BYD Atto 3

What to know about the Atto 3

The Atto 3 is the most mainstream thing BYD sells here, and the specification in this listing is pitched squarely at families cross-shopping petrol SUVs rather than at early adopters. The motor makes 201 bhp and 310 Nm from zero revs, which puts the launch feel firmly in the territory of cars costing much more around town, and the 2720 mm wheelbase gives the cabin a floor without a transmission tunnel and room that the outside measurements do not suggest.

The battery is the story. At 60.5 kWh it carries a claimed 521 km in MotoSutra’s unverified catalogue, and the charging peak is quick enough that a 29-minute coffee stop covers 0-80 per cent on a suitable 140 kW DC charger, which is what turns an electric SUV from a city car with pretensions into something that can do festival distances with planning. Seven airbags and a five-star Euro NCAP adult score round out a structure designed for crash-test regimes well beyond the minimum.

The fine print is ownership-shaped. Service network depth, spares lead times and used-value confidence for an imported-brand electric car are all open questions this listing cannot answer with numbers, the 175 mm of clearance is town-slick rather than rough-road tall, and the cabin design leans gimmicky, with a rotating screen and rope-loop door pulls that divide opinion in the way only interiors can. Drive it for the torque and the charging curve; live with the rest.

• Claimed 521 km range on 60.5 kWh
• 0-80% in around 29 minutes on DC fast charging
• Seven airbags and a five-star adult score