Update: Pre-2024 Model 3 trunk specs added on 9/16/23.
The Tesla Model 3 Highland has been making headlines in the past several weeks, as many have been able to take their first looks at the refreshed vehicle. Ahead of initial deliveries, some specifications for the refreshed Model 3 have surfaced — most recently including measurements for the frunk and trunk.
X user @DerCaspar shared photos of the Model 3 Highland on display at the Mall of Berlin on Friday, along with measurements for the newly redesigned vehicle’s frunk and trunk. Additionally, Caspar shared details about the sub-trunk, the small space beneath the floor of the trunk.
Check out the trunk, sub-trunk and frunk measurements below, according to Caspar:
Tesla Model 3 Highland trunk
– back row up 107 cm (~42.1 inches)
– back row down till seat 187 cm (~73.6 inches)
– back row down till seat moved 210 cm (~82.7 inches)
– back row down till front screen 270 cm (~106.3 inches)
– width between wheel covers 94 cm (~37 inches)
– width between back row hand bars 129.5 cm (~51 inches)
– height trunk opening 46 cm (~18.1 inches)
Tesla Model 3 Highland sub-trunk
– height till sub-trunk cover 29 cm (~11.4 inches)
– narrowest width 63 cm (~24.8 inches)
– narrowest depth 32 cm (~12.6 inches)
Tesla Model 3 Highland frunk
– frunk height 23 cm (~9.1 inches)
– frunk width 72 cm (~28.3 inches)
– frunk depth 35 cm (~13.8 inches)
You can see Caspar’s full thread on X below, where he details his initial impressions of the Model 3 Highland.
Tesla Model 3 Highland
I am seeing it first hand for the first time and will post measurements during the next hour as go through the car – it looks and feels awesome 🤩
Come along pic.twitter.com/d1lXQT1T3v
— Caspar – creating a positive future ✨ (@CasparThomale) September 15, 2023
Caspar also updated the thread with a German forum showing the pre-Highland Model 3’s trunk, sub-trunk and frunk dimensions. It’s worth noting that the measurements aren’t all taken the exact same way. As one example, Caspar measured the sub-trunk width and depth at its narrowest points, while the forum user measured the old Model 3’s depth at its deepest point.
Still, comparing the two sets of dimensions can provide a pretty good comparison point for the refreshed Highland Model 3.
You can head to the forum to see pictures showing how each dimension was measured.
Pre-2024 Tesla Model 3 (non-Highland) trunk
– back row up 107 cm (~42.1 inches)
– back row down till seat 190 cm (~74.8 inches)
– back row down till seat moved completely forward 206 cm (~81.1 inches)
– width between wheel covers 94 cm (~37 inches)
– height trunk opening 46 cm (~18.1 inches)
Pre-2024 Tesla Model 3 (non-Highland) sub-trunk
– height 30 cm (~11.8 inches)
– deepest depth 46 cm (~18.1 inches)
– width 61 cm (~24 inches)
Pre-2024 Tesla Model 3 (non-Highland) frunk
– frunk height 20 cm (~7.9 inches)
– frunk depth 38 cm (~15 inches)
– frunk width at 71 cm (~28 inches)
Other features in the Tesla Model 3 Highland
In addition to providing measurements for the trunk, sub-trunk and frunk spaces, Caspar later noted a few of his favorite features in the Model 3 Highland. These included the infotainment screen in the back row, the updated headlights and general Model S-like exterior appearance, and the car’s upgraded sound dampening.
He also notes the ability to control climate and seat heating separately for the right and left rear passengers and the customizable ambient lighting strip across the front interior of the car as impressive updates. Later in the thread, a few users also pointed out that the rear fog lights flash when the trunk is opened, which is another new feature for the refreshed Model 3. When asked if he was able to try the new ventilated seats, Caspar said he hasn’t, though he plans to.
In recent weeks, users have also pointed out the Model 3 Highland’s new features, such as Auto-Shift out of Park, updated airbag placement, a blindspot indicator and several other upgrades. Earlier this week, the Model 3 Highland’s size was also revealed after the vehicle was officially registered with the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.
Lifestyle
Watch Tesla’s “guardian angel” FSD feature take over for collision evasion
Tesla’s Automatic Collision Evasion feature can be seen in one of the first owner videos of it in action.
Tesla owner Spencer (@scotsrule08) posted on Monday that the feature “worked flawlessly,” saying FSD reengaged itself just as he was about to hit a curb. Ashok Elluswamy, who leads Tesla’s AI team, shared the clip and wrote, “A guardian angel always looking out for you.”
The video arrives in the middle of a staged rollout. Tesla first shipped Automatic Collision Evasion with FSD (Supervised) v14.3.9 in software update 2026.27.6 earlier this month, which Teslarati covered as it reached cars. Update 2026.27.10, which began going out on September 19, carried the feature improvements with FSD v14.3.10, according to release notes tracked by Not a Tesla App. The newer 2026.27.11 build is now reaching another wave of vehicles.
The new Automatic Collision Evasion feature worked flawlessly! FSD reengaged itself just as I was about to hit a curb.
Kudos @Tesla_AI team! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Fbp15HhpL2
— Spencer (@scotsrule08) September 28, 2026
The feature only runs on HW4 vehicles, and it requires an active FSD purchase or subscription with both FSD (Supervised) and Automatic Emergency Braking enabled. HW3 owners receive FSD v14.2 Lite in the same updates, but that build does not include collision evasion.
Tesla’s release notes describe two triggers. The first is an imminent frontal collision that braking alone may not prevent, in which case the car can activate FSD to steer, brake or accelerate around the hazard. That scenario is limited to highways below 85 mph, with no pedestrians or cyclists detected and no slippery road surface. The second covers a driver who appears inattentive, such as reaching into the back seat, or who seems to have switched off FSD by accident. Spencer’s curb clip appears to fall into that second category.
Tesla plans big safety improvements for Full Self-Driving v15
Once the system takes over, the accelerator is muted and light brake input will not cancel the maneuver. Drivers need to apply firm, deliberate steering force to take back control, and the car chimes to hand control back once the danger has passed.
Elluswamy recently noted that earlier hazard prediction, faster reaction time and better collision avoidance would arrive with FSD v15, the next major version.
News
Tesla Roadster event gets delayed due to unfavorable weather
Tesla is delaying its event for the Roadster, moving it from this Thursday, October 1, to Thursday, October 15, due to unfavorable weather.
The company has said it has been tracking the weather for this Thursday closely with local meteorologists, and because the event can only be held outside, Tesla is making the call to delay it:
“We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule. New date is October 15. Additional details to follow.”
Roadster event update
We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule.
New date is October 15. Additional details to…
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 28, 2026
We are sure that this is bringing back PTSD for some Tesla fans, and we know it is not ideal, but this also reveals some things about the event. Tesla said that this can only be held outdoors, meaning it bodes well for the rumors that the vehicle could potentially hover.
Some believe that this was essentially confirmed by the FAA airspace restriction they were granted, but this could have been for a drone show or to keep drones from spying on the event.
Tesla Roadster is available for order once again following brief hold
The Roadster event has been long-awaited, and it is unfortunate that the weather is going to keep us all waiting a little bit longer.
The Tesla Roadster will be unveiled in Waco, Texas.
Elon Musk
SpaceX turned a heralding moment for Starship into its greatest
Starship reached orbit despite losing an engine, deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites on Flight 14.
SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday, and for a few nail-biting minutes it looked like it wouldn’t. During ascent on Flight 14, one of Ship 41’s six Raptor engines shut down early, and SpaceX’s livestream host Dan Huot told viewers the team had decided not to commit to orbit. Minutes later, after what Huot described as a lot of conversation in the control room, the final poll came back in favor, and a roughly 19 second burn of a single Raptor pushed the ship into orbit about 170 miles up.
The reversal matters because SpaceX had written the exit ramp into the mission plan. The company said it would only fire the orbital insertion burn if flight controllers confirmed enough backup hardware remained for the deorbit burn, a condition Teslarati laid out ahead of the flight. Losing an engine was exactly the scenario that rule was built for.
Pressing forward fits Elon Musk’s history. Falcon 1 failed three straight times before its fourth launch reached orbit in 2008, with SpaceX nearly out of money, and Starship was developed by flying prototypes until they broke. What changed this year SpaceX going public, and with $SPCX sliding below its IPO price in July when Flight 13 slipped, the short interest climbed significantly, as Teslarati reported at the time. A Starship potentially lost today with revenue generating next-gen Starlink satellites aboard would have landed directly on shareholders.
Splashdown confirmed. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the first orbital flight of Starship! pic.twitter.com/urjmiwnvNl
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 28, 2026
That pressure showed up after orbit. SpaceX cut a flight planned to last nearly 10 hours to about three, moving splashdown from west of Chile to the North Pacific near Hawaii. SpaceX gave no reason, though Musk said this month the company was being extremely cautious about debris risk. The single Raptor for deorbit worked, and Ship 41 completed its flip and landing burn before breaking apart in the water, an outcome SpaceX expected. Musk has structured SpaceX’s governance to shield long term bets from market pressure.
The payload is the bigger business story. Musk posted that all 26 Starlink V3 satellites deployed and are “operating nominally.” Each V3 is rated for about 1 Tbps of downlink and 160 Gbps of uplink, so this single launch adds roughly 26 Tbps, about 10 times what a Falcon 9 load of V2 Mini satellites adds. The V3 is too large for Falcon 9, making Starship the only vehicle that can build out the planned 100,000 satellite constellation, at up to 60 per flight once it reaches routine service. Unlike the 20 V3 units on Flight 13, which reentered on a suborbital path, these will raise their orbits and could begin serving customers within weeks and bring in hundreds of millions of additional dollars in projected Starlink revenue.
SpaceX has already begun winding down Falcon 9 Starlink launches from Florida in favor of Starship. Reported targets put Flight 15 as early as October 19, leaving about three weeks to diagnose Monday’s engine shutdown before the next orbital attempt.
Starship’s 14th flight is set to launch on Monday, Sept 28. The 75-minute launch window opens at 7:15 a.m. CT. Live coverage of the mission starts ~35 minutes before launch → https://t.co/uQKQvgaTmJ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 27, 2026