What’s in a name? Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are now Premium, but don’t read too much into it
Tesla has renamed the entry variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in Australia and New Zealand as part of a global move to standardise how its vehicles are badged around the world.
From February 3, the cars previously known locally as Rear-Wheel Drive versions of the Model 3 and Model Y are now called Premium Rear-Wheel Drive.
The change applies to all new vehicles sold from this date and is purely a naming update, with no changes to pricing or specification.
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The move aligns Australia with Tesla’s worldwide naming structure and also creates space in the range for a lower-cost ‘Standard’ model (Model 3 Standard pictured top) that has been introduced in other markets but is apparently not planned for Australia.
Under the revised structure, the Australian Model 3 and Model Y line-ups now read as follows:
Model 3
- Premium Rear-Wheel Drive (formerly Rear-Wheel Drive) – $54,900
- Premium Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (formerly Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive) – $61,900
- Performance All-Wheel Drive – $80,900
Model Y
- Premium Rear-Wheel Drive (formerly Rear-Wheel Drive) – $58,900
- Premium Long Range All-Wheel Drive (formerly Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive) – $68,900
- Performance All-Wheel Drive – $89,400
*All pricing plus on-road costs
Tesla says the change is part of a broader effort to create consistency across its global model range as new variants are introduced in different regions.
While the names have changed, Tesla emphasises that the vehicles themselves remain unchanged, including their pricing, equipment levels and warranty coverage.
All Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Australia continue to be covered by a new five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty for private use, alongside battery and drive unit warranties of either eight years/160,000km or eight years/192,000km depending on variant.
