CHENNAI: The Chinese brand BYD entered the electric vehicle and component arena in India around 16 years ago. Founded in 1995 with battery technology, BYD has successfully expanded its new energy vehicle footprint across six continents in more than 70 countries and regions in over 400 cities.
The Chinese brand forayed into the Indian electric car market recently with E6 MPV and tasted great success. That made it introduce a more modern vehicle to the personal mobility space — Atto 3, a sporty e-SUV.
Atto 3 is in the mid-SUV segment and has e-rivals like MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona EV. The cross-over-looking car carries a 60.48 kWh battery. The company claims a range of 521 km. On my test drive, the car showed a real-life range of 400 km. With 150 KW peak power and 310 Nm torque, it is a breeze to drive Atto 3. We can enjoy the surge of power from the very beginning. There are three drive modes and regenerative brake settings to suit our needs. Comfort, convenience and performance are well-balanced in this vehicle.
The curvaceous, sporty-looking e-SUV boasts fast charging from 0 to 80 in 50 minutes and a 0 to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds. BYD is known for its battery technology, and the blade battery design and safety are the biggest USPs for Atto 3 too. It is filled with tech features to the brim. An Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS level-2), seven airbags, panoramic sunroof, 12.8-inch (32.5cm) adaptive rotating suspension electronic pad, 360° camera with a transparent imaging system, NFC card key... The list is long. The ADAS system consists of automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, door opening warning, lane departure warning and lane departure prevention, and adaptive front light.
I found the cabin design theme of Atto 3 interesting sporty and youthful. It is styled with the concept of sports and fitness muscle streamline centre console, dumbbell style AC vents, grip style door handles, treadmill style centre armrest, door trim with strings and multi-colour rhythmic interactive ambient light.
The build quality of Atto 3 is evident in its heavy doors and other panels. The model has a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, Europe’s leading independent safety assessment programme. According to BYD, their blade battery has successfully passed the nail penetration test, the most rigorous way safety test for batteries.
The e-SUV boasts of an eight-year or 1.6 lakh kilometres warranty for the battery. The motor and controller have an eight-year or 1.5 lakh kilometres warranty. BYD also offers basic warranty of six-year or 1.5 lakh kilometres. The Atto 3 is priced at Rs 33.99 lakh (Ex-showroom). A limited edition forest green Atto3 is also available in India at Rs 34.49 lakh (ex-showroom).
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