BYD Atto 3

One of BYD’s highly sought-after models, the Atto 3, upgraded for the year 2025 and launched in Malaysia.

A Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), the C-segment e-crossover (compact SUV) underpins BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 electric architecture and BYD’s Blade Battery Technology.

Fully imported (CBU - China), available via Sime Motors (BYD Cars Malaysia) is one variant (Atto 3 Ultra - MYR 124,500).

Price (OTR, w/o insurance) includes vehicle (six years/150,000 KM), Blade battery (eight years/160,000 KM) and drive unit (eight years/150,000 KM) warranties.

Three exterior colours (Ski White, Harbour Grey, Cosmos Black). One interior colour (Black - Yellow stitching).

The new Atto 3 gets a cascading-concave and tiered dashboard, linked to a high-rising-wide-floating centre console (under-stowage).

Soft-/hard-touched (dash, steering wheel, centre console, doors), it sees a single-tone (Black) with contrast trims (Silver) colour scheme.

Centre-staged is a floating-rotating central display (landscape/portrait - infotainment), flanked by a slim-floating driver display (instrument cluster).

Filling-up the spaces are gear-esque air-conditioning vents, guitar-string speaker décor (door panels) and ambient lights (multi-colour, rhythm).

Inclusively, the cockpit layout is airy and non-cluttered, with accessibilities ergonomically arranged (driver-centric, passenger-oriented).

Installed is a 5.0-Inch LCD digital driver display (instrument cluster).

Interior of the five-seater sees leatherette upholstery in a single-tone (Black) with contrast stitching (Yellow) colour scheme. 

The front gets electric-powered (driver - six-way, passenger - four-way) bolstered seats. The rear gets a manual-operated (60:40 split-flat-fold) bolstered bench.

Included are armrests (front - centre console, rear - centre seat fold-out) and panoramic glass sunroof (full roof, electric - slide/tilt, sunshade).

For an e-crossover (compact SUV), the cabin offers generous space with comfortable seatings, providing ample interior mobility for the occupants (front, rear). 

Sufficient head-, shoulder- and leg-room. 

Offering comfort and space, this is courtesy of the e-Platform 3.0, which has a long wheelbase and a rear cabin flat floor.

Mounted is a three-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in leather (Black) with contrast trimmings (Silver).

Features are multi-function (Media, Voice Assistant, Bluetooth, ACC - Adaptive Cruise Control) and column adjustments (tilt, telescopic).

Aiding the drive is an Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system.

Practical storages available. E.g., centre console caverned/partitioned/under-stowage spaces, glove box and seat back/side door pockets.

Provided are four cup holders (two - front, rear) and four bottle holders (one - side doors).

Installed are one 12 V power socket (front), four USB ports (two - front, rear) and one wireless charger (front).

Included is a 3.3 KW Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) charging function for powering of external devices.

Accessing its electric-powered (contactless - one-touch open/close, remote/key fob) tailgate, opens to 440-Litres (rear seats up) and 1,340-Litres (rear seats down) of load capacities.

Weighing in at 1,750 KG, the new Atto 3 stands at 4,455 MM in length, 1,875 MM in width, 1,615 MM in height and with a wheelbase spanning 2,720 MM.

Aerodynamically athletic, the front-end adopts BYD’s Dragon Face 3.0 design language, exuding clean and sharply sculpted lines.

Equipped is a moulded-bonnet, rounded quarter panels, a bar trim (BYD emblem), a vented (Black - corner/centre) bumper (grille-deleted) and an under-guard (Silver). 

Accentuations, body clad (Black - bumper, fenders, side sills), body trims (Black - vent inserts, side mirror arms, window surrounds/Chrome - centre bar, BYD emblem) and roof rails (Silver).

Aerodynamically smooth, the rear-end with a mildly dipped roofline is angularly upright exuding seamlessly jointed and horizontally striking contours.

Equipped is a roof-edge spoiler, fish-scaled D-pillars, a pointed-tailgate (BYD emblem), a contoured bumper (corner-cutouts) and an under-guard (Silver).

Accentuations, body clad (Black - bumper, fenders, side sills), body trims (Black - spoiler, D-pillars, shark fin antenna, window surrounds/Chrome - centre strip, BYD emblem) and roof rails (Silver).

Angularly framed, the ‘Wing Feather Dragon Crystal’ headlamps are with a slit-like lightbar. Installed are full LED units.

Features are sequential turn signals, ‘Dragon Whiskers’ Daytime Running Lights (DRL), automatic On/Off/high-beam, Adaptive Front Light (AFL), unlock/lock ‘breathing’ animation and Follow-Me-Home lights.

Sleekly housed, the ‘Serpent-esque’ tail lamps are in a full-width (lightbar) design. Centre-slim with slightly broad wrapped-around edges. Installed are LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off, sequential turn signals, unlock/lock ‘breathing’ animation, and Follow-Me-Home lights.

The side mirrors (two-toned - Black-body-colour) are electric-powered (auto-fold, adjust), with turn-signals, blind spot-indicators (Blind Spot Detection - BSD) and heating.

Mounted is a set of ventilated (front) and solid (rear) disc brakes. Drive is aided by Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and regenerative braking systems.

Sportily designed, fitted is a set of 18-Inch dual-tone (Black-Silver) turbine-style alloy rims, rubbered-up in 235/50 R18 (front, rear) Continental EcoContact 6 Q tyres.

The new Atto 3 features the following sets of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). 

Grouped are Full Speed Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop/Go (ACC-S/G), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Door Open Warning (DOW) and Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB). 

Other systems, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill-Descent Control (HDC), Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEB) and Adaptive Front Light (AFL).

Passive safety consists of seven airbags (driver-passenger, driver far-side, front sides, front-rear curtains), seat belts (pretensioners, anchors, reminders), ISOFIX (outer rear seats), electronic child lock, automatic door locks (speed-sensing, central locking), parking cameras (reverse, 360-degree), parking sensors (two-front, four-rear), Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Four selectable drive modes (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT, SNOW).

Installed is a rotating (landscape, portrait) 15.6-Inch central display (touchscreen infotainment). 

The system supports Bluetooth, voice assistant, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (wireless).

Entertainment is channelled via a Dirac HD sound system (eight speakers), featuring guitar strings decoration (speaker cover - door panels).

The new Atto 3 nestles a single (front-mounted) electric motor (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor - PMSM) setup, generating 150 KW (201 HP) and 310 NM. 

Churning the setup is a single-speed automatic transmission.

Power is transmitted to the front wheels, via a Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) system.

0 to 100 KM/H acceleration is done in 7.3 seconds.

Underpinning a 400-Volt electrical architecture, the e-motor is juiced-up by a BYD Blade Battery (60.48 KWH - Lithium Iron Phosphate - LFP), enabling a 420 KM (WLTP) of driving range.

AC charging (7 KW - Type 2) takes 9.7 hours for a 0% to 100% State of Charge (SoC). DC charging (88 KW - CCS2) takes 40 minutes for a 10% to 80% SoC.

Included is a 3.3 KW Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) charging function for powering of external devices. 

The new Atto 3 features these conveniences.

E.g., keyless entry system (entry, engine Start/Stop), portable card key (NFC - side mirror sensor), voice assistant, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning (rear-vents, CN95 air-filter, PM2.5 air-filter), heat pump, steering wheel (multi-function, column adjustments, voice assistant, EPAS), side mirrors (blind spot-indicators, heating, auto-fold/adjust), electric-powered (driver - six-way, passenger - four-way) bolstered seats (front), armrests (front - centre console, rear - centre seat fold-out), panoramic glass sunroof (full roof, electric - slide/tilt, sunshade), LED interior lighting (ambient, reading, boot), electric-powered (contactless - one-touch open/close, remote/key fob) tailgate, automatic door locks (speed-sensing, central locking), automatic headlamps (On/Off/high-beam), automatic wipers (rain sensing, intermittent), automatic windows (one-touch up/down, anti-pinch), parking cameras (reverse, 360-degree), parking sensors (two-front, four-rear), Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold, Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) charging function and wireless charger. 

Installed is a dual-zone automatic air-conditioning system (rear-vents, CN95 air-filter, PM2.5 air-filter).

Ride comfortability feels flexible and firm at the same time. The e-crossover delivers a comfortable and light steering feel, smooth overall electric performance at all speeds.

Underpinned is the e-Platform 3.0 (BYD Cell-To-Body (CTB) architecture), propped-up by MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspensions.

Good sound insulation with most of the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) aspects accounted for. The ride is quiet, refined and the road noise is mostly muted.

The new BYD Atto 3 exudes a sleek and energy filled outlook. Its ‘Dragon Face’ design language that features smooth and seamless body contours just speaks electric.

Interior-wise, its innovative layout with many elements of advanced sophistication, gives a sense of airiness and easy connectivity to the occupants in the vehicle.

Ultimately, inside and out the build quality is satisfactory, and with its distinctive outlook and energising powertrain, the upgraded BYD Atto 3 is truly a contender in its segment.