BYD is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of “New Energy Vehicles,” a term that incorporates EVs, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell EVs — basically anything that uses electricity as its primary motive force.
And, while the Chinese brand has undoubtedly been helped by a domestic policy that incentivizes the adoption of EVs, the relative newcomers have been making inroads into Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Their vehicles consistently appear at the top of sales charts. Twenty-six percent of all EVs sold in Southeast Asia in the second quarter of 2023 were BYD models.
And it’s the BYD Atto 3 that has been proving to be the best-selling car of that crop. The Atto 3 is an all-electric EV that’s based on the e-Platform 3.0. It was first launched in 2021 in China as the Yuan Plus but has been making waves in overseas markets as an affordable option in the electric C-SUV (compact) class.
Related: China’s BYD Atto 3 Tops EV Sales Charts In Sweden
Photos Sam D. Smith for CarScoops
We’ve come to Malaysia to test the Atto 3, which for the local market is offered in both standard and extended-range battery configurations. The standard range variant features a 49.92 kWh battery which claims to be capable of 410 km (255 miles) on the conservative NEDC cycle. The extended range is the version that we’ve got our hands on and is the model that is also offered to European consumers. It boasts a 60.48 kWh battery and a range of 480 km (298 miles) or 420 km (261 miles) on the WLTP cycle.
On either model, the battery powers a single front-mounted electric motor producing 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS). Zero to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) is dispatched in 7.3 seconds, and the Atto 3 has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
So what would you like to know about the 2023 BYD Atto 3? Let us know your questions in the comment section below.
