BYD Atto 3 (Yuan Plus) launches in Australia from $44,990 driveaway, deliveries from July

BYD’s Atto 3 will reach Australian customer’s hands from July 2022.

• Priced from $44,990 Driveaway, available in Standard Range and Extended Range variants

• Standard Range - 50.1 kWh Blade Battery with 320 km (WLTP) range

• Extended Range - 60.4 kWh Blade Battery with 420 km (WLTP) range

• 150kW/310Nm front-mounted motor, front wheel drive platform

• 80kW maximum DC charge rate, with 90 minute charge time

What is the BYD Atto 3?

The Atto 3 (Yuan Plus in China) is the first volume passenger model in right hand drive to be imported by Nexport, and has been priced to compete with MG’s ZS EV head on. Sharing the MG’s $44,990 driveaway pricing — in Tasmania only mind you — the Atto 3 actually costs more than that headline figure in New South Wales $47,110 driveaway), South Australia ($46,700 driveaway) and most other states and territories, though various EV incentives should bring that price down by around $2,000-$3,000 Australian dollars.

While we’ve seen Nexport use the BYD Han sedan and Tang large SUV for promotional purposes as the brand launched in Australia last year, we’ve always had an inkling that BYD’s local launch headliner would be a compact SUV. With eight of Australia’s top ten-selling vehicles in January 2022 offering an elevated ride height, this segment of the market is where the sales are (like it or not fellow wagon fans).

Which models will make it to Australia?

Two models will be available at launch, a Standard Range variant with a 50.1 kWh battery and 320km range, and an Extended Range variant with a 60.4 kWh battery and 420km range. It was hoped that an 800 volt electrical architecture would be standard on the Atto 3 as part of the brand's next-generation offering, but it appears that hasn't made the cut for budget reasons. BYD claims a maximum DC charging rate of 80kW, taking a leisurely 90 minutes to fill the Blade Battery (though the company hasn't stated whether that is for a 0-100 percent charge, or for a 10-80% charge). AC charging is available, with support for 3-phase charging capability.

The front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor drives the front wheels, and offers 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque. While BYD hasn't confirmed the weight of the models arriving in Australia (we expect it to be around 1,500-1,600kg), the company quotes a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 7.3 seconds, 1.2 seconds faster than the current generation MG ZS EV.

BYD Atto 3 design and interior

The Atto 3's exterior is a pleasing if restrained SUV design. Chinese automakers from BYD to Great Wall Motors, Nio and Xpeng now understand that consumers - domestically and abroad - crave design and perceived quality over straight-out value, and the BYD Atto 3 designed by Wolfgang Egger (of Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione fame) is a far cry from what many western consumers think of when you say "Chinese car". Sure, the slim LED headlamps, faux, muscular air intakes, sharp hip-line, textured C-pillar and wraparound tail lights seem to be common EV styling tropes of the 2020s, but the overall look of BYD's "Dragon Face" design language is clean, cohesive, and contemporary; its one of the nicest looking compact SUVs on the market. We're still not sure of that naff "Build Your Dreams" lettering on the rear hatch though.

Music and fitness were the inspiration behind this cockpit.

Over to the inside, and...yeah. It's not to our tastes, with BYD citing design influences from "fitness and music". To us, that should translate as a strong, high-quality cabin, and a high-end audio system, but BYD's interior designs are trying to appeal to the youth of today, not your grandpa looking to trade in his circa-2000s Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Interior door grips look like fitness equipment, and the HVAC system has odd rotating wheels (they remind us of a Boeing 737's trim wheels) that are meant to take inspiration from dumbbells. There are elastic ropes to secure items in the door bins (like XXX) which BYD says are inspired by guitar strings. Yes, they make a noise when "plucked", and yes, those of us with toddlers will never, ever buy this car for that reason.

There's a mix of shapes and textures inside, many of them appearing to be quite soft to the touch. Standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof that electrically slides, power tailgate, 12.8-inch rotating central infotainment screen, 5-inch digital driver's info display, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and start, digital radio, electric seats, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth with audio streaming. Oh, and there's in car karaoke, and a guitar controller. There's a full complement of active and passive safety systems, from Intelligent Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control and Lane Departure Warning, to front and rear collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

Size and packaging of the BYD Atto 3

The size of the Atto 3 is on par with Hyundai's Kona Electric and Kia's Niro EV. there's a wheelbase of 2,720mm, and an overall length of 4,455mm. We'll have to wait and see what this actually means for passengers and their luggage, and whether a front boot is included, but expect the Atto 3 to be able to handle a large suitcase and a couple of carry-ons in the rear, and there's likely to be a similar amount of space to the aforementioned Koreans. BYD has yet to provide any figures for luggage capacity.

What do we think? We'll have to wait to drive it of course, but our mantra is greater choice in the market (especially at the cheaper end) is unquestionably a great thing. BYD's (and Nexport's) greatest challenge will not necessarily be convincing customers that the Atto 3 suits their needs, rather that customers can trust the brand to provide a high level of customer service right throughout the buying process and ownership period, and secure enough vehicle stock in a timely manner.