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Tesla’s refreshed Model 3 continues its winning streak in Oceania, picking up a major honor in New Zealand this week. DRIVEN Car Guide officially named the Model 3 the country’s Best Passenger Car of 2025, praising the sedan for its value, technology, and driving experience. Tesla’s local X account celebrated the achievement on the platform, highlighting how meaningful the recognition is for the company and its customers in the region.
According to DRIVEN, the latest Model 3 — known informally as “Highland” — stood out thanks to the substantial tech and design updates Tesla introduced over the past year. The publication noted that its review of the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) variant reinforced just how much the Model 3 delivers for the money, calling it “good to drive” and packed with EV innovation.

Two key developments helped bring renewed attention to the Model 3 in 2025: the debut of the refreshed Model Y in the region and the launch of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which went live in New Zealand and Australia in September. DRIVEN emphasized that the arrival of FSD (Supervised) — priced at $11,400 NZD (10,100 AUD) or available via a $159 NZD ($149 AUD) per month subscription — marks a “watershed moment” for Kiwi motoring as Tesla pushes further toward autonomy.
The win comes as Tesla continues to expand aggressively across Oceania. Last month, the company launched the updated Model 3 Long Range in Australia and New Zealand, delivering up to 750 km of WLTP-rated range — a record for the sedan — and restoring the physical indicator stalk for local variants.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s Model Y also earned top honors in DRIVEN’s awards, taking home the title of Safest Car of 2025. The recognition follows the Model Y’s strong sales performance in the region as well, with the SUV leading by a wide margin as the best-selling EV heading into this month. DRIVEN will also announce the “Overall Winner” of its 2025 Car of the Year roundup, which both the Model Y and Model 3 are still in the running for, on December 5.
With the refreshed Model 3 securing major accolades and Tesla’s footprint across Oceania rapidly growing — from new hardware launches to the wider rollout of FSD (Supervised) — the company appears to be strengthening its position in one of its most enthusiastic international markets.

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