Tesla Model 3 Facelift Debuts In North America

The refreshed Tesla Model 3, also known as Highland after its internal development code, can now be ordered in North America, five months after it debuted in Europe and other parts of the world.

As with its European counterpart, the American-bound Model 3 is available with only two powertrain options: the base Rear-Wheel Drive, which starts at $38,990 and offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 272 miles, and the Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Long Range, which has an MSRP of $45,990 and ups the range figure to 341 miles.

There’s no Performance trim yet in the online configurator, but a Sport or Ludicrous version might come at a later date, as discovered in the official Tesla parts catalog and the software code for the car itself.

Compared to the pre-facelift version, the new Model 3 offers the same number of driving miles on a full charge, while the Long Range version comes with 8 more miles of advertised range. The prices are the same as for the outgoing model.

Leasing is also available starting at the same price of $329/month as before, but there’s no word on whether the facelifted Model 3 is eligible for the $7,500 tax credit, with zero mention of it on the company’s website. Before the updated model became available Stateside, the Model 3 Performance was the only version eligible for the tax credit.

Tesla is now taking orders for the refreshed EV through its website, with deliveries estimated to begin in January-February.

Few if any surprises are in store for U.S. buyers, as the car was revealed back in August of last year. The updated Model 3 comes with a redesigned face that no longer features standalone fog lights and indicators, as they have been integrated into the main headlight units). It also has new rear lights that are now single-piece rather than the split type that was fitted to the old version.

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Inside, there are LED ambient light strips and a newly added 8-inch rear display with controls for climate, ventilation, and infotainment, while the front 15.4-inch display is the same size as before but has slimmer bezels.

The column-mounted stalks are gone, with buttons on the steering wheel taking over the functions of the levers. Furthermore, comfort was increased thanks to the use of acoustic glass for the entire glasshouse and more sound-deadening material, and the ride is a bit better than before thanks to a revised front suspension geometry. Ventilated front seats are also offered as standard.

The facelifted Tesla Model 3 is also available in Canada and Mexico with the same features and estimated delivery window.