The Tesla Model S and Model X might never get the floating, center-mounted, horizontal instrument cluster from the newer Model 3, as had been widely reported based on patent and trademark drawings and insider reports.
On Monday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk quashed the rumors on Twitter, his usual venue, in response to a question from a follower asking when to expect a refreshed Model X.
"There is no 'refreshed' Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes," Musk wrote.
There is no “refreshed” Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes. Most significant change in past few years was to use high efficiency Model 3 rear drive unit as S/X front drive unit. That went into production 3 months ago.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2019
In response to a followup question from the same user specifically about whether the Model X will get a new interior, Musk simply replied: "No."
Tesla watchers had expected the company's higher-end cars to get the new interior, perhaps as a cost-saving measure for the company to commonize the interiors across all its models. The Model S and Model X have separate instrument clusters in front of the steering wheel that the Model 3 lacks, and have a vertical center touch screen, both of which require engineers to program separate display outputs for every new feature the company introduces.
2017 Tesla Model S
The Model S has been on the market for seven years, and the Model X for nearly four. Most other car companies replace popular models after five years and give them a significant update in year three. The announcement that they won't be updated has led some to wonder how long the company plans to keep building the Model S and Model X, especially as it struggles to find factory space to build new models such as the upcoming Model Y SUV, the second-generation Roadster, and the Tesla pickup.
Sales of the luxury models, which some investors have credited for still providing a large share of Tesla's profits, have dropped almost in half since production of the more affordable Model 3 has ramped up, but the company has maintained sales of about 60,000 of the two models a year, a healthy rate considering their luxury-car cost.
