BYD Atto 3 test drives began in New Zealand after four new stores were opened there on Saturday. Many reactions were shared across social media including those on the BYD Atto3 NZ group.
Tricia was one of those that got to test drive the BYD Atto 3 over the weekend and her initial impressions of the car were impressive.
Having owned a MG ZS EV, she was also able to make comparisons between the two EVs, the BYD Atto3 being a ground-up EV.
“Classy front and back”
Tricia quite liked the back of the right-hand drive Atto 3 and even compared the styling of the back to a Mercedes Benz EQC EV too, calling it quite classy:
“As I walked up to the car, I couldn’t help but notice how good it looked. Nice shape, clean lines, love the side profile, classy front and back, cool lights too. Definitely hints of the Merc EQC from the back.”
One of the biggest topics of discussion on the Atto 3 online forums here in Australia has been the Build Your Dreams badge in the back. Tricia barely noticed it in the white car when approaching it:
“You don’t even notice the “Build Your Dreams” badge at the back which I actually love.” And she added: “Full bar driving lights between the headlights, full bar red light at the back when lights are on, and the indicators light up from one end to the other. Pretty.”
Good interior quality and better soundproofing
One area that many order holders of the Atto 3 are not yet sure of in Australia is the interior quality. That’s mainly because our BYD experience centres are yet to open.
Tricia did get to test out the interior materials. Overall, she was pleasantly impressed with the materials the Atto 3 comes with and the soundproofing too:
“As soon as I got into the car, I could feel the quality of the build. Sort of felt relatively soundproofed too if that makes sense. The finishes and trim looked good.”
Seats are also very comfortable in the front and back. In the only local Australian review by EFTM we have seen so far, they look plushy and comfortable. Tricia found it the same with the family test driving it:
“All the seats are comfortable. We were in the car for just under an hour with the whole family (2 adults and 2 kids). No complaints from the kids in the back, they said it was very comfy”
Quieter, more aerodynamic and an efficient ground-up EV
Test driving with the family for an hour over the weekend gave Tricia a good initial impression of the right-hand drive BYD Atto 3. On most normal roads under 80km/hr, the road noise was fairly good. As she put it:
“Road noise at 50km and 80km is pretty good. At 100km there’s some road noise from the tyres but it’s surprisingly quieter than the Michelins I’ve had before.”
For speeds exceeding 100km/hr which we can’t do on most Australian highways, it still was quieter than her MG ZS EV:
“At 110km it still felt quieter than the MG. I guess the Atlas Batman tyres are actually OK! Not as much air resistance noise either. The Atto 3 does look more aerodynamic compared to the MG.”
“The car’s pedestrian noise alert is always on. However, it is adjustable and can be lowered. I still found the lowest setting quite loud. It’s a different sound to the MG, more of a lower pitched hum.”
She also found the car fairly efficient given the number of shorter test drives it would have had on the first day of BYD showrooms opening on Saturday.
We know the efficiency also drops at higher speeds so getting the consumption Tricia saw on display was fairly good for this ground-up EV:
“The car I drove had done 340kms. Efficiency rate on the dash was 17.2kWh per 100km. I’m sure it’s been pushed as a test drive car. ”
That review is promising for the thousands of Atto 3 order holders in Australia who have booked, sight unseen, and are looking to get behind the wheel of their first affordable EV. Tricia’s review is also very important as it truly highlights the advantages of a ground-up EV which the Atto 3 is:
“It really is great to see new EVs like the Atto 3 entering the EV market. I was an early adopter, I bought my MG ZS EV without ever seeing it in the flesh and my car was in the first shipment to NZ. Battery technology is improving all the time and now I have the opportunity to try other models like the Atto 3. It helps that they are competitively priced too.”
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.