Tesla Model 3 (Highland) review: the EV that's actually worth grey-importing
4.3/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The Rear-Wheel Drive Highland is the sweet spot: cheaper to import, cheaper to insure, and its 554 km WLTP range covers Bahrain's daily driving and the occasional causeway run without stress. It's the Tesla with the largest population in this market, which in practice means the easiest one to get diagnosed and repaired outside an official channel. Buy it over a Model S if budget matters more than outright range or luxury.
Pros
- Highland refresh brought a quieter cabin, sharper styling and better real-world efficiency
- Cheapest and most attainable Tesla to import into Bahrain
- Largest population of any Tesla here, so independent workshops know it best
- 554 km WLTP range covers daily driving and causeway trips comfortably
Cons
- No official Tesla presence in Bahrain — no showroom, dealer warranty or Supercharger
- Rear-seat and cargo space are tight for a family compared with the Model Y
- Public Type 2 charging in Bahrain remains limited
- Grey-market pricing carries a premium over official Gulf Tesla-market prices
The Highland refresh solved the previous Model 3's biggest weaknesses without touching what worked: a quieter cabin thanks to acoustic glass and extra sound insulation, a sharper front and rear light signature, a rear touchscreen for back-seat passengers, and a genuine efficiency gain on the Rear-Wheel Drive version's LFP battery. It is still the smallest, cheapest and most efficient Tesla sold.
That combination — low price relative to the rest of the range, strong efficiency and a WLTP range around 554 km — makes it the model most Bahraini Tesla buyers actually import, and by a wide margin. More cars on the road means a deeper pool of used parts, more independent workshops with real Model 3 experience, and an easier private resale than any other Tesla in this market.
Owning one in Bahrain
The same lack of an official Tesla presence applies here as to every model: no showroom, no dealer-backed warranty support, and charging is a home wallbox plus whatever public Type 2 infrastructure exists. The upside specific to the Model 3 is scale — because it is the most commonly imported Tesla in the Gulf, independent EV specialists in Manama have genuinely seen more of them than any other electric car, which shortens the wait for a competent diagnosis when something does go wrong.
Who should buy one
Buy it if you want the lowest-risk way into Tesla ownership in Bahrain: cheapest to buy, cheapest to run, and the easiest to get serviced independently because there are simply more of them on the road. Anyone wanting real rear-seat and cargo space for a family should look at the Model Y instead.