The Tesla Model 3’s 2024 refresh is just around the corner; Australian deliveries are set to commence between January and March 2024, and the car has been improved both inside and out.
Covering electric cars for the past two years, would you believe me if I said that I’d never driven the Model 3? I reviewed the Model Y when it first came to Australia, and even put its performance-oriented trim to the test, but the humble Model 3 has evaded my grasp up until now.
Soon, I’ll be able to get behind the wheel of the Model 3 over the course of a review, but for now, I was one of the lucky few writers to check out four refreshed 2024 models during an Australian reveal event. You’ll be able to visit the Model 3 in Tesla stores across Australia come Saturday, but as someone who’s been on the EV beat for a while now, here are the things that stood out to me.
We’ll get more technical when our review comes around, so these observations are just very surface-level (and are each things that separates the new Model 3 from the original).
Wait, that screen in the back actually has a purpose?
I was originally sceptical of the rear seat screen of the new Model 3, thinking that it was only capable of playing YouTube, Netflix, and other visual media applications, but it actually has more use than I thought. It can also be used to choose music and adjust volume, adjust rear seat climate controls (including seat heating and air conditioning), and… Can be used to electrically move the front passenger seat forward, in case more space is required in the back. I just thought it was neat after playing around with it.
That interior lighting seems really distracting
I was a little caught off-guard by just how bright Tesla’s ambient lighting strips are across the internal cabin. You can turn the lights off, so ultimately it can become a non-issue (or, depending on your point of view, a pointless extra), but if you want, you can make the lights your favourite shade across a colour wheel. The lights are controlled through the car’s general settings, and not through an extras app like I thought they would be.
T E S L A
Yes, that’s right, Tesla superfans won’t need to go online to buy T E S L A letters to stamp to the back of their car with the new Model 3. The letters come standard on the 2024 refresh, and honestly, the rear of the car doesn’t look all that bad for it. I guess my problem with adding the lettering to the back of a Tesla where it isn’t officially there is that it’s, well, wanky – we get it, you’re in a Tesla – but without the logo on the back, it’s less as much. It’s certainly better than what’s written on the back of BYDs.
Look Mum, no stalks!
One of the most jarring things about the refresh is that there are simply no indicator or wiper stalks – it’s all controlled through the steering wheel and centre console. I’m personally not a fan of this – I’m a big fan of tactile feedback, and I don’t really think minimalism can be used as an excuse to get rid of buttons and levers, and it will certainly take some getting used to for any driver. What else will take some getting used to? Well, there’s no physical shifter. Instead, you need to swipe the screen from the right and shift the car into drive or reverse, using a strip that appears on the right side of the screen. Cool, I guess, but I’m a physical buttons guy.
It winked at me
You could never convince me that the front end of the old Model 3 looked better than the Polestar 2’s, or the Ioniq 5’s, or the EV6’s, or even the MG4’s – but the new Model 3 has an exceptionally attractive front. Supposedly it has been changed to improve the drag coefficient, but range boosting aside, it just looks so much nicer and more powerful. Definitely an upgrade.
The Tesla Model 3 is available now, with deliveries marked for between January and March 2024. Cars start from $61,900.
Want more Aussie car news? Here’s every EV we’ve reviewed in the last two years, all the EVs we can expect down under soon, and our guide to finding EV chargers across the country. Check out our dedicated Cars tab for more.
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia