Tesla Reveals New Model 3 for Some Global Markets
We’ve been seeing leaks and hearing teases for the updated Tesla Model 3 for a while now, and it finally looks like the automaker has rolled out the long-awaited refresh. The new car is on sale in China now, bringing refined styling, increased range, and a fresh interior.
The new Model 3’s front end is sharper and looks more grown-up than the rounded nose the previous car wore. The headlights and LED running lights have also been refined. Around the back, the car sports a new bumper design with what looks like a diffuser in the lower bumper area.
Inside, the car gets updated materials and a new ambient lighting system. Cabin noise levels should be kept in check, thanks to the new Model 3’s more robust sound-deadening materials, and rear passengers get a new eight-inch display with controls for climate and other features.
The WLTP range estimates for the car reach 421 miles for the Model 3 Long Range, and while the EPA’s estimates are typically more conservative, the new car will still offer more generous range numbers than many of America’s longer-range EVs.
That Tesla released the Model 3 in China first isn’t that surprising. Rumors have pointed to the automaker starting production in the country first, and Chinese buyers are a vitally important group for the company. We don’t know when Tesla plans to release the car in the U.S., but the timing will likely coincide with production starting at its American factories to meet federal tax credit requirements.
[Image: Tesla]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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"rear passengers get a new eight-inch display with controls"
Bah. Passengers should be focused on driving!
(mine certainly are)
Nobody really cares. Same appliance just a new but still ugly wrapper. They didn't even try.
Subtle but needed improvements. I don't hate it... but does it have the same precise craftsmanship as LEGO bricks?
Even Checker occasionally added minor tweaks to the Marathon. When is Tesla going to reveal a true restyle? Or do they want to be like Checker?