BYD Atto 3 EV SUV officially launched in Malaysia - From RM149,800

Sime Darby Motors, the official distributor for the BYD brand here in Malaysia, has officially launched its first-ever product in the country - the BYD Atto 3 EV SUV.

We've been writing about the arrival of BYD since August and the official launch of this electric vehicle with high prospects is out - two variants are up for grabs which are the BYD Atto 3 Standard Range and the Extended Range.

BYD Atto 3 EV SUV - RM149,800 - RM167,800

BYD - Sime Darby Motors Malaysia has priced the BYD Atto 3 EV SUV at RM149,800 for the Standard Range and RM167,800 for the Extended Range variant. The difference in the price for the two variants is mainly due to its BYD Blade battery capacity - 49.92kWh for the Standard and a bigger 60.49kWh for the Extended.

Range-wise, the BYD Atto 3 Standard Range offers an all-electric driving distance of up to 410km (NEDC) while the Extended Range can get up to 480km (NEDC). Both models, however, are fitted with the same electric powertrain based on the e-Platform 3.0 - a front-mounted electric motor that churns out 203hp and 310Nm of torque. 0-100km/h? 7.3 seconds.

BYD Atto 3 specs - Exterior

The dimensions between the two variants are identical (4,455mm length, 1,875mm width, 1,615mm height, 2,720mm wheelbase). The BYD Atto 3 Standard rides on 17-inch alloy wheels (215/60 R17) as compared to the Extended Range's 18-inch units (215/55 R18).

Behind those are a set of the same front ventilated disc brakes and rear discs that are similar for both variants. Other exterior features include:

• All-LED lights with Adaptive Front Light (AFL)
• Panoramic sunroof
• Electric unlock tailgate
• One-touch open/close tailgate (Extended Range only)
• Roof rails
• Electrically heated & retractable side mirrors

As for charging, both models support up to 7kW of AC charging (Type 2) as well as DC fast charging (CCS2) with a slight difference at 70kW max for the Standard Range and 80kW for the Extended Range. Both variants also come with the VTOL mobile power supply function.

BYD Atto 3 - Interior

The interior for both variants are identical with features such as a five-inch instrument panel, steering wheel mounted controls, synthetic leather seats, six-way power adjustment for the driver seat (four-way for the front passenger seat), 60/40 split-fold rear seats, and 440 litres of boot space which can be expanded to 1,340 litres when the rear seats are folded.

Finished in the only interior colour option available, which is a combination of Eclipse Blue and Hazy Grey, the most exciting aspects have to its 12.8-inch centre infotainment display with a rotating function and that funky-looking aeroplane-style gear selector.

The only differences between the two variants within the cabin are the wireless phone charger (only for Extended), CN95 cabin air filter (PM2.5 for the Extended), and the number of speakers - six for the Standard and eight Dirac HD Sound speakers for the Extended.

Safety - Euro NCAP five-star rating

It's the same arrangement for both models when it comes to safety, and the BYD Atto 3 EV SUV has loads to offer in terms of safety specs. We'll just list down the most important ones, below.

• Seven airbags
• 360-degree view monitor
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• Parking radar sensors (front & rear)
• Traction Control System
• Hill Decent Control
• Stop & Go Full Speed Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC-S&G)
• Auto Emergency Braking
• Front & Rear Collision Warning
• Blind Spot Detection
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert + more

For those who are interested to get your very own BYD Atto 3 EV SUV, there are five different exterior colour options to choose from - Surf Blue, Forest Green, Parkour Red, Boulder Grey, and Ski White.

The first BYD showroom will open sometime this month at TREC KL, Jalan Tun Razak followed by three more come 2023 in Ara Damansara, Penang, and Johor.