A completely uncovered facelifted Tesla Model 3, also known as “Project Highland” during development, has been spotted for the first time in the United States while driving down a Bay Area highway.
After its European debut at the end of August, the updated EV was seen in the US with the front and rear covered up, which didn’t really make much sense, seeing how the cat was already out of the bag. In any case, this time Tesla has unleashed a completely undisguised Model 3 on the streets of America painted in what appears to be the new Ultra Red color.
This latest sighting, posted on Reddit by the user u/no_regular_8542, hints that the US debut of the facelifted electric sedan is getting closer, although Tesla hasn’t said a thing about this, as opposed to the expected market launch of the Cybertruck, which has been postponed several times since the concept’s reveal in 2019.
In Europe, deliveries of the refreshed Model 3 are set to begin this month, according to the company’s website, with cars being shipped from Shanghai, China to the Old Continent. States-side, production of the updated EV is expected to begin later this year at the Fremont Gigafactory, where the non-facelifted Model 3 is currently being made. Furthermore, the assembly lines were reportedly shut down earlier this year for updates, hinting that the California plant will follow in the footsteps of its Chinese counterpart, cranking up sedans for the North American market.
Last week, the current Model 3 got a price cut between $1,250 and $2,250, bringing down the entry MSRP to $38,990 for the base rear-wheel drive version. This latest move also hints that Tesla wants to move more of its inventory to make room for the improved version that debuted in August.
The so-called Highland Model 3 features a redesigned front end with slimmer headlights, and a new rear end with single-piece tail lamps, as opposed to the split tail lamps of the original version. Inside, the car has ambient lighting, an improved sound system, a newly added rear touchscreen display, and acoustic windows for the entire glasshouse, whereas the previous version had the sound-reducing glass on the windshield and front windows only.
