New Tesla Model 3 Highland First Look: Cheapest Tesla Gets Big Update
Tesla appears to have skipped beyond small changes and gone for broke.
The anticipated refresh for Tesla's bread-and-butter Model 3 EV sedan has finally arrived, apparently released on the automaker's Chinese website just before its expected appearance in U.S.-market form soon. As myriad spy photos and other sneak peeks on Reddit indicated, the entry-level 2024 Tesla Model 3 sedan—popularly known by its "Highland" code name—adopts new, thinner lighting front and rear, re-sculpted doors and fenders, and apparently far more upgrades beneath the skin. Here's a quick peek at the refreshed Tesla Model 3 Highland, along with the limited information leaking out of China—where Tesla has a Gigafactory, in Shanghai, that pumps out Model 3s, as well as Europe.
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A Better Inside Game
Before we start, we should point out a major assumption: That the Chinese-market Model 3 Highland will be essentially the same as the version soon to debut for America. (Give or take some minor differences to account for the wildly different markets, of course, but like before, we expect Model 3s sold globally to closely resemble one another.) Now, with that, let's dive into the new interior, which seems to adopt a number of aesthetic and material upgrades, namely new door panel upholstery and wraparound LED ambient lighting, that lessen the current 3's austere cabin vibe somewhat.
Look closer, and you'll notice there is no longer a turn signal stalk lurking to the left of the steering wheel. Instead, there are left and right indicator buttons on the lefthand steering wheel spoke, like you might find in certain exotic Italian cars. We also don't see the shift lever stalk on the right side of the steering column, which is found in today's 3, suggesting Tesla is moving to on-screen or touch-sensitive transmission controls. Tesla says there is a new 8.0-inch display facing rear-seat passengers, as well. Beyond those changes, the interior looks largely the same, right down to the large central touchscreen floating mid-dashboard.
The Look Sharpens
Today's Model 3 is both painfully familiar—it is, after all, one of the most popular and best-selling EVs around—and somewhat doughy in appearance. Partly, this is thanks to Tesla's decision to style the 3 like a mini-Model S, the company's first long-range electric sedan (which is still available today). Shrunk down to the 3's compact footprint, the Model S's swoopy styling takes on a fishbowl-y appearance, with a bubble-like roof sprouting between a rounded nose and tail. The refreshed Model 3 Highland successfully alleviates those proportional constraints.
Thinner headlights help, as do more pronounced creases in the bodysides and rear fender area, which help visually lengthen the car (which is basically the same size as before) and give it more elegance. Tesla designers have tightened up the taillights somewhat, and the units now flank "TESLA" lettering across the trunklid. Along with new wheel designs—fresh aero hubcaps for lower-spec versions, as well as new light-colored upgrade wheels for the up-level 3s—the overall look is sleeker and far fresher than we were expecting, more so in the two new paint colors: Ultra Red (pictured at top) and Stealth Grey.
What's the New Tesla Model 3's Range, Power, and Other Specs?
The short answer is this: We don't know yet. Because Tesla has not released that information for U.S.-market Model 3 Highlands, we can only speculate that range will improve, as will motor output in both the rear-drive, standard-range 3s and the dual-motor, long-range variants, not to mention the sporty Model 3 Performance. (Again, assuming all three versions carry over to the new generation.) Look for updated and more comprehensive subframe castings, which simplify production and have already been adapted into the Model Y crossover, as well as Tesla'snewest 4680 batteries that also appear in the Y.
Today's Model 3 boasts a range of 272 miles with its standard range pack and rear-drive, a figure that jumps to 358 miles with the dual-motor Long Range example. The speedy Performance model tops the Long Range's power output but sacrifices some range, with a 315-mile estimate. We'll know more about the refreshed Model 3 when U.S.-market information becomes available, but figure on the new EV going on sale soon. Tesla's already marking down the current 3s it holds in inventory, in likely anticipation of clearing out room for the new model.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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