New Tesla Model 3 Standard is £13,000 cheaper than a BMW i4: On sale now
January 09, 2026 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
The Tesla Model 3 Standard is coming to the UK with a starting price of £37,990, making it over £10,000 cheaper than its German alternatives. Here’s news editor Jamie Edkins with all the details.
This is the new Tesla Model 3 Standard, and it’s heading to the UK much sooner than anyone anticipated. When it was launched in the United States late last year, there was no talk of bringing this car to our shores, but now it’s available to order with deliveries expected in the next few weeks.
It’s £2,000 cheaper than the current base model, and you can lease one through Tesla for less than £300 per month.
New Tesla Model 3 Standard available to order now
You can order your new Tesla Model 3 Standard now, with prices starting from £37,990. That makes it £2,000 less than the outgoing base model, and it’s £7,000 cheaper than the next cheapest Model 3.
It’s also more than £13,000 cheaper than a BMW i4, and it’s around £7,600 less than a Mercedes CLA Electric or a BYD Seal. A Polestar 2 will run you an extra £7,100 compared to the Model 3 Standard.
Lease prices are pretty competitive as well. You can get the Model 3 Standard for £299 per month through Tesla with a £3,588 downpayment over 36 months, and that’s with a generous mileage limit of 8,000 per year.
A BYD Seal will cost you an extra £20 per month on similar terms, and a BMW i4 will cost you around £640 per month with a much bigger initial payment.
So it’s certainly cheap, but what do you get for your money?
New Tesla Model 3 Standard: what’s different?
The Tesla Model 3 lineup now consists of the Standard, Premium and Performance models, and there are a few key differences to be found on the basic car to keep the price down.
In the US, the Model 3 Standard gets smaller wheels with plain plastic covers, but the for the UK market Tesla is offering 18-inch wheels as standard to help with resale values. Inside, the eagle-eyed will spot that the cover for the cupholders is gone, and there’s only white ambient lighting.
You also get cloth centres for the seats rather than full leather, but overall, the changes are far less dramatic than the ones made to the Model Y Standard. That car has a completely different centre console to the Premium models, as well as tweaked exterior styling.
New Tesla Model 3 Standard batteries, range and performance
The Model 3 Standard isn’t just cheap to buy, it should be cheap to run as well – even by EV standards.
The battery capacity is around 70kWh, and it delivers up to 332 miles of range – up from 323 miles in the outgoing Rear-Wheel Drive version. By comparison, a basic BMW i4 will do 316 miles from the same capacity. A Polestar 2 can manage 344 miles on a charge from the same-sized battery, though.
The Standard will do 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, which while almost half a second slower than the old Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 is still more than spritely enough. Top speed is electronically limited to 110mph, a move which serves to cheapen the insurance.
We’ll be driving the Tesla Model 3 Standard as soon as it hits UK shores, and if the Model Y Standard is anything to go by then it should be just as comfy and agile as the Premium version. Stay tuned for our full review.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
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