New Tesla Model 3 Highland rims and woodless dashboard snapped in spy shots

Besides a bigger M3P battery, more aggressive body styling with longer frame and redesigned headlights or blinkers, the Tesla Model 3 Highland refresh is expected to introduce a lot of interior changes, too. While the interior remodeling is expected to follow the minimalist concept of the Model S refresh, Tesla may add more to it for Highland, according to photos of its alleged dashboard.

So far, the Model 3 Highland rumors tipped that it will come with the buttonless, stalkless, ventless interior  remodelling that the Model S and Model X mid-cycle upgrades followed. To that, Tesla is supposed to add an yoke steering wheel as an option, ventilated seats, upgraded audio system, and a big central console display.

Unfortunately, all Tesla Model 3 Highland encounters in the wild so far have mostly offered a glimpse of the camouflaged body and just hints of the interior with a masked dashboard. That same dash, however, has now popped up at the vast prairies of the Chinese blogosphere, reportedly sent by a leaker from the company that will be tasked to make them for assembly at Giga Shanghai.

The posting was quickly shot down and the images subsequently pulled by a reported request by that same supplier, but not before they were copied. "Refreshed IP (instrument panel) top cover. Larger area of A-surface is integrated into one piece. Model 3 highland?," quipped Cory Steuben over at Munro's disassembler analyst team.

The Highland dashboard indeed looks quite different compared to the current Model 3 dash, not least because the wood trim is gone and Tesla may seemingly introduce various other finishings to choose from. An all-encompassing top cover with a large slit made for some speculation about extra displays, while a HUD guess was quickly shot down. The new Model 3 Highland dash structure may also have been necessitated by the pilot use of Tesla's novel gigacasting method for its body that should lower its production cost significantly.

In the meantime, the alleged new Model 3 Highland rims that have been snapped on the camouflaged car here and there, have been put on sale at a Chinese online marketplace. That leak probably comes from another Tesla supplier in China as well, and it depicts a brand new wheel rim with swirly spokes, in contrast to the straight ones that the Model 3 dons now. The Highland refresh is reportedly in pilot production at Giga Shangai for a rumored release in the fall at what could be a 14% lower cost.

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