BYD doesn’t pursue straightforward performance goals either: the Atto 3 accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds. Slow by today’s electrical standards, but perfectly fast enough for a car like this. Remember: It should be an inexpensive family car that can be integrated into your everyday life. Too many electric vehicles have rocket power that your passengers, your dog, and your groceries simply can’t handle. The acceleration of the Atto 3 is sufficient and we are here for it.
The range is of course far more important. BYD’s 260 mile (WLTP) claim puts it 25 miles behind the Kia Niro EV and 23 behind the £45,000/$44,000 Tesla Model Y, but 11 ahead of the similarly priced Škoda Enyaq. Factor in driving style and temperature, and you should expect a real-world range of around 220 miles. Not bad, but you’ll still be craving faster charging every time you plug in the device.
The brakes are fine, although the pedal is spongy, and the switch from regenerative braking to using discs and pads is well done. There are two levels of regeneration to choose from, via a toggle switch on the center console or by dipping into the touchscreen, but neither is particularly strong and unfortunately driving with a pedal isn’t an option.
As this is a new car that meets the latest European safety standards, the usual disappointments are all present and justified. You will be notified every time you exceed the speed limit, even by just 2 miles per hour. Because traffic sign recognition makes mistakes, the car’s voice assistant will sometimes berate you if it misinterprets a sign. Surprisingly, the navigation screen and the driver display sometimes disagree about the speed limit. In other cases, no limit is displayed at all.
There’s no Tesla Autopilot-style autonomous driving, but the Atto 3 still has lane keeping assist, among other driver assistance systems. Normally there’s a slight feedback when you go over a road marking, but twice during our 90-minute drive the car gripped the steering wheel like a panicked driving instructor. The first time it happened was a real shock, as the steering wheel was pulled for no apparent reason, and as with these systems on almost all new cars, the first intervention sows a seed of doubt that never really goes away. As always, it’s best to turn these systems down to the least invasive setting.
Taste of things to come
What to think of the BYD Atto 3? The question might also be: What should we make of the coming flood of electric cars being built by Chinese companies that are giants at home but unknown in the West?
This is clearly not a car for driving enthusiasts. And even if it’s not groundbreaking, the Atto 3 is definitely an electric car. It has a fun, spacious and beautifully designed interior that comes standard with equipment often hidden in the options lists of more expensive German cars.
The touchscreen software still needs some work and permanent climate control is a must for us. Both performance and range are fine and ride quality is fine, but we wish all the battery expertise had resulted in faster charging.
Ultimately, the Atto 3 does little to stand out in the rapidly crowded segment of the electric vehicle market. It feels well-made and offers good value for money, but while the glitzy Mayfair showroom promises a lot, the unfamiliar badge asks buyers to take a leap of faith.