- Bookings begin at Rs 50,000

- Claimed range of 521km, 0-100kmph in 7.3 seconds

The BYD Atto 3 electric SUV has been unveiled in India ahead of an official launch in 2023. Bookings for the car have started with the first 500 units expected to be delivered in January 2023. The Atto 3 was showcased globally in 2021 and is BYDs second private market vehicle for India. Unlike the model sold in many international markets, which is offered with two battery packs, the version sold in India only gets the larger 60.48kWh battery pack. Customers can choose from four colour options and a single front-wheel-drive powertrain configuration.

On the outside, this new crossover sports BYD’s ‘Dragon Face 3.0’ design theme, with a unique exterior design with curvy lines both on the front and the side. Dominating the face is a large chrome grille with LED headlamps, DRLs and a sporty bumper. On the side, it gets 18-inch wheels (fitted with 215/55 R18 tyres) and a forward-sloping roofline. At the rear, the highlight is a single-piece tail lamp and a large ‘Build Your Dreams’ logo on the boot lid. The Atto 3 has the largest wheelbase of any electric SUV under Rs 30 lakh at 2720mm; this includes EV SUVs like the Tata Nexon Prime / Max, Mahindra XUV400, MG ZS EV and the Hyundai Kona Electric.

The BYD Atto 3 has keyless entry and go, though you could choose to use a portable key card rather than the conventional key fob. Inside, the cabin is equally quirky with unusual shapes for the dashboard, AC vents, door handles and speakers. Multi-colour ambient lighting is offered to add to the quirkiness of the cabin, the parts of the system on the door handles change colours with the rhythm of the music being played through the multimedia system.

Dominating the dashboard is a 12.8-inch display which can be rotated from a horizontal position to a vertical position at a press of a button - the vertical position should make using the navigation system easier on the move. The system will get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility through an over-the-air update by the end of March 2023.

The feature list is extensive with things like a panoramic sunroof, climate control, powered front seats (the driver seat is 6-way adjustable, while the front passenger gets 4-way electric adjustments), a one-touch electric opening/closing tailgate and an ADAS suite. On the safety front, you get seven airbags, ABS, ESP, hill-hold assist, a 360-degree camera and six radars for the ADAS system.

The ADAS suite consists of features like adaptive cruise control with full speed and stop-and-go functionality, automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, rear collision warning, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert plus prevention.

As mentioned earlier, the Atto 3 will be offered with the larger 60.48kWh battery pack in India, with an ARAI-tested range of 521km. The battery pack is BYD’s blade battery and can also be used for a vehicle-to-load function; this offers a power output of up to 3.3kW which can be used to run larger appliances which are usually plugged into a 15A wall socket - such as fridges and washing machines.

As part of a promotional package for the first 500 customers, the Atto 3’s asking price will include the faster 7kW home charger, the cost of its installation and a 3kW portable charger. The Type 2, 7kW home charger can charge the SUV from 0-100% SOC in 9.5 to 10 hours claims BYD, while a 80kW DC CCS 2 fast charger will take the SOC from 0-80% in just 50 minutes.

The electric motor powering the front wheels produced 201bhp/310Nm and is mated to a single-speed transmission. Even with a claimed kerb weight of 1.7-tonnes, the Atto 3 has a claimed 0-100kmph time of 7.3-seconds, which makes it one of the quickest accelerating cars in the sub Rs 30 lakh EV segment.

BYD will offer a comprehensive warranty program for the Atto 3, this includes:

an eight-year / 1.6 lakh km warranty on the batteryan eight-year / 1.5 lakh km warranty on the motor and motor assemblya six-year / 1.5 lakh km warranty on the DC high-voltage componentsa six-year / 1.5 lakh km warranty in general

We expect that BYD will price the Atto 3 in the range of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh putting it in league with vehicles like the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV400, Honda City e: HEV, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hybrid in the electric and hybrid league.

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