Video Summary
The BYD Atto 3 is the first offering in South Africa from a Chinese-based firm.BYD is the largest EV manufacturer globally.
Styling cues appear borrowed from manufacturers like AMG and Honda.
The interior is concept-car-like, with scalloped and nautical design, blue-teal color elements, and soft-touch materials.
The interior has little hard, scratchy plastic.
The center armrest is designed to look like a treadmill, and the gear selector like a throttle stick.
Guitar strings are strung across the door speakers, with each string playing a different note.
Seats are well-trimmed and comfortable.
The suspension absorbs bumps but can be a little under-damped, and steering is a bit woolly.
Claimed consumption is 15-kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers, with actual consumption closer to 15.6-kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers.
There are two versions: a 50-kilowatt hour battery version with an approximate range of 370 kilometers, and a 60-kilowatt hour version with a range of 420 kilometers. Real-world ranges for the 60 kWh battery is closer to 317-380 kilometers on a full charge.
It accepts a 7-kilowatt AC charge and a 60-kilowatt DC charge.
Its single motor makes 150 kilowatts and 310 Newton meters of torque.
It accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in just over 7 seconds.
The Atto 3 is a lovely car to drive, feels elegant, and has a compliant suspension.
It is equipped with driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and emergency braking.
It has seven airbags and a five-star ENCAP rating.
The driver display is too small. The infotainment screen rotates from landscape to portrait.
With the right dealership network, BYD could be a success.
Pricing for the 50-kilowatt hour version is about R770,000 and R835,000 for the 60-kilowatt hour version.
