Tesla prefers to make running changes, even big ones, rather than update its cars via traditional model years and formal refreshes, but you can still classify the new Model 3 as a refresh. Known by its internal “Highland” code name, the car’s battery and motors are untouched. More surprisingly, it hasn’t adopted the single-piece rear body “gig casting” of the Model Y. At a mechanical level, it’s mostly the same car.
You’re forgiven for thinking the same applies to the exterior, but that’s not strictly true. According to Tesla, everything but the doors and rear fenders is new. Some of the changes are obvious. The new nose is resolved better than before, looking more like a Tesla Roadster and less like Spider-Man’s mask. The foglights are gone and cooling air flows through a single inlet. Out back, Tesla missed the memo on crab-claw taillights going out of style. However, moving them entirely onto the trunklid solves one of Tesla’s biggest build quality issues: inconsistent panel gaps that contribute to people having negative impressions of the cars’ build quality.