Tesla has given its most affordable offering, the Model 3, a mid-lifecycle overhaul that makes this already very popular electric sedan even more enticing to buyers. The revised 2023 Model 3 arrives six years after the vehicle was launched, and it brings with it big improvements that make it more desirable than ever before.
Let’s look at the biggest changes brought to the 2023 Tesla Model 3.
1. Updated Exterior With Improved Aero
Tesla has kept the exterior redesign of the 2023 Model 3 subtle. The front has slimmer headlights with a bolder LED light signature, and the fog lights located in the lower part of the bumper have been deleted.
The rear end also features redesigned light clusters with a slimmer design, as well as a redesigned lower part of the bumper. Interestingly, even though the bumper-mounted fog lights were removed from the front, they were added in a similar place, but on the rear bumper.
Another big change in the back is the fact that the lights are now one-piece and lift with the trunk lid.
Two new paint colors have also been added to the Model 3’s palette, called Ultra Red and Stealth Grey. Both look similar to the hues you may get on the larger Model S sedan.
Wheel designs have also been changed. The Model 3 will come with a new set of 18-inch wheels as standard, which can be upgraded to a 19-inch ten-spoke design called “Nova.”
2. Revised Interior With New Screens
The interior overhaul doesn’t radically change the design or the ambiance. There’s a new dashboard, a new steering wheel (which thankfully isn’t ayoke like on the Model S and X), a new 15.4-inch central screen (which is the same size as the old 15-inch display but has thinner bezels), and an additional 8-inch screen in the back where rear passengers can adjust climate settings and media settings as well as play a movie.
Tesla has also increased the number of speakers inside the Model 3 Long Range from 14 to 17, helped by a pair of amps and subwoofers. The base Model 3 will get the same nine-speaker sound system as before.
There are no more stalks on the steering column, so the indicator controls have been moved to buttons on the wheel. Tesla also changed the rake of the rear bench backrest, which is more reclined in the revised model for improved passenger comfort. It won’t be quite as comfortable to travel in asthe feature-packed Model S sedan, but it should be noticeably better than before.
Even though the Model 3 has the same basic body and wheelbase as before, trunk space goes up from 19.8 cubic feet (561 liters) to 20.9 cubic feet (594 liters).
Acoustic comfort is also enhanced thanks to the use of more soundproofing material. Furthermore, Tesla previously only fitted double glazing on the Model 3’s windshield and front side windows, but this has now been extended to include all the vehicle’s glazed surfaces.
3. Improved Efficiency, Longer Range
We don’t have any detailed information on battery specs or range for the revised Model 3, but Tesla says it is up to 12 percent more efficient than before. That should translate into an EPA range of almost 300 miles for the Standard Range model and around 360 miles for the Long Range variant.
No power or acceleration improvements have been reported yet, and Tesla has not shown the refreshed Model 3 in its top Performance guise.
Part of the efficiency improvement comes from a reduction of the car’s drag coefficient from 0.23 to 0.219, which means it’s the most aerodynamic Tesla on sale. Being able to drive more than before on one charge is sure to be one ofthe main reasons for buyers to choose the Model 3.
4. Revised Suspension Ups the Comfort
While its road holding and driver engagement always made the Model 3 afun-to-drive EV, it was never especially comfortable. It did fine over big potholes, but when it came to ripples in the asphalt or other smaller imperfections, the car seemed more fidgety than other comparable models.
Tesla has completely revised the Model 3’s suspension system with comfort in mind, and between this and the improved sound insulation, the experience of being aboard one of these EVs is sure to be quite a bit better than before.
This doesn’t come at the cost of handling, though, so even with the better ride comfort, the Model 3, regardless of variant, should retain its handling prowess.
The Tesla Model 3 Only Needed Subtle Changes
The range improvement is also important, as it shows this is more than just a visual upgrade and that the manufacturer made an effort to help it preserve its popularity. We expect the new Model 3 to continue the nameplate’s success, especially since you still had plenty of reasons to buy one even before its update.
If you order a revised Model 3 today in Europe, the expected delivery date is around November 2023. Tesla has yet to update the US version of the site with the new model’s information, so it sounds like it will reach Europe first.
