BYD Atto 3 electric SUV is likely to be a premium alternative to other premium electric crossovers like MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, with prices expected to hover around Rs 25-30 lakh (ex-showroom).
Despite the relationship between India and China hitting hard notes, Chinese automakers continue to fancy India’s huge and growing automobile market, especially as the favourable sentiment towards electric vehicles (EVs) gains momentum.
Shenzhen-based BYD (Build Your Dreams) Auto is one such manufacturer that intends to expand its business in India. The company set foot in the country last year with its all-electric people’s mover E6 exclusive for B2B (fleet) buyers. The MPV was later made available for private buyers earlier this year.
BYD has now unveiled its second offering for the Indian market in the form of Atto 3. The electric SUV will be locally assembled with Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits at the company’s Sriperumbudur facility near Chennai. While prices will be announced next month, they are expected to be Rs 25-30 lakh. Deliveries are expected to commence from January 2023 onwards.
The car will be offered as a single, fully-loaded trim (vehicle configuration). BYD has started accepting bookings for the electric SUV at a token amount of Rs 50,000. The battery-powered crossover will lock its horns against the likes of MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric although it is larger in size.
Exterior design and dimensions
Atto 3 measures 4,445mm in length, 1,875mm in width, and 1,615mm in width and offers a wheelbase of 2,720mm along with a boot capacity of 440 litres. This makes it 275mm longer than Kona Electric and 132mm longer than MG ZS EV. The exterior design is based on what BYD calls ‘Dragon Face 3.0’ theme although the overall layout is similar to a contemporary EV.
Up front, the car gets a blanked-off silver nose with ‘BYD’ lettering at the centre, flanked by a pair of swept-back LED headlights integrated with wing-shaped LED DRLs. The side profile is clean and dominated by sharp creases and a prominent shoulder line. It stands on 18-inch, five-spoke, dual-tone alloy wheels while the C-pillar gets a nice silver finish, adding more contrast to the design.
The rear end looks fairly simple with full-length LED tail-lamps, a roof-mounted spoiler, a chunky dual-tone bumper and a chunky dual-tone bumper being the most prominent highlights. BYD is offering four exterior paint options on the electric SUV– blue, grey, red and white.
Interiors and features
Atto 3’s interiors get a pleasant blue and white dual-tone theme complemented by a layered dashboard design and unique air-con vents. Adding flamboyance is a 12.8-inch rotating central touchscreen infotainment unit on the dashboard and door-mounted circular speakers. Red accents on seat upholstery and steering wheel, further add to the sporty appeal.
Given its premium positioning, the electric SUV is heavily loaded with features such as full LED lighting, a flat-bottom multi-function steering wheel, a 5-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a powered tailgate, powered front driver and passenger seats, multi-coloured ambient lighting, etc.
The carmaker has also not shied away from stacking safety features such as seven airbags, electronic stability control, a 360-degree camera, traction control, hill descent control and electric parking brake with auto-hold. It is also equipped with a comprehensive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) suite that offers features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring and more.
Powertrain specs
Powering Atto 3 is a permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the front axle and deriving energy from a 60.48 kWh BYD Blade battery. This setup returns a peak output of 201 bhp and 310 Nm of torque and an ARAI-rated range of 521 km. As for performance, BYD claims that the SUV can sprint to 100 kmph from rest in just 7.3 seconds.
The car can be charged from 0 to 80% in 50 minutes via an 80kW DC fast charger. A Type 2 AC charger can juice up the battery pack to full in 9.5-10 hours. BYD will offer two charging options: a 7kW AC home charger and a 3kW AC portable charging box.
Based on BYD’s e-platform 3.0, Atto 3 comes with vehicle-to-load capabilities on power output of 3.3kW, enabling the car to be used as an electric power source for external appliances. Regenerative braking technology is also a part of the package.
Warranty and offers
The Chinese brand is offering customers a standard warranty of 6 years/1,50,000 km, along with an 8 years/1,60,000 km warranty on the battery pack. To woo new buyers, the company is offering a three-year free subscription to 4G data, a six-year roadside assistance package, and six free maintenance services as a promotional package.