Introduction

BYD or Build Your Dreams has stepped into the passenger EV game with a brand-new electric SUV, the Atto 3. Joining its brother, the E6 MPV, the newest electric SUV takes the SKD route to India and brings in an array of modern features, level 2 ADAS tech, and a potent electric powertrain. What is it all about? Let’s take a closer look at it.

How is it on the outside?

One look at the BYD Atto 3 and it appeals you with its futuristic and quirky design. The sleek LED headlamps with integrated DRLs look sporty and are further connected by the illuminated light stripe that runs below the brushed aluminium front grille which has the ‘BYD’ lettering at the centre. As for the dimensions, the Atto 3 measures 4,455mm in length and has a wheelbase of 2,720mm.

Moving to the side, the roofline arcs and flows down to the D-pillar which breaks the colour monotony with a contrasting silver shade and a ripple pattern. The wing mirrors are electrically adjustable and foldable and if need arises, can be heated too. The Atto 3 rides on 18-inch alloy wheels. The swirl-type design along with the dual-tone finish goes well with the overall profile of the EV.

At the rear, the roof spoiler and the wraparound design of the LED tail lamps look stylish and are adjoined by a light stripe. Further down, we found the design of the bumper a bit too busy which gets black elements and a silver skid plate. The boot of the electric SUV can gobble up to 440 litres of baggage.

How is it on the inside?

Stepping inside the cabin of the Atto 3, it feels modern, premium, and the wave-type layout of the dual-tone blue and grey dashboard does look interesting. However, the party piece is the massive 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that can be rotated for either a landscape or a portrait view of the screen. Another interesting element are the quirky door handles that are placed above the round speakers that are mounted on the door pads.

The three-spoke steering wheel commands the five-inch digital instrument cluster that initially may look small but is easy to read and gives out all the necessary information. Both the front seats are drapped in leather upholstery and can be adjusted electrically. Talking about the rear row, the occupants are pampered with a flat floor, rear aircon vents, armrest with cupholders, and door and seatback pockets.

As for the features, the Atto 3 is filled to the brim and comes with a wireless charger, a panoramic sunroof, an air purifier, 31-colour ambient lighting, four USB ports, a 360-degree camera, and an eight-speaker sound system. While the electric SUV is equipped with keyless entry and a push start/stop button, there’s also an option to unlock and start the vehicle using an NFC key card.

This BYD scores well on safety as well and is equipped with seven airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS with EBD, and hill descent control. And that’s not all. It also gets a host of ADAS functions in its arsenal. Some of these include front and rear collision warning, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, a blind spot monitor, emergency automatic braking, and rear cross-traffic alert with brake assist.

Battery packs and charging options

The Atto 3 is offered in a single battery 60.48kWh battery pack which feeds the electric motors to churn out 201bhp and 310Nm of peak torque. The electric SUV has a claimed ARAI driving range of 521km with a sprint time of 7.3 seconds. Further, the Atto 3 is equipped with Eco, Normal, and Sports drive modes and also supports ‘Vehicle-to-Load’ function which means the EV can be used to charge external appliances.

To juice up the battery, the 80kW DC charger takes merely 50 minutes to charge from zero to 80 per cent. Meanwhile, the 7.2kW AC charger takes up to 10 hours to recharge the battery. The battery is offered with eight years and 1.6 lakh kilometres while the motor is covered with eight years/1.5-lakh kilometres warranty plan.

When will it launch and what will it cost?

The bookings for the Atto 3 are now open for Rs 50,000 while the prices are slated to be announced next month. BYD India will commence with the official deliveries from January 2023 and the EV maker plans to deliver 500 units in the first batch.

Upon the announcement of prices next month, the BYD Atto 3 is expected to be priced between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom) and will go up against the likes of MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Tata Nexon EV.