BYD Atto 3 review

Our opinion on the BYD Atto 3

If you don't care what badge your car wears, and can put up with a gimmick or two, there is a lot to like about the BYD Atto 3. It’s refined, comfortable and features a well built interior that’s bursting with technology and quirky elements. It offers a departure from the gloomy, predictable cabins many other electric SUVs are sticking with.

The Atto 3 is not as polished in some areas as we’d like, and the ‘Build Your Dreams’ name stamped across the rear is probably not a feature buyers will be desperate to show off. But if you’re in the market for a good value family EV, the BYD ought to be on your radar.

About the BYD Atto 3

BYD's rapid growth has cemented its place as one of China's "big four" automakers, and it's now establishing a strong foothold in the UK with an expanding lineup of electrified models.

The Atto 3 mid-size SUV was BYD’s first car available to order in the UK, and it now sits alongside a host of other all-electric cars in the manufacturer’s lineup, including the smaller Atto 2, Dolphin hatchback, Seal four-door saloon, and Sealion 7 SUV. The BYD Seal U DM-i is another SUV offering, although it uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The Atto 3 uses BYD’s latest bespoke EV underpinnings, called e-Platform 3.0. This set-up can support front, rear and four-wheel drive, along with up to 800v electrics for ultra-rapid charging. In the case of the Atto 3, though, you get more conventional recharge speeds and a single motor driving the front wheels only. But the SUV does use BYD’s own ‘blade’ battery design, which is integrated into the car’s structure and claimed to save weight and space.

The 60.4kWh battery in all Atto 3s sold in the UK is good for a claimed range of 260 miles. This is just shy of key rival, the Kia Niro EV, which we tested head-to-head against the BYD. The impressive Hyundai Kona Electric is also a capable contender; it’s cheaper to buy and features a claimed maximum range of up to 319 miles.

BYD Atto 3 prices and latest deals

How much does the BYD Atto 3 cost? Well, official ‘on the road’ prices range from £37,695 to £39,695 but you can currently save an average of £2,659 through the Auto Express Find A Car service, where prices start at £35,116. Don’t want to buy? You can lease a BYD Atto 3 from £338 per month.

Check out our latest new car deals and leasing deals for the top offers available now on Auto Express. And don't forget we can help you sell your car, too.

How much does the BYD Atto 3 cost? Well, official ‘on the road’ prices range from £37,705 to £39,705, but you can find a used model through the Auto Express Buy a Car service, where prices start from around £21,000. Don’t want to buy? You can lease a BYD Atto 3 from £338 per month.

Check out our latest new car deals and leasing deals for the top offers available now on Auto Express. And don't forget we can help you sell your car, too.

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Like a lot of EVs, the Atto 3 emits a noise at low speeds to alert other road users and pedestrians of your presence. However, it’s not pleasant, with a tone that sounds like an open telephone line. Thankfully the artificial sound generator falls silent once you get beyond 20mph.

The Atto 3 only offers two levels of regenerative braking, and while we preferred the stronger of the two, it fails to provide one-pedal driving like the Niro EV. Meanwhile, the steering doesn’t provide much feedback, and we found it was a little too eager to self-centre at slow speeds.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The Atto 3’s single electric motor produces 201bhp and 310Nm of torque – not an enormous amount by EV standards, but enough to propel the 1.7-tonne electric SUV from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds and onto a top speed of 99mph. Power delivery off the line is relatively gentle for an EV, but once you’re up to your desired speed, the Atto 3 is happy cruising along.

Town driving, visibility and parking

The Atto 3 is focused on comfort more than sharp handling, but that’s hardly a bad thing for an electric SUV aimed at families. At lower speeds, the raised ride height and soft suspension allow it cope admirably with rough urban roads. When we tested the Atto 3 against a Kia Niro EV, we found the BYD was more refined and less fidgety than the Kia around town.

Country road driving and handling

Find yourself on a twisty country road, and you’ll notice a fair amount of body roll in corners, but that’s hardly surprising. However, the soft suspension that cushions you from bumps around town also causes the Atto 3 to pitch and dive if you’re hard on the accelerator or brakes. Keen drivers should look elsewhere, then.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

At higher motorway speeds, cruising comfort is fine. We found there to be more wind noise present than in a Kia Niro, and this drowns out most of the tyre noise. 

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The Atto 3’s battery uses BYD’s now familiar ‘blade’ technology – in effect, long strips of cells that run from front to rear along the car, with none of the larger battery modules that feature on other vehicles (including VW’s ID. offerings). 

This set-up is claimed to save weight and space, allowing BYD to deliver better range out of its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP-technology) cells, which would otherwise be a bit less energy-dense than the NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) tech that you’ll find on many other cars.

In some markets the Atto 3 is offered with two battery sizes – 48kWh and 60.4kWh – however, UK buyers only get the larger unit, which delivers a claimed range of up to 261 miles. That’s just shy of its Kia Niro EV rival which offers 285 miles from a full battery, while the Hyundai Kona Electric trumps both with a maximum range of up to 319 miles. BYD claims that the Atto 3 should manage up to 351 miles (WLTP) if your journeys mainly cover stop-start driving on busy city streets.

The Atto 3’s standard-fit heat pump, that helps with heating the cabin, should help it retain more of its range in colder weather. Kia does offer a heat pump for the Niro EV, but it’s a £900 option.

When we pitted the BYD Atto 3 head-to-head against the Kia Niro EV, we saw a return of 3.5mi/kWh from the BYD, compared to 3.7mi/kWh for the Kia. That equates to a real-world range of 212 miles – 18 per cent down on the Atto 3’s official claimed range, and nearly 30 miles less than the Niro EV could cover on a single charge.

The Atto 3’s 88kW charging speed means topping up the Atto 3’s battery from 30 to 80 per cent should take around 28 minutes. When it comes to charging at home, it will take a typical 7kW home wallbox nearly 10 hours to fully replenish the Atto 3’s 60.4kWh battery, although an 11kW home installation only needs a little over six hours.

Insurance groups

Arranging insurance cover for the Atto 3 will possibly be more expensive than you might think. Both the Comfort and Design versions sit in group 38 (out of 50), while the Kia Niro EV is in groups 27-28 and the Hyundai Kona Electric in groups 25-33.

Tax

Electric cars bring a lower tax threshold for business users, and choosing the Atto 3 means a Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax rate of 3 per cent for 2025/2026, plus the cheapest rate of road tax (VED).

Depreciation

There has been some market uncertainty around the longer term values of electric cars, and our current data reflects that the Atto 3 isn’t seen as a particularly solid bet in terms of depreciation. 

After a typical three-year ownership period the Atto 3 is predicted to hold onto around 40 per cent of its original value - which means a significant drop of around £22,000 to 24,000. The Kia Niro EV fares a little better at 45 to 46 per cent, which is similar to the Hyundai Kona Electric.

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The Atto 3’s styling is best described as neat and inoffensive. It’s a pretty anonymous-looking family SUV, albeit with some details along the flanks that look similar to the flourishes on the Volkswagen ID.4. One small detail we homed in on is that, while a BYD badge adorns the nose, the full ‘Build Your Dreams’ slogan is written across the tailgate. To us, it seems a bit tacky, but hardly a dealbreaker.

With the entry-level Active specification now discontinued, there’s just the Comfort and Design versions to choose from. Standard kit on all models includes LED headlights and a rear light bar, two-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, vehicle-to-grid charging, an eight-speaker stereo, an air-purification system, a panoramic roof, keyless entry & starting, electric front seats with artificial leather upholstery, and a rotating central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. 

Top-of-the-range Design models do get a few extras, including metallic paint, a larger central touchscreen, ventilated front seats, some additional ambient lighting and a powered tailgate. However, we don’t think it’s worth the extra £2,000 over Comfort trim. 

There are no extras to choose from, although if you opt for a Comfort model and want a different paint option to Surfing Blue, you’ll need to stump up £750 for either Obsidian Black, Time Grey or Skiing White. The Surfing Blue paint is our favourite, so we’d recommend saving the money.

Interior and dashboard design

There’s a choice of a plain black interior, or a blue and cream finish which is more striking, but maybe too lurid for some tastes. The sculpted lines and intricate details of the Atto 3’s cabin help it stand out from rivals, and it certainly doesn’t feel cheap.

Materials and build quality

The contrast between the Atto 3’s exterior and interior design is quite stark. The cabin is a riot of colour and funky LED lighting. We think the blue and cream upholstery is a refreshing contrast to the all-black interior featured in the Kia Niro EV, but the red stitching and details feel a bit excessive. We’d recommend seeing (and test driving) a car before you buy.

We couldn’t fault the build quality of the Atto 3. There are soft-touch materials in many of the key areas and, while there are some fussy elements – the air vents seem designed to make a statement, along with the flashes of red piping on the seats, and ‘guitar strings’ for the door pockets – the overall effect has a bit more panache than, say, MG’s cabins. 

We also like that the internal door releases have been neatly integrated into the tops of the speakers – simply pull back to open. The only problems were the reflections off the steering wheel boss, and the driver display on our test car being a little crooked on the steering column. 

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

There’s a technological tour de force in the Atto 3, with a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in Comfort spec models, and a 15.6-inch display in Design trim cars. Both set-ups can rotate between portrait and landscape orientation. 

It is a bit of a gimmick – and one that’s starting to pop up here and there in EVs now – but BYD suggests you might want to use the screen upright for navigation, and return it to a wider layout for music. We’re less sure it wouldn’t be used once (you can control it via the screen or a steering wheel-mounted button) and then left in a single position thereafter. 

While some rivals use their screen’s enormous size to place essential controls permanently at the bottom or side for easy access, you still have to do a reasonable amount of searching through menus in the Atto 3. There are some climate functions on the display, but you need to access a sub-menu for the rest, and if you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the shortcut to your smartphone screen is hidden away.

The screen itself is quick to respond to inputs, though, and the mapping is fast to plot routes, while connected services are available, too. BYD provides two years of free over-the-air updates as part of the purchase, with a subscription to pay thereafter.

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It’s difficult to say how well the Atto 3’s interior – especially some of the fussier design elements – will handle life as a family car, but the small family SUV is certainly spacious and features some neat touches. 

These include the panoramic sunroof that lets in lots of light, and doors that close over the sills to keep them clean. It also has the slightly elevated driving position of an SUV, without ever approaching full off-roader status.

Rear visibility could be better, though. The tailgate glass is quite narrow, and its position means that there isn’t a direct line of sight from the driver’s seat via the rear-view mirror. We also found that the sheer size of the Atto 3’s touchscreen obscures your view out a little when it’s in portrait mode and the driving position itself is slightly compromised by the seat’s integrated headrest, because it pushes your head too far forward to be comfortable.

There are two sets of ISOFIX points in the rear, plus another set on the front passenger seat, while top-spec models have accessories such as floor mats and a rubber boot liner as part of their standard-kit list.

Dimensions and size

Seats & passenger space 

The Atto 3 uses a platform designed specifically for electric cars, which has numerous benefits, maximising passenger space in particular. For instance, there’s a completely flat floor across the back seats, so there’s decent legroom behind its large front seats. 

Overall, it’s very spacious inside, given the Atto 3's footprint, and there’s room on board for five six-footers, even with the standard panoramic glass roof fitted. However, we did find that the rear seat bases are set a little low, so under-thigh support could be better.

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Boot space 

The Atto 3 features a 440-litre boot, which is a decent size, but doesn’t quite outclass the Kia Niro EV (475 litres), or the Hyundai Kona Electric (466 litres). The location of the car’s battery doesn’t compromise space, so there’s a deep hidden compartment underneath, plus there’s a level load lip. However, there is no ‘frunk’ or additional storage space under the bonnet. 

The 60:40-split rear seats also don’t fold entirely flat, but there’s no step in the floor, and 1,340 litres of space is on offer with the rear bench folded down.

Towing 

The Atto 3 has an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg, with the braked figure not currently available. Kia and Hyundai quote the same number for the maximum braked trailer weight of the Niro EV and Kona Electric.

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The Atto 3 has achieved a five-star safety rating from industry experts Euro NCAP, with a 91 per cent score in the adult occupant protection category, and 89 per cent for child occupant protection. Like so many electric cars, the Atto 3 is loaded with safety and driver-assistance systems, including blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise with lane and traffic-sign assist, forward-collision alert and rear traffic warning all included.

BYD includes a six-year/93,750-mile manufacturer warranty for the Atto 3, while the battery pack is covered for eight-years/125,000 miles. As of September 2025, BYD had established 100 dealers across the UK, with more outlets on the way.

• Best buy: BYD Atto 3 Comfort

There isn’t much of a decision to be made when it comes to the Atto 3, because there’s only a single powertrain and two trim levels to choose from. Paying an extra £2,000 for ventilated seats, a power tailgate and a slightly bigger infotainment screen is going to be down to personal choice, but we think the generous Comfort specification will be sufficient for most needs.

BYD Atto 3 alternatives

The Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric are the most obvious rivals to the Atto 3, with higher-specification models similarly priced. Some buyers might also look to the extra space and practicality of entry-level Volkswagen ID.4 or Skoda Enyaq versions.