Vellum Venom Vignette: Rage Against The Rulebook

Things used to be so much easier. Back in the good old days, cars were redesigned at slower clip than now. As the Center for Automotive Research notes, it took an average of 8.6 years in the 1980s to either retire or totally redesign a platform. That sped up to 7.6 years over the next two decades. Now, a paper in the TEM Journal notes that, as of the last 10 years, it takes half as much time: roughly 4 years. That's a transformative pace, likely accelerated by both advanced technology across the supply chain and competitive pressures from a global market.

Well, unless you're Tesla.

In the way that the outgoing Dodge Challenger experienced but one notable design revision, taking place after six years in production, the 2023 Model 3's "Highland" revision is astoundingly similar to a 2017 Tesla Model 3. While Tesla is good (very good, in fact) at over-the-air software upgrades, its work performing timely design updates on traditional automotive "hardware" has been less than impressive.

However, my limited time with a Model 3 Highland earlier this year suggested Tesla is doing an admirable job improving and contemporizing its core sedan, albeit on an elongated timeline and centered around pleasing the brand's core audience.

This is an example of a mid-cycle refresh in all its glory, which the Model 3 Highland celebrates with slimmer headlights and the same lobster claw taillight design that everyone stole from Volvo. A sleeker front bumper reportedly helps with aerodynamics, while the rear deck no longer sports the Tesla "T" emblem. The T-E-S-L-A name is now spelled out, which accentuates the Model 3's lower-slung proportions and visually widens the posterior.

All these changes are subtle, yet noteworthy, improving an already impressive rendition of the age-old three-box design. The Model 3 Highland looks more serious from front to back, and there's something cohesive, even expensive-looking about both fascias.

Look at the turn signal lights, which have a unifying arc inside their lenses. It may seem like a trivially small thing, but it's a smart detail Tesla has neglected in the past while designing the automotive equivalent of an iPhone.

On to the cabin. I am far from someone who likes to stifle anyone's creativity, but perhaps the Model 3 Highland's interior design is a bridge too far.

There are longstanding traditions that people (who largely don't adore Tesla) expect with automobiles, even if federal laws don't explicitly mandate it. Combine that with Tesla's history of tech-bro "disruption" and you get oddball choices like a steering yoke, the lack of an instrument cluster positioned in front of the driver, and the deletion of the turn signal and transmission stalks from the steering column. The yoke is a Model S thing, and still not available on the Model 3 as factory fitment, so let's focus on the other two bits.

While centrally located gauges aren't entirely new (see: Toyota Yaris, Prius, or Mini Cooper), cramming nearly every function on the car into a centralized, multi-function touchscreen is a Tesla innovation. Small screens that only display basic information in front of the driver wouldn't be terribly expensive addition, especially when you remember that the Model 3 Highland's asking price ain't exactly in Chevy Bolt territory. (That car is now out of production, but it was over $10,000 cheaper.)

Naturally, the aftermarket offers multiple solutions to satisfy this concern, but it's awfully indicative of Tesla's priorities and thinking that it implemented a screen for rear seat entertainment but nothing for the driver of a Model 3.

Then there's the transmission, which, fine, only has one speed, but is no longer controlled by a physical lever. (There was a gear selector stalk on the pre-refresh Model 3.) Switching into park or reverse is now within the purview of the touchscreen, which I found to be shockingly intuitive. We've discussed UX/UI design in the past, and it is a field of study to be respected; the implications of bad UX/UI can be deadly. This, despite my initial skepticism, works well.

You really do get used to the virtual transmission indicator. Yes, maybe it would get frustrating in denser areas where three-point turns and parallel parking are mandatory, but there are buttons (inconveniently) located near the rear-view mirror for those inclined to avoid the central screen. Maybe the button solution is cheaper than the stalk, but my money is on the fact that the steering wheel area and dashboard are now even cleaner and more seamless-looking than before.

Not having a turn signal stalk, either, was initially a shock to me during my limited time in a Model 3 Highland. But then I tried the turn signal buttons on the left-hand pad of the steering wheel-a revelation! Perhaps I've spent too many wasted hours with D-pad controllers on various gaming consoles, but I took to the turn signal buttons like a moth to a flame. They had a fantastic tactile feel, and my left thumb felt totally in control. I wish all switches in cars felt that good, no exaggeration.

The concept lost some luster with me after a bit of time. Activating the turn signal when the wheel is already turned is a difficult task involving eyesight distraction and no context for muscle memory. Your brain reprograms itself to push the button before turning the wheel at all, which is an adjustment in some situations. Oddities like this might not affect those who inherently admire Tesla products, but it feels like a big ask for someone tempted by the current sweetheart lease deals on EVs from other automakers.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Tesla threw a fair bit of R&D cash into NVH control and interior upgrades (fabric trim inserts, elegant mood lighting, etc.), and the automaker continues to have one of the most underrated factory audio systems on the market. Tesla treats the ears without wasting money on the current trend of absurd audio-branding partnerships. I find that refreshing in this day and age.

Driving the Model 3 Highland, and examining it from a design perspective left me with two questions: Are the recent changes enough to lure in even more mainstream automotive consumers? And why did it take so long to add these updates?

I doubt that Tesla's maverick designs, moving at the pace of a snail, are up to the budding competition over the long haul. It's mostly worked for Tesla so far, but the company is largely ignoring the fundamentals of how a mass-market car company behaves (or not?) and sometimes even acting like a meme stock. Back in 2023, BYD took Tesla out to lunch in China. This year shows significant Tesla market-share erosion in the U.S., thanks to the Mustang Mach-E. I simply don't see the Model 3 Highland (and its future Model Y counterpart) making up lost ground.

This brings us to a final question: Should we even consider the Model 3 Highland's changes radical, given Tesla's penchant for ignoring the rulebook?