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2021 Tesla Model S prototype spied testing, could be facelifted model

A mysterious 2021 Tesla Model S prototype has been spotted testing in the US, which many believe is our first look at an upcoming facelift for the Tesla's flagship electric sedan.


The blue, manufacturer-registered example spotted by Twitter user @klwtts features a new rear diffuser, black tailgate trim (replacing chrome on current cars) and tweaked revised headlight and front fog light signatures, suggesting an assortment of mild exterior updates are in the works for the Model S.

The test car's wheel arches are also markedly wider than standard Model S variants, leading many online to suggest it could be a development prototype for the upcoming Plaid performance flagship, due to arrive in late 2021 with three electric motors delivering 820 all-paw kilowatts and a sub-2.1-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

Should the standard range receive a facelift, it's likely the Plaid halo would also benefit from the updates – consider this prototype a combination of both.

Drive

However, the most significant updates due to arrive with the refreshed Model S are expected not to be on the exterior, but rather inside the cabin, where rumours point to a redesigned dashboard dominated by a tablet-style, horizontal touchscreen inspired by the smaller Model 3 and Model Y.

An interior overhaul for Tesla's flagship sedan would be the second major update since its introduction in 2012, following an exterior facelift in 2016, with no next-generation model in sight.

The 2021 Tesla Model S facelift is expected to debut in full in the coming months, ahead of the Plaid's scheduled market launch towards year's end.

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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