• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Tesla Said to Update Model S, and Raise the Price

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 10, 2016, 12:22 PM ET
CHINA-AUTO-SHOW
A Tesla Model S P85d car is displayed at the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai on April 20, 2015. Photograph by Johannes Eisele — AFP/Getty Images

Just days after the historic and wildly successful unveiling of its mass-market Model 3 electric sedan, Elon Musk’s Tesla is preparing to announce updates to its high-end Model S. The changes will include both exterior restyling and updates to the interior, as well as a price increase, according to sources inside Tesla cited by Cnet. An official announcement could come within the next week.

The exterior changes will include new LED headlights, and a restyling of the nose to bring the design closer to the Model X and Model 3. Presumably that means something less rounded and more angular. There will also be more exterior color choices.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

On the inside, Cnet’s sources say that the luxury sedan’s front seats will be replaced by those from the Model X SUV. The new Model S will also have more interior storage.

In a statement, Tesla (TSLA) did confirm that price changes would be coming in April, but declined to comment on the substance of any design changes.

The changes would make sense for several reasons. As a luxury car, the Model S appeals to owners who want to have the latest and greatest, so even slight tweaks will bring some existing owners of the now four-year-old S back for a second helping. And with the Model 3 headed to market, making the S more luxurious (and more expensive) will help maintain that car’s sense of exclusivity against its less-expensive sibling.

For more on changes at Tesla, watch our video.

Finally, an improved interior in particular will head off a potential trap built by Tesla’s own success. The company has convinced the market that electric cars aren’t a novelty or niche product, but direct competitors to internal combustion vehicles. That means buyers are making more direct comparisons between the Model S and models like the Audi A-8 and the Mercedes S-Class – and at least sometimes, the Model S interior has been critiqued as a little spartan. So stepping the luxury up a notch is important to keeping Tesla dominant in the category.

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
C-Suite
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a ranch with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Meet the Palm Beach billionaire who paid $2 million for a private White House visit with Trump
By Tristan BoveFebruary 3, 2026
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
How Japan replaced France as the country young Americans obsessively romanticize—they’re longing for civility they don’t see at home
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Bitcoin whales and ETFs are baling out of the market; UBS warns: ‘Crypto is not an asset’
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 6, 2026
18 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

CEO and co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei speaking on stage.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s newest model excels at finding security vulnerabilities—but raises fresh cybersecurity risks
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 6, 2026
9 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentSuper Bowl
Many 2026 Super Bowl ads share a common theme, revealing a truth about America’s current mindset
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
11 hours ago
Cybersecuritydeepfakes
In the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom, AI deepfakes add to the mystery
By Barbara Ortutay, Ed White and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
11 hours ago
Google data center
Big TechData centers
Big Tech’s $630 billion AI spree now rivals Sweden’s economy, unsettling investors: ‘We’ve never invested this much on anything before’
By Jake AngeloFebruary 6, 2026
11 hours ago
AISocial Network
Moltbook, the Reddit for bots, alarms the tech world as agents start their own religion and plot to overthrow humans
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
11 hours ago
AISpaceX
Musk predicts more AI capacity will be in orbit than on earth in 5 years, with SpaceX becoming a ‘hyper-hyper’ scaler
By Jason MaFebruary 6, 2026
11 hours ago