Tesla has begun accepting orders for its new, redesigned Model 3 sedan in North America. Tesla redesigned its least expensive model last fall but has sold the new version only in China and Europe for the last four months. It’s now available stateside.
Tesla doesn’t do model years
Tesla TSLA, -3.67% styles itself a unique kind of car company. That means rejecting some long-standing industry practices.
Most automakers alter their cars slightly every year to sell unique model years. They redesign cars from the ground up about every seven to 10 years and give them a thorough styling update at the halfway point to stay competitive with rivals that might have been redesigned more recently.
Tesla doesn’t recognize model years. It keeps the basic styling of a car intact much longer than many rivals (the Model S went nine years without a design tweak at one point). But it also upgrades components frequently during a production run. Three Teslas bought in three different months of the same year may all look superficially identical but have different parts.
A Tesla styling update is a rarity and big news when it happens.
Plus: Tesla reportedly will build revamped Model Y in Shanghai in 2024
Cosmetic changes, rear screen
The redesigned Tesla Model 3
Tesla
The updated Model 3 gets a sleeker new front end without the flat-front bulge that lent the old Model 3 a snake-like look. Separate fog lamps have disappeared. And, though Tesla likes to do things differently, they did make the same styling change as virtually every other new model on the market — narrower headlights.
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Inside, the dashboard and door panels have been resculpted to create a wraparound feel. A line of LEDs high on the dashboard lets you set ambient lighting to nearly any color. The gear selector is gone – drivers now use the touchscreen to put it in gear. In case of a screen problem, backup gear change buttons sit on the headliner between the sun visors.
But the biggest change comes in the rear seats, where passengers now get their own small touchscreen. It gives them access to climate and entertainment controls.
Also see: Is buying a used Tesla from Hertz a good deal? Here’s what to know.
Tesla dominates electric vehicle sales in the U.S. Americans bought about 1.2 million EVs last year, 55% of which were Teslas. The Model 3 is America’s second-best-selling EV, directly behind its SUV sibling, the Tesla Model Y.
This story originally ran on KBB.com.