2026 Tesla Model 3 Price and Specs: Cheaper RWD Starts From $45,900
Tesla Model 3 RWD arrives in Australia from $45,900 before on-road costs, with 572km WLTP range and mid-October deliveries.
Tesla has added a cheaper Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive variant in Australia and New Zealand, priced from A$45,900 and NZ$54,900 before on-road costs.
The configurator goes live on Thursday 1 October 2026, with first customer deliveries commencing from mid-October in Australia and late November in New Zealand.
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The new variant becomes the entry point to the Model 3 range, sitting below the Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive, Premium Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive and Performance All-Wheel Drive.
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available on the new Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive as a monthly subscription priced at A$149 in Australia and NZ$159 in New Zealand.
"Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive is the most affordable way for Australians and New Zealanders to own a Tesla, and the most accessible way to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised)," said Thom Drew, Country Director, Australia & New Zealand at Tesla.
Tesla lists up to 572km of WLTP range and a 0-100km/h time of 6.2 seconds for the new Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive.
The variant shares Model 3 design elements with Premium trims, including a panoramic glass roof and front bumper camera.
It uses flat-woven textile and vegan leather seats, with heated and electrically adjustable front seats.
The rear cabin includes air vents and two USB-C ports, while the rear passenger touchscreen has been omitted.
Cargo capacity is listed at 682 litres across the boot and frunk, expanding to 1659 litres with the rear seats folded.
Standard technology includes a 16-inch first-row touchscreen, Tesla Audio with seven speakers, three USB-C ports, front wireless phone charging and footwell ambient lighting.
Power Share capability is included, allowing the vehicle battery to power devices and appliances when used with the Tesla Outlet Adapter, which is sold separately.
The new Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive carries a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, blind-spot monitoring and a live blind-spot camera feed on the touchscreen when the indicator is selected.
Warranty coverage matches the Model 3 and Model Y terms recently introduced in Australia, with five years of unlimited-kilometre basic vehicle coverage and eight years or 160,000km for the battery and drive unit.
Tesla says Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive will be on display and available for test drives in Tesla showrooms from mid-to-late October.
2026 Tesla Model 3 Pricing
Prices are manufacturer recommended retail prices and exclude on-road costs.
The new Rear-Wheel Drive variant lowers the Australian starting price of the Model 3 range by A$9000 compared with the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive.
| Grade | Drivetrain | Australia MRRP | New Zealand MRRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive | Rear-wheel drive | A$45,900 | NZ$54,900 |
| Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive | Rear-wheel drive | A$54,900 | NZ$63,900 |
| Model 3 Premium Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive | Rear-wheel drive | A$61,900 | NZ$71,900 |
| Model 3 Performance All-Wheel Drive | All-wheel drive | A$80,900 | NZ$86,900 |
2026 Tesla Model 3 Specifications
Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive
- New entry variant in the Model 3 range
- Rear-wheel drive
- Up to 572km WLTP range
- 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds
- 682 litres of combined boot and frunk capacity
- 1659 litres of cargo capacity with the rear seats folded
- Flat-woven textile and vegan leather seats
- Heated, electrically adjustable front seats
- Driver memory settings saved to phone key profile
- Rear air vents and two rear USB-C ports
- Rear passenger touchscreen omitted
- 16-inch first-row touchscreen
- Tesla Audio system with seven speakers
- Three USB-C ports
- Front wireless phone charging
- Footwell ambient lighting
- Panoramic glass roof
- 18-inch Prismata wheels
- Matrix LED headlights
- Hands-free boot
- Power-folding side mirrors
- Powered tailgate
- Heated steering wheel
- Heat pump
- Adaptive matrix LED headlights
- Eight-camera vision system
- 360-degree parking visualisation
- Sentry Mode
- Pet Mode
- Power Share capable with Tesla Outlet Adapter sold separately
- 5-star ANCAP safety rating
- Automatic Emergency Braking
- Forward Collision Warning
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Live blind-spot camera feed on touchscreen when indicator is selected
- Five-year/unlimited-kilometre Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Eight-year/160,000km Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty
- Minimum 70 per cent battery capacity retention over the battery warranty period
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2026 Tesla Model 3 RWD FAQs
The 2026 Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive is priced from A$45,900 before on-road costs in Australia.
No. Tesla lists Model 3 pricing as excluding on-road costs.
First Australian customer deliveries are due to begin from mid-October 2026.
Tesla lists up to 572km of WLTP range for the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive.
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available as a monthly subscription priced at A$149 in Australia and NZ$159 in New Zealand.
It has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty and an eight-year/160,000km Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty with minimum 70 per cent battery capacity retention.
