A new sub-$45,000 electric vehicle will soon go on sale in Australia with a healthy list of features and up to 420km of driving range
The BYD Atto 3 small SUV will go on sale in Australia in July 2022 with a starting price of $44,990 driveaway.
Badged as the Yuan Plus in its home market of China as a nod to the Yuan dynasty, the Atto 3 is being distributed by Australian company EV Direct under a direct sales model.
EV Direct will offer the Atto 3 in both standard- and long-range configurations with 320km and 420km of range respectively when measured to the WLTP standard.
The BYD Atto 3 will go on sale in July this year with a starting price of $44,990
Such range figures combined with the keen entry price will place the Atto 3 in close contention with rivals such as the 385km range Nissan Leaf e+ hatch and 320km MG ZS EV small SUV.
The Atto 3’s $44,990 driveaway entry price means buyers in certain states and territories will be eligible for a grant or subsidy as part of a recent effort to make buying and owning an EV more accessible.
Atto 3 range and charging
The Atto 3 features a single electric motor that sends 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque straight to the front wheels, providing enough grunt to launch the small SUV from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds according to BYD.
BYD couples the motor to either a 50.1kWh battery in the 320km-capable standard range or a 60.4kWh battery in the 420km-capable long range variant.
The batteries can be topped up using a DC fast-charger at speeds of up to 80kW which is said to top up the battery in 90 minutes.
The Atto 3 can travel up to 420km on a single charge in extended range guise
Those with access to three-phase power will be able to charge the Atto 3 at up to 11kW using an AC wallbox, which is quicker than offered by a Jaguar I-Pace that is limited to 7.4kW on two-phase power.
That means charging the Atto 3 overnight will take around six hours for the long-range pack, and roughly five for the short range.
What features are included with the Atto 3?
EV Direct has released a preliminary list of features that will likely be expanded on closer to launch.
There is only one Atto 3 variant which features a panoramic sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable and heated side mirrors along with a power tailgate to make accessing the boot easier.
The interior is trimmed in a synthetic leather material with six-way power-adjustability for the driver and four-way adjustability for the front passenger.
A rotating 12.8-inch dominates the cabin
A huge 12.8-inch touchscreen display is found in the centre and has the ability to rotate to a portrait or landscape position, with music played through the eight-speaker audio system via Bluetooth and DAB digital radio.
An additional 5.0-inch screen is found in the instrument cluster and offered alongside other handy features like a wireless phone charger and push-button start.
While the Atto 3 has yet to be officially rated by ANCAP, BYD has fitted seven airbags throughout the cabin, two ISOFIX points on the outboard rear seats and a long list of passive safety features.
These include basics such as AEB and lane-keep assist but also rarer features like rear cross-traffic alert with a braking function and a safe exit assist warning function.
A panoramic sunroof is fitted as standard
Seven-year warranty on the Atto 3
With the launch of the Atto 3, EV Direct has increased the warranty on its new SUV to a seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.
The warranty matches that of its chief rival the MG ZS EV, though unlike its Chinese compatriot the Atto 3’s battery is only covered for 160,000km across that time period.
More details on exact grades and pricing will be provided closer to the Atto 3’s July 2022 launch.
Keyword: BYD Atto 3 2022: electric small SUV priced from $44,990 driveaway in Australia