New 2024 Tesla Model 3 secrets revealed

There’s loads more to the updated 2024 Tesla Model 3 than the US electric car brand initially let on – and a whole lot more than the obvious styling updates that have modernised the look of the top-selling mid-size car in Australia.

From significant chassis and refinement changes to new software and more tech, the new Model 3 – codenamed Project Highland – is a significant update.

Tesla says around half the car is new, although the battery pack and electric motors are unchanged.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new Tesla Model 3.

Tesla pioneered using a smartphone as a key and the company says it has now improved its operation by using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology. Identical to what’s used on Apple AirTags, UWB is claimed to be 10 times more accurate than Bluetooth in determining the location of the phone. That allows new features and functions, some of which will be introduced later as part of a software update. Tesla is not saying exactly what could be introduced, but cryptically suggests there are various options.

The touch-screen that is the nerve centre of the Tesla Model 3 has been updated for faster responsiveness and a brighter display. Tesla also says the display is slightly thinner.

The owner’s manual still references front fog lights, but with the new Tesla Model 3 they don’t exist. Tesla said they were removed from Long Range and Performance models (there were only covers on the previous Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive) to simplify production and reduce costs.

The Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive still rides on 18-inch Michelin tyres and any cars on 19-inch wheels get Hankook rubber. However, in both instances those tyres have been re-engineered with the emphasis swinging towards comfort over speed. The tyres are still claimed to have plenty of grip, but a lower top speed limit (in turn requiring a new electronic speed limiter) means there is added compliance and cushioning in the tyres, something that is claimed to make for a more comfortable ride.

The new tyres were focused on comfort at the expense of top speed, with more compliance. Whereas the previous Model 3 could hit 225km/h as a Rear-Wheel Drive and 233km/h as a Long Range, the new one is electronically limited to 201km/h. The company says it was prepared to take the trade-off for the benefits it brought with ride comfort.

The updated Model 3 gets frequency selective dampers (or FSD, not to be confused with full self driving that Tesla has long promoted). It allows the shock absorbers to adjust their responses depending on the speed (or frequency) of bumps. The idea is that sharper bumps allow more compliance while slower, more gradual bumps can have a stiffer response, for sharper dynamics. Tesla says it makes a decent difference to the ride, something that was a major focus for the new model.

Tesla re-engineered some of the body components to reduce body flexing, in turn allowing the suspension components to better do their job. It was all about improving comfort levels.

The revisions to the suspension system also flowed through to the suspension bushes. They’re new for the updated Tesla Model 3. No surprises that they were chosen to improve the ride comfort.

The Tesla Model 3 has always had double-glazed front windows to reduce noise. But the new model also gets that same double glazing in the rear, which is all about further hushing the cabin.

Tesla says it has added some additional sound deadening to quieten the cabin. Some of it even comes from within in the form of additional fabrics covering plastic in the cabin, something that absorbs unwanted sounds.

The speaker grilles at the top of each windscreen pillar have disappeared on the updated Tesla Model 3. However, on the Long Range – with its Premium audio system – the speakers are still there. They’re just cleverly hidden behind the roof lining trim, to the point where it’s almost impossible to see where they are. At least you’ll hear them!

The increased focus on finishes and materials in the cabin will also lead to an interchangeable strip across the top of the Tesla Model 3 dash. Currently available in various shades of grey (depending on whether there is white or black seat trim), owners will be able to choose from a range of options if they get bored with the current one. Carbon-fibre seems a logical choice… And you can guarantee the aftermarket parts suppliers that target Tesla will come up with their own innovative choices. Leopard skin pattern, anyone?

The Premium sound system fitted as standard to the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and upcoming Performance now gets 17 speakers, three more than previously. The in-house engineered system includes new amplifiers, new speakers and two new subwoofers (previously there was only one). Those subs hang down from the parcel shelf and are claimed to provide tighter, punchier bass. Further boosting the aural experience is that quieter cabin. Even the entry-level RWD gets audio upgrades as part of its nine-speaker system. There are some new speakers as well as a new amplifier, something Tesla says provides a step up in sound quality.

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 now gets two microphones for making phone calls, one on either side of the cabin. They’re claimed to be clearer, something that combines with the quieter cabin to make phone calls clearer.

Tesla has added a speaker in the rear of the Model 3 to provide a warning sound when the car is reversing. The company took the opportunity to delete the small beeper chime used previously when closing the boot, instead making a noise out of that rear speaker.

As with the Model Y, the horn on the Tesla Model 3 has been removed and replaced with a speaker. The speaker is also used to provide the low-speed hum that alerts pedestrians to a vehicle approaching. In overseas markets the under-bonnet speaker can also be used as an onboard PA system to make announcements from the cabin. However, in Australia local regulations don’t allow that, so it won’t be enabled here.

The Tesla Model 3 still has eight exterior cameras – three facing forward, two on each side and one out the rear – but they’ve all been upgraded. Tesla isn’t giving details on exactly what’s changed and why, but it’s fair to assume they’re providing a higher resolution than before.

As with the Model Y, the new Tesla Model 3 now gets an interior camera. It means owners can view a live stream of the cabin when the car is parked. And when it’s dark the camera can also provide an infrared view.

Despite changes overseas, the traditional sonar parking sensors have survived in the Tesla Model 3 until now. But with this update they finally disappear, not only cleaning up the bumpers but also providing more information, according to Tesla. You’ll still get an estimation of how far away other vehicles or objects are (measured in centimetres) but the company says the biggest difference is its ability to pick up kerbs better, in turn (hopefully) reducing the chance of scuffing a wheel.

Tesla says it will introduce an over-the-air software update to add child presence detection functionality to the Model 3. It’ll utilise that cabin camera and be capable of warning the driver if it detects a child has been left in the vehicle. It’s in part due to changes implemented by the ANCAP crash test authority.

The Tesla Model 3 RWD gets the same CATL-sourced LFP batteries as before. Similarly, the Long Range gets the same NMC batteries, which have a higher energy density. Those NMC batteries for the Long Range are supplied globally by LG and Panasonic but cars sent to Australia will only have the LG batteries.

The Tesla Model 3’s steering ratio has been tweaked ever so slightly, but only to work with all the other suspension changes in order to maintain a similar super-direct feel from the previous car.

Tougher US side-impact regulations prompted Tesla to redesign the doors, something that now incorporates a tongue that slots into a groove below the door sills to better hold it in place in an impact. Those hardware changes have also made a big difference to the sound the door makes when it closes; there’s now a lot less clang and a lot more thunk.

The freshened bonnet not only makes a difference to aerodynamics – helping the updated Tesla Model 3 to lower its drag coefficient to 0.219Cd – but also reduces wind buffeting off its trailing edge. The company says that helps reduce in-cabin noise slightly.

Getting out of a Tesla involves pressing the door opening buttons housed in the arm rests on each door. Up front there’s always been a mechanical lever that allows you to open the doors manually if the button isn’t working. And now Tesla has fitted a manual release for the rear doors, albeit one that’s not as obvious. Remove a small cover buried at the base of the back door pockets and you’ll find a yellow cord that can be used to open the door.

The new Tesla Model 3 gets better mobile phone reception, which means more places to stream or utilise the onboard data functions, including detailed Google Maps. Tesla claims there is 30 per cent better range and 50 per cent better signal quality. The new Model 3 also has a better Wi-Fi antenna, so it will be able to pick up a Wi-Fi signal from further away, something that makes software updates easier, especially for those with a weak Wi-Fi signal to their garage.

Tesla has boosted how much power is supplied by the USB-C power ports. However, whereas there were previously two USB-C ports up front and another two in the rear, there’s now only one up front and two in the rear. Previously each of those USB-C ports could supply up to 15W, whereas now they can deliver up to 65W. However, between the three of them the limit is 130W, so if you’re using all three for power-hungry devices then each will only get 42W. Still, the company says they can now charge two MacBook Pros at the same time – and anyone charging phones via a cable, rather than the two 15W wireless chargers, should notice them charging faster.

The updated Model 3 has fewer Tesla T logos – and it was prompted by design chief Franz von Holzhausen. He removed the boot-lid logo on his personal car and replaced it with ‘Tesla’ spelled out across the boot and steering wheel and it turned out to be something of a social media hit. So the change was implemented across the board for the new model.

It turns out the Tesla Model 3 (and Model Y) do have adjustable regenerative braking. It’s just that the driver doesn’t adjust it – the car does. Soon after making it so owners couldn’t manually adjust the regenerative braking in 2020, Tesla introduced a software update that looked at how much grip there is between the tyres and the road and adjusts the regen accordingly. There will generally be a relatively high level of regen, but on a slippery surface the car will automatically pull it back to ensure there are no unwanted slides.

The rear screen can stream videos and have different content streaming to what’s on up front. Occupants can hook up Bluetooth headphones to ensure those in the rear can have their own little movie session without disturbing those up front.

Tesla has confirmed there will be a new Performance version of the Model 3 and it’ll arrive in the first half of 2024. But expect much more than the original Performance, including more power, faster acceleration and much more significant dynamic upgrades. There should also be software and aesthetic upgrades as past of the push to make the Model 3 Performance better appeal to driving enthusiasts.

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