BYD Atto 3 review: what the car critics say
This compact electric SUV is an ‘unassuming’ but ‘thoroughly pleasant family car’
Although you might not have heard of BYD (Build Your Dreams), the Chinese firm has been making EVs for years, said The Daily Telegraph. This model is the compact electric SUV with which it is aiming to enter the UK market. The car has an “ingenious” lithium iron-phosphate battery that is more sustainable than other batteries as it doesn’t use cobalt. The downside is the range: officially 260 miles – 20 or 30 behind its best rivals.
While the exterior of the Atto is “neatly executed”, it’s unlikely to have anybody “swooning”, said Top Gear Magazine. It has tall proportions, roof rails and full-width rear lighting. Inside, though, “imaginations have run riot”. The dash is an “exaggerated” wave shape and elsewhere in the decently roomy cabin, “details lie between playful and cheesy”. It won’t be for everyone, but “your kids will love it”.
The Atto 3 is a huge seller in China, where it’s called the Yuan Plus, said Autocar. And you can see why. To drive, the car is “unassuming”. It rides well on bumpy UK roads, has various drive modes and “swift, but not exceptional” acceleration. There’s nothing pressing to tempt British buyers away from more familiar brands, but for the money, you do get a “thoroughly pleasant family car”, though the boot could be bigger. Price: from about £36,490.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In pictures: BYD Atto 3
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What's next for electric vehicles under Trump?
Today's Big Question And what does that mean for Tesla's Elon Musk?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Ed Park's 6 favorite works about self reflection and human connection
Feature The Pulitzer Prize finalist recommends works by Jason Rekulak, Gillian Linden, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 fantastic homes in Columbus, Ohio
Feature Featuring a 1915 redbrick Victorian in German Village and a modern farmhouse in Woodland Park
By The Week Staff Published
-
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: a 'relentlessly impressive' exhibition
The Week Recommends Show at the King's Gallery features an 'enormous cache' of works by the likes of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael
By The Week UK Published
-
Niall Williams shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The Irish novelist chooses works by Charles Dickens, Seamus Heaney and Wendell Berry
By The Week UK Published
-
Patriot: Alexei Navalny's memoir is as 'compelling as it is painful'
The Week Recommends The anti-corruption campaigner's harrowing book was published posthumously after his death in a remote Arctic prison
By The Week UK Published
-
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: a 'magical' show with 'an electrifying emotional charge'
The Week Recommends The 'vivacious' Fitzgerald adaptation has a 'shimmering, soaring' score
By The Week UK Published
-
Bird: Andrea Arnold's 'strange, beguiling and quietly moving' drama
The Week Recommends Barry Keoghan stars in 'fearless' film combining social and magical realism
By The Week UK Published
-
Kate Summerscale's 6 favorite true crime books about real murder cases
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Helen Garner, Gwen Adshead, and more
By The Week US Published