Tesla Model 3 RWD costs $45,900 plus on-roads. That’s a Tesla priced squarely at the Chinese brands that spent years selling themselves as cheaper than one.
The new Tesla Model 3 RWD is a base model below the Premium trims, and it’s $9,000 cheaper than the Model 3 Premium RWD. The configurator opened on Thursday 1 October 2026. Cars go on display for test drives in showrooms from mid-to-late October, and first deliveries start in the same window.
The Model 3 ladder now reads $45,900 for the base car, $54,900 for Premium RWD, $61,900 for Premium Long Range RWD, and $80,900 for Performance AWD. Thom Drew, Tesla’s Country Director Australia and New Zealand, called the new car “the most affordable way for Australians and New Zealanders to own a Tesla, and the most accessible way to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised).” That subscription is $149 a month.
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BYD Seal was pitched straight at Model 3, and the Chinese brands took real pride in beating Tesla on price. Tesla Model 3 RWD is priced to undercut them at their own game. BYD and Tesla were already scrapping with Toyota for the sales crown in June, and Tesla now has a cheaper sedan to scrap with.
Range and V2L Against the Mazda 6e
Tesla Model 3 RWD goes up to 572km WLTP on a charge from a 62.5kWh LFP battery. That’s 12km further than a Mazda 6e GT on its 78kWh LFP battery, for $4,090 less.
Power Share is Tesla’s name for V2L, and every new Model 3 delivered here gets it. It draws on the battery through the charge port to run appliances, e-bikes, power tools and space heaters. Tesla’s Outlet Adapter is $145 from the Tesla Shop, and it puts out up to 3.45kW through its 15A plug, or 2.3kW from a standard 10A plug. The 6e’s V2L adaptor is rated at 3.5kW.
What $45,900 Gets You in a Tesla Model 3 RWD
0-100km/h takes 6.2 seconds with drive going to the rear wheels. Motor outputs weren’t quoted.
It looks the same as the Premium cars, panoramic glass roof and front bumper camera included. It gets 18-inch Prismata wheels and matrix LED headlights, plus a hands-free powered boot and power-folding mirrors.
Seats are trimmed in flat-woven textile and vegan leather. The fronts are heated and electrically adjustable, with memory settings tied to your phone key profile. Rear passengers get air vents and 2 USB-C ports, but the rear touchscreen from the Premium cars is gone.
Up front there’s a 16-inch touchscreen and 7-speaker Tesla Audio. You also get wireless phone charging, a front USB-C port, and footwell ambient lighting. Boot and frunk together hold 682L, rising to 1659L with the rear seats folded.
Tesla lists this lot as standard on the base car.
- Heat pump and heated steering wheel
- Phone as key
- Sentry Mode and Pet Mode
- 8 cameras with a 360-degree parking view
- Grok AI assistant, developed with xAI
- Netflix and YouTube streaming, plus Arcade games, when parked
Pearl White is included at no cost, and Diamond Black adds $1,500. Stealth Grey adds $1,900, taking Tesla Model 3 RWD to $47,800 in the dearest paint, still $2,190 under a 6e GT.
Model 3 has a 5-star ANCAP rating. The warranty covers 5 years with unlimited kilometres, while the battery and drive unit get 8 years or 160,000km with at least 70% capacity retained.
The $4,090 Question for Mazda 6e Buyers
Mazda’s 6e GT is $49,990 and the 6e Atenza is $52,990. That puts the cheaper 6e $4,090 above Tesla Model 3 RWD. It’s also a rebadged Deepal L07 from Changan, so the Chinese argument takes in Mazda too.
So would you buy a Model 3 at $45,900, or pay more for a 6e?
We drove the 6e GT, and it’s rear-wheel drive too, with 190kW/290Nm and 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds. Its 78kWh LFP battery gives 560km WLTP. DC charging peaks at 194kW, good for 10-80% in about 24 minutes, and AC tops out at 11kW.
Against Model 3 RWD, the 6e GT gives away 1.1 seconds to 100km/h. It gets bigger 19-inch wheels and a 14.6-inch centre screen beside a 10.2-inch driver display, and weighs 2015kg. Its boot holds 337L with a 72L frunk on top, against 682L combined in Model 3.
Tesla Model 3 RWD vs Mazda 6e GT
| Tesla Model 3 RWD | Mazda 6e GT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (plus on-roads) | $45,900 | $49,990 |
| Drive wheels | Rear | Rear |
| 0-100km/h | 6.2 seconds | 7.3 seconds |
| WLTP range | 572km | 560km |
| Battery | 62.5kWh LFP | 78kWh LFP |
| Power/torque | Not quoted | 190kW/290Nm |
| Wheels | 18-inch Prismata | 19-inch |
| Centre screen | 16-inch | 14.6-inch |
| Cargo | 682L boot and frunk combined | 337L boot, 72L frunk |
| V2L | Up to 3.45kW, $145 adaptor | 3.5kW, via adaptor |
Download spec sheet HERE
Sources: Tesla and Mazda, plus our own Mazda 6e review.
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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