Another new BYD, huh?
You bet. AC Motors and BYD Cars Philippines already confirmed the Atto 3’s arrival during the big announcement way back in August. This joins the Han, the Tang, and the Dolphin in the local lineup. And since this is a five-seater crossover, it fills a gap in BYD’s roster.
Looks pretty good.
While looks are always subjective, I agree that the Atto 3’s styling is pretty good. It’s electric, but the design’s not too over the top like those other futuristic EVs. It looks like a typical gasoline-powered crossover, which makes it less intimidating. If it weren’t for that grille (or a lack thereof) and perhaps those swanky wheels, most people probably wouldn’t suspect it’s electric.
Oh, so it’s electric? Give us the numbers, then.
Powering the Atto 3 is a front-mounted electric motor that generates 201hp and 310Nm of torque. You have two batteries available: there’s a 49.92kWh and a 60.48kWh option. The smaller battery lets the Atto 3 do 0-100kph runs in 7.9sec and allows for a maximum range of 410km. With the bigger battery, 0-100kph is at a quicker 7.3sec, and max range gets bumped up to 480km. For its price point, it’s really looking very promising—but we’ll talk more about those numbers later.
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How long does it take to charge?
The Atto 3 can be charged via a typical 220V wall socket using a portable charger or via AC and DC chargers. Using the portable charger, it’ll take 20 hours to charge from 10-80%. Using a fast charger, the smaller battery takes about five hours to get up to 80% while the larger one takes about six hours. Considering the Atto 3’s 400km+ range, though, having to just charge at home won’t be too big of an issue, especially if you just drive around the metro for the most part. Good luck using up one full charge in just one day.
What’s it like to drive?
Frankly, our test drive wasn’t enough to really get a good feel of how the Atto 3 drives. Yes, there’s instant acceleration when you step on the pedal thanks to that electric powertrain, but I wasn’t exactly able to take that acceleration all the way up to highway speeds. And when you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic like I was during my test drive, you wouldn’t really need that power.
What I can say, though, is that the cabin is a pretty pleasant one to be in, even if you’re in the middle of all the hustle and bustle in a city like Makati. NVH levels are kept to a minimum, and the seats are very comfortable to sit in. The interior is pretty easy on the eyes, too, but that’s assuming you’re okay with the Atto 3’s inside quirks.
By that I mean the likes of the door handles that are positioned the top of the tweeters, as well as the side pockets that have what seem to be guitar strings intended to keep your stuff in place. A few elements of dashboard and center console look rather unusual, too—kind of reminds me of Chinese carmaker GAC’s interior design. Very, very quirky.
Is it worth the price tag?
Two variants were made available at launch. The lower Dynamic trim stickers for P1.598 million while the higher Premium variant goes for P1.798 million—both still well under P2 million and still around the price range of subcompact and compact crossovers in the market.
We can’t definitively say yet if it’ll be worth the asking price, because we still have to properly test it and see just how it is as a true daily driver. But at the very least, we know that in terms of its SRP, it can compete with the likes of the gasoline-powered Honda HR-V, the hybrid Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Kicks, and the all-electric MG4 EV. That’s a good start. Rest assured that once we’re able to take this out for a spin, we’ll make it a point to answer more of your questions.
