Model 3 Highland Arrives!
The Model 3 Highland is officially here!
After many months of leaks, teases, and sightings in the wild - Tesla finally unveiled their updated design for their popular four door sedan on August 31st.
A premier of sorts for the updated vehicle was held in Norway during the company’s 10-year anniversary party - with Tesla’s Creative Manager for Design Julien Bilodeau on-hand to present it to the assembled guests and journalists from all around the world.
The Highland design refresh of the Model 3 has been one of the few projects that has been able to take even a small amount of focus away from Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck release - and sports tonnes of new features, including a whole new shape language for the exterior that reportedly makes the vehicle more aerodynamic - increasing its range while giving the car a sleek new look.
From Tesla’s post, and attendees of the Norway event, we have a pretty clear idea of all the new features - so let’s do a quick rundown:
First up, Tesla boasts that the new Model 3 has updated suspension and a stiffer body - likely due to them cutting down on the amount of parts that go into the whole vehicle. Tesla presenters mentioned that this was a major goal back at the Investor Day event on March 1st - and it looks like it worked out.
Along with the suspension fixes, the updated exterior panelling is sharper, more aerodynamic - and reportedly cuts down on a lot of the interior noise from previous versions leading to an almost 12 percent range increase by some estimates. The new exterior comes with two new paint jobs - Ultra Red and Stealth Grey.
Newly designed 18” Photon rims are also a new feature - with the option of 19” Nova wheels in certain locations - and likely also contributes to the smoother ride.
But the real standout with this release is the huge amount of new features for the interior.
Tesla has said previously that the interior was a huge point of focus for the Model 3’s redesign efforts, and we can see why as soon as we get a look past the doors.
Interior LED lighting has been added in subtle strips along the dash, the center console, and the doors - all of which can be adjusted to user preferences.
The new infotainment screen is larger, with a smaller bezel along the exterior, making it much more user-friendly - which is good because the gear selector has been moved here in the same way that the Model S has, along the right hand side of the screen, closest to the driver. But fear not, Tesla has included a manual option in case of display failure, just above the Driver’s head.
Credit: Tesla
And that’s not the only change to driver controls, because the new steering wheel comes complete with all the functions that used to be controlled by stalks attached to the steering column - that would be the turn signals, and the windshield wiper controls.
These are now controlled by capacitive touch buttons - essentially turning the steering wheel into a touch screen.
But it’s not just the steering wheel and the dashboard - the entire vehicle has gotten some new electronics. Improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity is being touted as a big feature - as well as the updated sound system with 17 speakers, up from the previous edition’s 14.
Finally, the seating has been upgraded - with ventilated front seats controlled via your Tesla App, and much more comfortable rear seats with a similar, perforated material swap. Adding to that, the rear passengers also get a smaller, 8” inch Infotainment screen of their own embedded in the center console between the front seats, so your passengers - or kids - can have their own environmental controls and access to entertainment.
It might seem a little odd that the debut event for the Highland wasn’t held in the US - given that so much of the company’s attention has been focused there lately - but Tesla has had a tough time keeping the Model 3 within the strict parameters for the new Inflation Reduction Act’s rebate system - so it makes sense that we aren’t going to be seeing the new Model 3 stateside until they get the particulars worked out with US regulators.
Until then, China, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe - excluding the United Kingdom - all have access to the refreshed Model 3 design. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a swift update over in North America.