As we reported last month, Chinese auto giant BYD is preparing to launch its smallest EVs; the Atto 1 hatchback and Atto 2 small SUV. Official confirmation and specs have now been announced by BYD Australia, but there may be a catch.
Our source had the entry price pegged at $21,990 for the base model Atto 1, but other media outlets are suggesting it may be closer to $25,000, with the top-of-the-range variant landing closer to $28,000, putting it close to the larger Dolphin Essential’s $29,990 (RRP). Have they been fed a red herring or did our source get it wrong? All will be revealed next month when the car is launched.
In any case, two Atto 1 variants will be offered in the form of Essential and Premium. Essential is powered by a 65kW/175Nm front electric motor with 220km of range (WLTP), using a 30kWh iteration of BYD’s proprietary Blade Battery.
Standard equipment includes a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six airbags, imitation leather seats and BYD’s advanced ADAS system (dubbed ‘God’s Eye C’ in China). Excitingly, it also has a 360-degree camera despite being only 3780mm long – so no excuse for crap parking.
Opting for the Premium brings a raft of improvements, starting with a battery capacity bump to 43.2kWh for 310km of range, and more grunt, with 115kW and 220Nm, taking the 0-100km/h sprint down from 13.0 seconds to 9.0. DC fast charging allows a 10-80 per cent refill in only 30 minutes, which will make it an attractive proposition.
If it doesn’t offer a Seagull rebadge kit, we will be very cranky. But we look forward to bringing you driving impressions soon.
Moving on to the Atto 2, BYDs smallest SUV entrant is based on the Chinese domestic market (CDM) Yuan Up, with Dynamic and Premium models both fitted with a 51.3kWh battery offering 345km of WLTP range.
Additionally, it gets a bigger, 12.8-inch touch-screen as well as heated and vented front seats and an eight-speaker sound system. It uses a more advanced ‘DiPilot’ ADAS system and measures 4310mm long, 1830mm wide and 1675mm tall.
