The BYD Atto 3 isn’t just one of the newest EVs to land on Australian shores but also a whole new brand! BYD is bringing its affordable medium-sized SUV to the Australian market from China, with a spacious car perfect for families.

BYD stands for ‘Build Your Dreams’, so let’s take a look at whether this car might be the EV of your dreams!

Overview

Variants: Standard Range and Extended Range

Range: 320km and 480km

Charging time and ports:

12 hours on a 7kW charger or 45 minutes on a DC charger. The BYD Atto 3 comes with Type 2 and CCS charging ports.

Battery: 50.1kWh and 60.48kWh

Power: 150 kW

Efficiency (Vehicle consumption): 144 Wh/km

Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 7.3s

Top Speed: 160 km/h

Torque: 310 Nm

Weight: 2,090kg and 2,160kg

Dimensions: L 4,455mm, W 1,875mm and H 1,615

Design & look

The BYD Atto 3’s biggest competitor at the moment is the MG ZS EV, with both sitting on the more affordable end of the spectrum. However, while the BYD Atto 3 is slightly more expensive than the MG ZS EV, it might be the better car for you.

The BYD Atto 3 is a sturdier build than the MG ZS EV and is also more spacious and comfortable. It also has a bigger battery and a more powerful electric motor.

While the BYD Atto 3’s design is nothing groundbreaking on the outside, it’s still a good-looking car with a clean look.

When it comes to driving the Atto 3, BYD perhaps missed the opportunity to use one-pedal driving, which many manufacturers use for regenerative braking. The car is also, sadly, not built for speed, if that’s your thing. It also comes with cheaper tyres that you might want to replace. However, having said that, it’s a comfortable, smooth and quiet drive that’s great for around town.

You might find there is a bit of body roll, and at low speeds, the brakes can be a little jumpy, but you’ll get used to it!

You also get a 430L boot, which is pretty good for a mid-sized SUV. You can make it a little deeper if you want to, but you will also find that there is no spare tyre, which is why you get that two-position boot. You will find your charging cables and a tyre repair kit underneath.

Features and interior

There’s a lot going on inside the BYD Atto 3. BYD has put a lot of interesting design work into the interior of the Atto 3, with air vents that look like weight plates at the gym. There’s also a white detailing through the car that is meant to resemble muscle, which is a bit odd but open to interpretation, we guess! The gear shifter also gives a dumbbell vibe, with options for drive mode, regenerative mode, volume control and more in that space.

The screen is one of the coolest parts of the car as it can be switched from portrait to landscape, offering a little flexibility depending on how you like things. However, it doesn’t currently have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but it is coming, and you will need it because the car’s included system isn’t great.

You also get wireless phone charging, cupholders and decent storage in the armrest.

In keeping with the innovation, you also get a funky door handle, which also houses the car’s speakers.

There’s a lot of space inside the BYD Atto 3, and in the back seat, you will be comfortable sitting in any of the three seats and have plenty of legroom, making it a great family car. The rear passengers also get air vents, which are quite powerful, and two USB ports to keep everyone’s devices charged up.

There are also pockets in the back of the seats for phones, your standard map pocket, and the fun door handle that you get in the front. There are two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and small bottle holders in the doors as well.

Performance

The standard range variant of the BYD Atto 3 provides 320km of range with a 50.1kWh battery, while the extended range variant gets 420km of range and a 60.48kWh battery. This puts the Atto 3 ahead of the MG ZS EV, which only has a 44.5kWh battery that offers 263km of range. However, this will soon change when the new facelifted versions of the car are released.

Both variants of the Atto 3 support 7kW AC charging with a Type 2 plug and 80kW DC fast charging using a CSS Type 2 port, which will take the car from 20 to 80% in just 45 minutes.

You also get vehicle-to-load (V2L), offering 2.2kW of power which can be used to power appliances using your car’s battery – great if your family loves camping!

The BYD Atto 3 can go from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds, similar to the Volvo XC40 and a second faster than the MG ZS EV.

Safety and warranty

The BYD Atto 3 has yet to be tested by ANCAP, and it’s likely that we won’t know for a little while what its rating is. However, you get seven airbags, including a centre airbag, front and rear collision warning, front and rear auto emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring system and 360˚ view monitor.

There are two ISOFIX points in the backseat, and there will likely be three top-tether points. However, as the car has not officially arrived in Australia, it’s hard to tell just yet if that’s the case or not.

You will get a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for the BYD Atto 3, while the battery is covered in a separate seven-year/160,000km term.

The first service at 5,000km is free for the BYD Atto 3, while the subsequent visits will be every 15,000km after.

Summary

The BYD Atto 3 is a perfect family car for around town, thanks to its generously sized interior. It will also be one of the most affordable EVs in Australia. And while it might not beat the MG ZS EV for the price, it delivers better power and range, making it worth that little extra.

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