Hyundai Sonata vs Tesla Model 3

What's the difference?

The Hyundai Sonata N Line is a sedan. Not a hatchback, not a fastback, nor a coupe and definitely not an SUV.

And even though only a handful of people in Australia buy the Sonata N Line each year it’s been updated with a completely different look and new technology, making it an outstanding car in many ways.

The thing is, because we’re obsessed with SUVs in Australia most people will never know how good this sedan is - unlike you.

So, let me congratulate you for making it this far. There’s probably so few of you I could possibly congratulate all of you in person. In an afternoon.

The big question is, though, is the Sonata N Line fit for Aussie families? Well, it scores well, but maybe not where it counts…

Let’s see what’s new and what the Sonata N Line can do.

It’s been in Australia since 2019 and despite the arrival of a comprehensively upgraded version in late 2023, the Tesla Model 3’s once gargantuan popularity has been declining in recent years.

A seemingly never-ending influx of pure-electric alternatives, primarily from China, has eroded the mid-size sedan’s positioning as the go-to, best-value EV choice. 

But to its credit Tesla has again evolved the Model 3 proposition with the introduction of this Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive grade in October last year, at the time positioning it as “the longest-range EV in Australia”.

Since then, Tesla has adjusted the model grade name to Premium Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive.

Some additional tweaks, made in response to customer feedback, also illustrates the EV pioneer’s determination to step up in the face of increasingly fierce competition.

So, does this latest Model 3 do enough to earn a spot on your electric vehicle shopping list? We spent a week behind the wheel to find out.