It is no secret that Tesla is working on a revised version of the popular Model 3 sedan and while its exterior design is shaping up to be a touch more appealing, it seems as though the carmaker has made some changes to the EV’s cabin that are bound to cause controversy.
The word on the street with the new Model 3, also known as ‘Project Highland’, has been that Tesla would look to make its cabin even more minimal, seemingly in an effort to make it cheaper to produce. This camouflaged prototype recently spied at the carmaker’s factory in Fremont, California suggests that such cabin changes have indeed been made.
At one stage of the video below, the drone captured a clear shot of the new steering wheel. We can see that this wheel is very similar to the round wheel offered on the current Model S and Model X. This is particularly noteworthy because there are no stalks visible, indicating that like the Model S and Model X, the entry-level Model 3 will instead use capacitive controls on the wheel for things like the turn signals.
This isn’t the only feature from the Model S and Model X that the Model 3 will adopt. Like its bigger brothers, the lack of stalks means shifting between gears will be done exclusively through the touchscreen. At the 3:21 mark in the video, a Tesla engineer behind the wheel can be seen touching the infotainment screen, swiping down, and then proceeding to reverse, showing this feature in action.
Read: Will The Refreshed Tesla Model 3 Look Anything Like This?
Beyond the alterations made to the interior of the new Model 3, we know that it will benefit from revised front and rear fascias. Changes made to the front will include the fitment of new headlights not dissimilar to those of the long-awaited second-generation Tesla Roadster. Recent renderings have suggested that the taillights could also be overhauled.
