Tesla Model 3 facelift unlikely, despite masked cars spotted recently

Radical exterior and interior updates to the 2024 Tesla Model 3 electric car – and its Model Y SUV sibling – appear unlikely for the immediate future, contrary to overseas reports – according to the company’s chief designer.

Now Tesla design boss Franz von Holzhausen appears to have poured cold water on plans for an overhaul to the company’s most affordable car – the Tesla Model 3 sedan – and its popular SUV sibling the Tesla Model Y.

“I think that there are things that we’re always looking at … Those vehicles are great at what they are, and we haven’t seen a need or a demand for a change so ‘don’t fix it if it isn’t broke’, that’s kind of the mentality.”

He added: “You look at the [Model] 3 and the [Model] Y on the road and they’re super modern feeling … why spoil that?”, all but ruling out plans for an exterior facelift.

The Model 3 sedan has been on sale for five-and-a-half years and the related Model Y SUV has been on sale for three years.

Most car-makers tend to introduce minor updates at the three-year mark of a six-year model cycle (though this timing can vary among brands), however Tesla is known not to adopt industry norms.

Instead, Tesla has made gradual tech changes to its cars rather than introduce any significant cosmetic makeovers.

For example, the Tesla Model 3 (and Model Y) have over the years been equipped with larger battery packs, more powerful electric motors, and improved energy efficiency – and minor changes to the interior, such as a new centre console for the Model 3 in 2020.

The larger Tesla Model S sedan is now a decade old, and has gone through two minor updates – with no new generation in sight – while the related Tesla Model X SUV has been on sale in the US since 2015.

Spy photos have surfaced in recent months of a Tesla Model 3 testing on California roads, wearing heavy camouflage over its front and rear ends.

It was initially believed this could be testing an upcoming exterior facelift – however Mr von Holzhausen’s comments now lend more weight to a theory the prototype was testing new driver-assistance cameras or sensors, rather than new styling.

According to news agency Reuters, the ‘Project Highland’ update for the Model 3 is due to begin production in China by September 2023, and is claimed to “reduce the number of components and complexity in the interior” to focus on “features that Tesla buyers value, including the display”.

Reuters also reported the Model 3 update “could also include some changes to … exterior and powertrain performance” but did not go into detail about what these could be.