- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
Perm Magnet, LI
- Engine Power
NA
- Fuel
28h 0m chg, 480km range
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Red'n Gear
- Warranty
6 Yr, 150000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2022)
2023 BYD Atto 3 review: DCOTY 2023 – Best EV under $70,000
Winner of the 2023 Drive Car of the Year Best EV under $70,000
- Zippy performance
- Roomy cabin
- Sleek, futuristic design
- Tyre grip and lane-keep assist need work
- Small instrument cluster with patchy illumination
- Funky interior not to all tastes
The BYD Atto 3 is the 2023 Drive Car of the Year Best Electric Vehicle Under $70,000.
The BYD Atto 3 is proof that an entry-level electric car can offer as much technology as it does personality.
This Chinese brand is new to Australia and in some ways is still finding its feet, however, the car itself is a worthy winner.
As the newest electric car in the sub-$70,000 segment – based on an all-new, dedicated platform – it should top the class.
The MG ZS EV (also from China) and the Nissan Leaf from Japan (although built in the UK) are starting to show their age and feel old in the company of the BYD Atto 3.
The BYD Atto 3 is a smooth and easy car to drive, has a roomy and comfortable cabin, and when this test was conducted it was priced about $50,000 drive-away, making it one of the most affordable electric vehicles in Australia at the time.
Electric Cars Guide
Would you like to learn more about electric cars? Visit the Drive Electric Cars guide for information, tutorials and links to more content.
Although the exterior styling is futuristic yet inoffensive, the interior design is daring. Judges were divided on cabin appearance but, on balance, it was praised for several reasons.
Good design is also about practicality, and the BYD Atto 3 interior is roomier and more user-friendly than the other electric cars in this price range.
Key details | 2023 BYD Atto 3 Superior Extended Range |
Engine | Single electric motor |
Power | 150kW |
Torque | 310Nm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Single-speed automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 86kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1750kg |
Tow rating | 750kg braked 700kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 10.7m |
Of course, no car is perfect. The judges noted the BYD Atto 3 would benefit from having an easier-to-access ‘P’ for park button (it's hidden from view under the top part of the gear selector). Without a full customer handover, some buyers or their family members may not easily locate it. Cruise control, annoyingly, only works in 5km/h increments.
The BYD's lane-keeping assistance system needs better calibration, its tyres performed poorly in our emergency swerve and braking tests, and the driver's instrument cluster has a couple of small operational issues.
The tyres have extremely low grip (by class standards, not performance-car standards), as evidenced by its poor performance in our braking and emergency swerve tests.
The digital speed display is small, and the instrument screen needs a light sensor so it does not dim when driving with headlights on during the day.
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
If BYD can address some of the above feedback, it would make it an even more compelling proposition against newer and as yet unknown competition in the future.
The BYD Atto 3 has all the ingredients here to continue to be a good electric car for the money for the next five years, provided BYD keeps updating it.
It is a worthy winner of this category given its price, comfort, roominess and performance – and it shone against the competition.
Note: These ratings have been pulled from the most recent BYD Atto 3 review (read it here) and as part of Drive Car of the Year 2023 all finalists will be freshly reviewed in the near future.