Tesla
Tesla might not have the most expansive range among automakers—the vast majority of its sales come from just two models. But it’s hard to deny that the company has sold a lot of those EVs; in some areas, the only car you might see more than the Model 3 would be the similar-looking Model Y crossover. But now, the eagle-eyed among you may spot some subtle differences on new Tesla Model 3s as the company finally starts selling the restyled version here in North America.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Model 3 back in 2016, with customer deliveries starting the following year. Were Tesla any other automaker, a replacement model would almost certainly be in the works for 2025. But Tesla rarely uses the same playbook as its rivals, and it only gave the electric sedan a styling refresh after six years on sale rather than the more-usual four.
The restyled 3, codenamed Highland, went on sale in China in September 2023, and European customers have been able to buy one since last October. But changes to the federal tax credit for clean vehicles may have delayed the introduction of the revised Model 3 here in the US—for 2024, the car is no longer eligible for the credit.
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The new headlight cluster takes up much less real estate.
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Opinions are subjective, but I’ve always felt like Tesla designed 90 percent of its cars, then phoned in the rear lights. Finally, that is no longer the case.
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The upgraded interior can have colored mood lightning now, a feature that’s common on many other EVs.
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The rear screen is for controlling the climate but also the infotainment, Tesla says.
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I get a very strong Polestar vibe from the way the top and bottom elements of the lights extend toward each other.
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That was then, and now the updated-looking EV is on sale here. The most obvious changes are to the lights. The headlight clusters are smaller than before, with more stylized daylight running lights in a similar vein to the Models S and X. At the rear, it seems someone in the studio has finally worked out how to draw a rear light cluster that looks finished—something that until now let down what has otherwise been a rather handsome car (although I do note a certain resemblance to Polestar’s rear lights in some of the images Tesla has provided).
Tesla says it has two new colors for the Model 3: ultra red and stealth grey. There are new wheel designs that it says are lower drag, which helps both range and wind noise. There’s also an updated interior with user-configurable LED lighting, a better sound system, and now an 8-inch touchscreen for the rear-seat passengers to interact with.
But the range has been simplified. The $50,990 Model 3 Performance (that we tested in 2019) is gone, and there are now just two versions on offer. The rear-wheel-drive Model 3 starts at $38,990 and has an EPA range estimate of 272 miles (438 km). The all-wheel-drive Model 3 Long Range, meanwhile, starts at $45,990 and has a range of 341 miles (549 km).
