BYD Atto 3 EVO

FIRST DRIVE Can new powertrain, quicker charging and fresh tech give electric SUV a shot in the arm?

- Jordan Katsianis

ESSENTIALS

BYD Atto 3 EVO RWD

Price: From £37,000 (est)

On sale: Now

Powertrain: 74.8kWh battery, 1x e-motor

Transmission: Single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Power/torque: 303bhp/380Nm

0-62mph/top speed: 5.5 seconds/112mph

Range: 316 miles

Charging: 220kW (10-80% in 25 minutes)

Size (L/W/H): 4,455/1,875/1,615mm

BYD's explosive model expansion over the past 24 months might have caused you to forget about the Atto 3, the first car the brand brought to the UK. And it was a hit, with a combination of price, range and kit that made it particularly appealing at the time. It put BYD firmly on buyers' radars, but things move fast at this end of the market. So to keep it competitive, the manufacturer has introduced the new Atto 3 EVO.

Arriving in the next couple of months, this updated car is expected to be priced from around £37,000 to £39,000 in RWD form - with the dual-motor version set to cost in the low £40,000s - although exact UK pricing has yet to be announced. However, although this new model might look very similar to the previous one, there are some comprehensive changes underneath.

To start with, it features a brand-new powertrain in a completely different layout, plus a new dual-motor flagship that packs a considerable boost in power. For now we're driving the entry-level RWD model, which has a 303bhp electric motor that's mounted on the rear axle - the previous Atto 3 produced 200bhp from a front-mounted motor. However, aside from the fitment of a new and slightly more sophisticated rear-suspension design, there's not much in the way of chassis tuning to help handle all this extra grunt.