Auto Review: 2024 BYD ATTO 3 is the easy EV from the east

Tesla has asserted its dominance in the EV market for over a decade by selling vehicles that are reliable, technologically forward and fast. It is also run by a charismatic CEO who has built a culture of ‘cool’ around his cars, which everyone wants a piece of. To oust it from the top is a near-impossible task. But with that said, Tesla vehicles are rather expensive and have dull interiors. So then, what’s the next best thing?

From the red corner comes a Chinese company that is pummelling everything else in its domestic EV market (Teslas included), with its versatile range of EV and PHEVs. And today I’m reviewing one of its entry-level products, the 2024 BYD ATTO 3.

Exterior design

The ATTO 3 is a compact SUV measuring just 4,455 mm in length and 1,875 mm in width. Think of it as the size of a Mazda CX-5, but smaller. There’s nothing outrageous or profound in its exterior design. It looks like an aerodynamically shaped crossover with soft lines and a few distinctions that keep it recognisable despite its simplistic outlook. The corrugated lines on the bumpers, the tail lamp that extends the body’s width and the rotor-style 18-inch alloys are some of those. And you can’t miss the big bold letters that read, ‘BUILD YOUR DREAMS’ slapped across the tailgate, which is what BYD stands for, in case you were wondering. Would a motorhead salivate over its design? Probably not. But is it easy on the eye? Without doubt.

Interior design

This is where it gets interesting! The Tesla cabins follow an ethos of minimalism that is now old and dreary, thanks to being overdone. The ATTO 3, on the other hand, is oozing with character. Everywhere you look there is an element that will leave you intrigued. And with its fluid surfaces, corrugated design feature and aluminium-looking trims, it may even feel like the set from a retro space movie to some.

The textured 2-tone dash, the unique bangle-like air vents and the guitar-style door bins (with actual strings you can pluck) is proof that some manufacturers do give creativity a chance. The seats aren’t ordinary either. They look like racing buckets with perforated leatherette upholstery in a 2-tone scheme. The party trick, however, is the giant 12.8-inch screen which can be rotated 90 degrees going from landscape to portrait orientation and vice versa, with just the touch of a button. You’d want to show this off to every new person that enters this vehicle. The infotainment screen graphics are great, but it’s a bit of a bummer that you can’t play Netflix or YouTube on it. That besides, it’s well equipped and that goes for most Chinese vehicles, which have democratised luxury features that were once only seen in high-end models. It also comes with an accessible wireless charger and a good 8-speaker Dirac audio which produces decent fidelity and volume levels to satisfy most ears. If I had to pick a bone, it would have been with the voice command system. It almost never picked up on my instructions. A real case of ‘Chinese whispers’, I would say.

As for accommodation, compact it may be, but the rear quarters are sufficiently lavish. Even I, a 6ft tall adult, had 2 inches of freedom between my knees and front seat. Thankfully, rear vents and USB ports are present here as well. It also has a deep central cubby, and a very square boot can eat up sizeable luggage, but it lacks an automatic boot-shutting button.

Drivetrain and drive

On the roads of Dubai, the ATTO 3 felt light and easy to drive. It’s certainly not ‘Tesla quick’ but never did I feel a lack of oomph. The power is always there when you need it, often accompanied by some torque steer, like in most front-wheel drive vehicles. The good news is that it also coasts over bumps comfortably for the most part, although there is some unnecessary bounce occasionally. The compact size and traction levels also make it fun to drive at most speeds. What powers the ATTO 3 is a single motor that draws electricity from a 60.5kWh battery. BYD claims a range of 420kms on a single charge and it did show an optimistic 450kms on the tiny 5-inch instrument screen. But in the end, it clocked just 400kms, which to be honest, isn’t much but enough to keep ‘range anxiety’ at a distance. And you can get it back to full juice at either a 7 kW AC outlet in a few hours or in a matter of minutes using an 80kW DC outlet.

Safety wise, the electronic chaperones of the ADAS suite are a bit over enthusiastic. It has the habit of braking too early for maintaining distance or assertively turning you back into your lane at times. Some of these safety features lacks finesse, but I’d be happy to have them as an owner and driver. It also has a high-quality 360-degree camera for all those tight parking spots and a 5-Star Euro NCAP safety rating…if you’re the type that worries about worst case scenarios.

Verdict

At a starting price of Dh149,900, the 2024 BYD ATTO 3 undercuts most Teslas significantly. It’s a good size and it is easy on the eye. It also has an intriguing cabin design equipped with an extensive list of conveniences and is easy to steer around town with adequate power and obedient road manners. This makes it a compelling choice for most EV buyers. I really can’t comment on reliability and resale at this point but knowing that the price includes an 8-year/150,000km battery warranty, 6-year/150,000km vehicle warranty and 5-year/100,000 service contract is something that may sway many. It’s not a dream vehicle by any means, but as the motto says, it’s a good road companion to help ‘BUILD YOUR DREAMS', with some room for improvement.

SPECIFICATIONS

Body type - 5-seater; 5-door compact crossover SUV

Motor - Lithium Ferrous Phosphate 60.5kWh w/ Permanent Magnet Sync Motor; front-wheel drive

Transmission - Automatic

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