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Tesla Model 3 update in the US: 16-inch screen for every trim, 528 hp Performance and a quicker Premium AWD3 min

Tesla Model 3 update in the US: 16-inch screen for every trim, 528 hp Performance and a quicker Premium AWD

Model ·

Every Model 3 sold in the US, Puerto Rico and Mexico now gets a larger, sharper 16-inch touchscreen. The Performance gains power and range, and the Premium AWD drops to 3.8 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, with prices unchanged.

Tesla has quietly refreshed the Model 3 in North America. Tesla North America announced the changes on X on Thursday evening, October 1, and the US online configurator already shows them. The biggest change is inside: every Model 3 now comes with a 16-inch centre touchscreen. The Performance version also gets more power and more range, and the Premium All-Wheel Drive becomes noticeably quicker.

The update applies to the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. It arrives one day after Tesla gave every Model 3 in China the same larger screen.

A bigger, sharper screen for all trims

The 15.4-inch display that has been in the Model 3 since its redesign is replaced by a 16-inch unit across the whole line-up, including the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive. According to Not a Tesla App, resolution rises from 1920 x 1200 to 2560 x 1440 pixels, and the aspect ratio changes from 16:10 to 16:9. It is the same screen Tesla added to the Model Y Premium in January 2026.

Performance and range: the key numbers

  • Model 3 Performance: peak power is now listed at 528 hp, up from 510 hp at its 2024 launch. EPA-estimated range rises from 309 to 316 miles. The 0 to 60 mph time stays at 2.9 seconds. The Performance also gets an all-black headliner.
  • Model 3 Premium AWD: 0 to 60 mph drops from 4.2 to 3.8 seconds, with 346 miles of range.
  • Model Y Premium AWD: the Model Y gets a small boost too, with 0 to 60 mph improving from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds, according to Not a Tesla App.

Tesla has not explained where the extra power and range come from, and it is not clear whether cars already delivered will receive the improvements through a software update. Other small changes include darker grey finish on the optional 19-inch Nova wheels.

Prices stay the same

  • Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive: $36,990
  • Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive: $42,490
  • Model 3 Premium All-Wheel Drive: $47,490
  • Model 3 Performance: $54,990

In other words, buyers get more for the same money, which is a familiar Tesla tactic to keep demand steady without cutting the sticker price.

What US buyers do not get

The North American update is not identical to the one in China. Chinese Model 3s can supply 2.2 kW of AC power to external devices through an adapter (vehicle-to-load), but in the US that feature remains limited to the Model Y Premium, Model Y Performance and Cybertruck. The light grey interior offered in China is also missing: US buyers still choose between black and black-and-white, and Not a Tesla App reports that the new Zen Gray interior is reserved for the three-row Model Y L.

Canada is not mentioned either. When Electrek checked, the Canadian configurator still showed the 15.4-inch screen, even though Canadian Model 3s come from Giga Shanghai, the same factory that builds the Chinese cars with the new display.

Why it matters

The Model 3 is one of Tesla's two volume cars, and in a year when the company wants to keep sales growing, small upgrades at the same price help keep the car competitive against a growing number of electric rivals. A sharper screen matters more in a Tesla than in most cars, because almost every control runs through it.

What to watch next

  • Whether the 16-inch screen and the new interior options reach Canada, Europe and the UK.
  • Whether existing Performance and Premium AWD owners get the extra power or range over the air.
  • Whether vehicle-to-load comes to the US Model 3 in a later update.
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