Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) has unveiled the Atto 3 EV SUV in the Indian market today. While the price announcement is slated for next month, the company has started accepting bookings for the electric SUV for a token amount of Rs 50,000. Deliveries for the first 500 units will commence from January 2023.
The Atto 3 is the second model from BYD for India, after the e6 MPV, which was recently made available to private buyers. The SUV will come to India as a CKD unit and will be assembled at the carmaker’s Sriperumbudur facility near Chennai.
- The Atto 3 will get 7 airbags, including a centre airbag
- Capable of vehicle to load function to charge appliances
- Comes equipped with ADAS technology
BYD Atto 3: exterior design and dimensions
The Atto 3 gets a blanked-off silver grille at the front with BYD lettering in the centre, and it is flanked by sleek headlights with wing-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamps. The SUV has a clean profile with blacked-out wheel arches and a single prominent shoulder line. It features 18-inch five-spoke, dual-tone alloy wheels and a unique silver finish on the C-pillar.
At the rear, the Atto 3 boasts a clean look for the tail gate with full-length LED tail-lamps, a roof-mounted spoiler, a large “Build Your Dreams” lettering and a chunky dual-tone bumper.
The Atto 3 measures 4,445mm in length, 1,875mm in width and 1,615mm in width, has a wheelbase of 2,720mm and a boot capacity of 440 litres. This makes it 132mm longer than the MG ZS EV and 275mm longer than the Hyundai Kona EV.
BYD Atto 3: interior and equipment
The Atto 3 features flamboyantly styled interiors with door-mounted circular speakers, quirky air-con vents and a 12.8-inch rotating central screen, similar to the one found on the BYD e6. The Atto 3 is generously equipped too and gets all LED lighting, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, a wireless phone charger, a 5-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, synthetic leather upholstery, powered front driver and passenger seats and multi-coloured ambient lighting.
In terms of safety, the Atto 3 gets a 360-degree camera, ABS, ESC, traction control, hill descent control and as many as 7 airbags, including a centre airbag for the driver. It also boasts of ADAS features such as automatic emergency braking, blindspot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and front and rear collision warning.
BYD Atto 3: powertrain and charging
The Atto 3 is based on the carmaker's e-platform 3.0 and is available in India with a single Blade battery pack option. The 60.48kWh battery pack offers an ARAI-claimed driving range of 521km (100 percent-5 percent). Globally, the Atto 3 also gets a smaller 49.92kWh battery pack.
BYD says the Atto 3 is compatible with an 80kW DC fast charger that can charge the Atto 3 from 0 percent to 80 percent in 50 minutes. Meanwhile, using a Type 2 AC charger, the battery pack can be topped up in around 10 hours.The Atto 3 also comes with Vehicle to Load function with a power output of 3.3kW, which means that the battery pack can be used to charge external electrical appliances.
BYD will provide customers a 7kW AC home charger along with a 3kW AC portable charging box for charging external electrical appliances. These, however, will be offered free of cost only for a limited time, after which they will likely be sold seperately.
The Atto 3 is powered by a front axle-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that produces 201hp and 310Nm of peak torque. The SUV also gets regenerative braking technology and can sprint from 0-100kph in 7.3 seconds.
BYD Atto 3: warranty and promotional packages
As part of a promotional package, the company is offering a three year free subscription of 4G data, a 6-year roadside assistance package and six free maintenance services. As for warranty, the Atto 3 comes with a standard warranty of 6 years/1,50,000km along with 8 years/1,60,000 warranty on the battery pack and 8 years/1,50,000km warranty on the e-motor and controller.
BYD Atto 3: rivals and dealerships
As mentioned before, the Atto 3 will take on the likes of other EV SUVs such as theMG ZS EVand theHyundai Kona EV. Although not a direct rival, the Atto 3 will competition from theTata Nexon EV Max.
In terms of dealerships, Landmark Cars has started setting up BYD outlets in India, with the first one having come up in Delhi, followed by one in Mumbai and a few more in South India.
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