnightly or weekly, you’re actually bumping up the number of repayments you’re making over the course of the year. 

“It’s an easy way to pay a little more without really realising it, and will help you save on interest,” car loan expert Julian Finch, of Finch Financial, says.  

Also, make sure you line up the payments to come out of your account as close to the day that you receive your salary as you can.

“That way you always know the funds for the car loan will be in your account,” Finch says.

Change the loan terms

Depending on your lender, you may be able to change the terms of your agreement.

A typical car loan is five years, but consider reducing the loan term to 36 or 48 months, which will cost you more in terms of the repayments, but it’s saving you 12 months’ worth of interest.

Refinance the loan

If you’ve got a little equity in your home loan, consider refinancing and rolling your car loan over into your home loan so you can pay off your car in full. Home loans usually carry a lower interest rate than car loans, so you could be saving right away.

But check your calculations carefully. This can be a false economy because if you take a three-year loan and stretch it over a 30-year home loan, the repayments are going to take longer to make, and you’ll be making more of them, warns Mr Tong.

“You might be paying slightly less interest, but over a 30-year time frame it will mean that you’re going to be paying a hell of a lot more back,” Mr Tong says. 

The trick when refinancing is to incorporate your car repayment into your home loan repayment.

For example, if your car loan repayment is $700 a month, once you’ve rolled your car repayment over to your home loan, your minimum payments might go from $2500 to $2510 a month, Mr Tong explains.

“But don’t just pay the minimum. Make sure you increase your home loan repayment by the $700 you’re saving on the car loan, so that you end up paying off the extra on your home loan in a shorter time,” Mr Tong says.

“That way you’re genuinely getting a benefit that also provides you with some flexibility so you can drop down to minimum repayments for a period of time if you need to,” Mr Tong says. 

Round up the payment

If you can afford to, consider rounding up your regular repayment amount, which is a guaranteed way to knock over the loan faster.

If your loan is $439 a month, consider rounding up to a whole number, such as $500 a month.

Adding $61 a month on top of your repayment means you’ll be paying an additional $732 a year off your car loan.

Make extra payments when you can

This is simple. If you come into a decent chunk of change like a tax refund at the end of the financial year, put it straight onto your car loan.

You might even be able to sell that bicycle lying around your home and pay that cash onto your car loan.

Use your car to make extra cash

If you have a little extra time, you may want to use your car to earn a little extra income. There are plenty of platforms that allow you to rent your car out to others when you’re not using it.

You could do deliveries in your car, or join a ridesharing service and work in your free time.

Just be wary that manufacturers typically have different warranty terms for cars used for ride-sharing or delivery purposes, so read the fine print to familiarise yourself with your coverage.

Get pre-approved

If you haven’t actually got your car loan yet, make sure you get pre-approved before you step foot into a car yard.

“You don’t want to have already picked out the car of your dreams when you’re talking loan agreements. Instead, get your finances pre-approved so you’re making a more calculated decision when you’re shopping for a car,” Finch says.

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2024 Volkswagen Passat unveiled as wagon only, not coming to Australia

The new Volkswagen Passat unveiled in Europe today – with a bigger body, new technology, and plug-in hybrid tech with up to 100km of claimed electric driving range – will not come to Australia.

The next-generation 2024 Volkswagen Passat has been unveiled – ahead of the nameplate’s 50th birthday – but it will not come to Australia.

The new Passat will be sold only as a wagon – after the sedan body style was killed late in the life of the previous model – with a more contemporary design, higher-tech interior, and updated engines with hybrid technology.

However an Australian launch is not planned, as Volkswagen streamlines its range to focus on stronger-selling hatchbacks and SUVs – in preparation for its new range of electric vehicles.

The spirit of the Passat will live on in Australia in the next Skoda Superb – due here at the end of next year – which will be more closely related to the Passat than ever before.

MORE: Volkswagen Passat axed in Australia, new model not coming here

While previous generations of the Passat and Superb have been relatives – but with completely unique bodyworks, and a larger footprint in the Skoda – the new models will share their dimensions and body shell, but carry different front and rear fascias, and interiors.

Compared to its predecessor, the new Passat wagon is 144mm longer (4917mm), 20mm wider (1852mm), 7mm taller (1482mm), and 50mm longer between the wheels (2841mm wheelbase).

Although they are significant increases for the Volkswagen, the new Skoda Superb will only be 40mm longer (4902mm) and 5mm taller (1482mm) – due to the shared body shell – with an unchanged wheelbase, and a 15mm-narrower body.

MORE: New Skoda Superb to be a Volkswagen Passat clone

The Passat’s styling draws from other new Volkswagen models – including the latest Golf and upcoming, next-generation Tiguan – with a sharp shoulder line, matrix LED headlights (said to be brighter than before), and an LED tail-light bar with 3D elements.

An R-Line sports package remains available with unique front and rear bumpers, and alloy wheels up to 19 inches in diameter.

The new wagon claims a drag coefficient of 0.25 – considerably better than the old model’s 0.31 – for improved fuel economy, aided by air curtains in the bumper to channel air into the brakes.

Inside, there is a choice of 12.9 or 15-inch infotainment touchscreens – up from 8.0 or 9.2 inches today – mounted in a tablet style oriented towards the driver.

While it runs Volkswagen’s latest software – with shortcuts for the air-conditioning controls always kept at the bottom of the screen – the controversial touch-sensitive sliders below the screen are not illuminated for use at night, unlike the VW ID.7 electric car.

The steering wheel is equipped with physical switches, not touch-sensitive buttons – making good on a promise by VW boss Thomas Schafer – placed in front of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

The gear selector has been moved to a stalk on the right side of the steering column to save space in the centre console, with indicator and wiper functions now merged into the left steering column stalk.

Included in the screen is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, satellite navigation, and a Car2X system that connects to traffic lights and road infrastructure in Europe.

Boot space is quoted as 690 litres with the rear seats up (measured to the top of the backrests), or 1920 litres with the seats folded – up 40 and 140 litres respectively compared to the outgoing model.

Available features include a head-up display that projects on the windscreen, 45-watt USB-C charging ports, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a power tailgate with kick sensor, and ambient interior lighting.

The seats on regular versions are available with 14-way power adjustment, heating, cooling, massaging and four-way power lumbar – trimmed in suede or leather, depending on model – while R-Line models gain single-piece sports seats.

Volkswagen claims there is 50mm more rear-seat legroom compared to the outgoing model, plus softer interior materials, more sound insulation, double-glazed side windows, and an acoustic film on the windscreen.

Available advanced safety technology includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-centring assist (Travel Assist), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, hands-free parking, and automatic high beams.

Powering the new Passat is a range of petrol and diesel engines, plus a pair of plug-in hybrids with up to 100km of electric driving range.

Petrol models include a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 110kW and front-wheel drive, a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder with 150kW and front-wheel drive, and a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder with 195kW and all-wheel drive.

Meanwhile there is a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine available in 90kW front-wheel-drive, 110kW front-wheel-drive and 142kW all-wheel-drive tunes.

All regular petrol and diesel engines are matched with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions, while the 1.5-litre petrol engine has mild-hybrid assistance.

Plug-in hybrids combine a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a 19.7kWh battery, electric motor, six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive, for combined power outputs of 150kW or 200kW, depending on model.

The outgoing Passat plug-in hybrid (PHEV) combined a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with an electric motor and 10.6kWh battery for 180kW combined.

Volkswagen claims up to 100km of electric driving range, or up to 1000km with the petrol engine on and 45-litre fuel tank filled. The Passat PHEV can now replenish its battery at up to 50kW at a DC fast-charging station, or 11kW AC on a home wallbox (vs 3.6kW previously).

Under the skin the new Passat sits on an updated version of its predecessor’s ‘MQB’ architecture, shared with the Golf and other new Volkswagens.

The German car giant highlights new-generation adaptive suspension technology – which it claims delivers sharper handling – plus reworked suspension, a new steering system, and Vehicle Dynamics Manager software for managing power delivery and vehicle systems.

The 2024 Volkswagen Passat wagon is due in European showrooms in the first quarter of 2024 (January to March). An Australian launch is not planned.

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