Photo: Tesla China via Weibo
Tesla makes some of the safest vehicles on the market today, but the owner's manual shows the Model 3 Highland does not come with knee airbags, at least in Europe. Instead, the refreshed Model 3 has a center airbag between the front seats.
Every Tesla model sold worldwide fulfills the highest safety standards, routinely scoring top grades in crash tests. Thus, the expectations are high that the Tesla Model 3 Highland will be the new segment leader in terms of safety. Tesla made structural improvements to the Model 3 and critical changes to the passive safety features.
Among these changes is a new restraint system, including a new center airbag between the front seats that should help in case of a T-bone crash. Still, as Tesla shared the owner's manual online, American customers were puzzled that the refreshed Model 3 does not feature knee airbags for the driver and the first passenger.
The previous model sold in the US does come with knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. A similar feature was not offered in Europe, and it's not available on the OG Model 3 that is still sold in the RHD markets, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom. Thus, the Europeans are probably not surprised that the Model 3 Highland does not feature knee airbags.
At this stage, it's unclear whether the Model 3 Highland sold in the US will have knee airbags. Tesla might decide that the benefits of knee airbags don't justify the added costs. This conclusion would not be very surprising, considering that the IIHS found in 2019 that knee airbags provide little benefit in case of a crash. Still, this type of airbag might offer protection to unbelted occupants in real-world crashes, as IIHS admits.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 does feature an additional airbag compared to the old model. This deploys from the driver's seat, just like the side airbag, but between the driver and the front passenger. The center airbag is becoming increasingly popular with carmakers, as it is believed to offer protection in case of a side impact (T-bone crash) by preventing the front occupants from bumping into each other. It also shields the far-side passenger from the impact.
Tesla first introduced the center airbag on the Model Y sold in China and Europe in August 2022. Recently, a center airbag has also been installed in the Model Y sold in the US, as well as the refreshed Model S and Model X. The Model 3 still doesn't come with a center airbag in North America. However, this doesn't mean it won't be fitted in the future. Considering all other models got one in the past year, the Model 3 Highland will likely come with a center airbag state-side.
Among these changes is a new restraint system, including a new center airbag between the front seats that should help in case of a T-bone crash. Still, as Tesla shared the owner's manual online, American customers were puzzled that the refreshed Model 3 does not feature knee airbags for the driver and the first passenger.
The previous model sold in the US does come with knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. A similar feature was not offered in Europe, and it's not available on the OG Model 3 that is still sold in the RHD markets, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom. Thus, the Europeans are probably not surprised that the Model 3 Highland does not feature knee airbags.
At this stage, it's unclear whether the Model 3 Highland sold in the US will have knee airbags. Tesla might decide that the benefits of knee airbags don't justify the added costs. This conclusion would not be very surprising, considering that the IIHS found in 2019 that knee airbags provide little benefit in case of a crash. Still, this type of airbag might offer protection to unbelted occupants in real-world crashes, as IIHS admits.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 does feature an additional airbag compared to the old model. This deploys from the driver's seat, just like the side airbag, but between the driver and the front passenger. The center airbag is becoming increasingly popular with carmakers, as it is believed to offer protection in case of a side impact (T-bone crash) by preventing the front occupants from bumping into each other. It also shields the far-side passenger from the impact.
Tesla first introduced the center airbag on the Model Y sold in China and Europe in August 2022. Recently, a center airbag has also been installed in the Model Y sold in the US, as well as the refreshed Model S and Model X. The Model 3 still doesn't come with a center airbag in North America. However, this doesn't mean it won't be fitted in the future. Considering all other models got one in the past year, the Model 3 Highland will likely come with a center airbag state-side.
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