[Update: The BYD Atto 3 now comes in a new variant – Atto 3 (100kW) which qualifies it under Category A COE]
Dragons!
ATTO 3, the first electric SUV from BYD, made its debut in Singapore on 8 July 2022. Since then, it has garnered good interest from buyers and won multiple awards. For the first five months of 2023, it also outsold Tesla to become the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) in Singapore. Let’s check out some things you may not know about this latest fully-electric vehicle to hit the road.
Many people may not be aware that BYD has been in the Singapore for almost 10 years, mainly bringing in commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks and forklifts. But you will soon be seeing more of the brand on Singapore roads as leading cab operator, ComfortDelGro, has added 100 of the BYD e6 to its fleet of taxis.
In terms of its line-up of passenger cars, the ATTO 3 will join the current BYD e6 station wagon and BYD M3e multi-purpose vehicle available in Singapore.
Here are 8 (because “fatt”, yes?) quirky things about the ATTO 3 that has nothing to do with the way it drives.
1. There is no ATTO 1
In case you are wondering, there is no BYD ATTO 1 … at least for now. But there is an ATTO 2, also known as the BYD Dolphin, and there are plans to bring this electric hatchback to Singapore later.
2. ATTO is not its original name
If you have been checking out EVs for a while, you may have come across the BYD Yuan Plus. That is the original name of the ATTO 3. The manufacturer decided to rename it for overseas markets. By the way, ATTO comes from the attosecond, which is equal to one quintillionth of a second.
3. The Dragon inspired its design
The design of the ATTO 3 is inspired by the mythical dragon. BYD calls this the “Dragon Face 3.0” design language. The front of the car’s exterior thus features a “dragon’s beard” that flows to the front LED headlights. At the rear, there is a “dragon crystal” one-piece LED tail-light. And at the sides of the sloping roofline, you will find dragon scales on the D pillar of the ATTO 3.
4. ATTO 3 might inspire you to exercise
The interior of the ATTO offers up interesting design elements. Its dashboard is made to look like a piece of sinewy muscle. Then there are the air vents, which brings dumbbells to mind. The lower door grips look like bar bells or push-up bars. And to open the doors, you have to “row” the round door handles, which are mounted above the speakers, backwards.
5. Make your own music
The ATTO 3 has three red elastic strings on the doors that replace the traditional hard door pockets. It’s a practical touch as you can stretch the strings to grip larger objects that can’t fit into the fixed side pocket space. But we suspect you will be tempted to randomly pluck them for a tune instead because each string makes a different musical note.
6. Rotating touchscreen
Here’s something you don’t see in other cars – a rotating touchscreen. The ATTO 3 gives you the option to change the central touchscreen from the usual landscape to a portrait orientation.
7. Flat rear floor
Another great aspect of the car – it has a completely flat rear floor. That means three adult passengers can fit across the back with comfortable leg room, including the one seated in the centre.
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8. ATTO 3 can be a power generator
The ATTO 3 is an SUV – a super useful vehicle. It has what is called a Vehicle to Load (V2L) mobile adaptor that provides access to the car’s battery. This feature allows you to turn your ATTO 3 into a power supply for other usage such as powering a mini-fridge or toaster during a camping trip.
And in case you are worried there won’t be enough power left to drive home, the ATTO 3’s 60.5 kilowatt-hour battery pack can be easily topped up from zero to 80 per cent in an hour with a 50 kW DC charger.
Enter the Dragon
Quirks aside, the ATTO 3 is a well-specced car that is more spacious than it looks. Opening the panoramic sunroof makes it feel even bigger.
The ATTO 3 covers 480 kilometres on a single charge and accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. It comes with a whole host of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, front and rear collision warning, lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. There are also seven airbags, including a centre airbag, as well as a built-in drive recorder.
The ATTO 3 also boasts the BYD ultra-safe Blade battery with a battery warranty of eight years or 500,000km, whichever comes first.
Update:
A new variant called the BYD Atto 3 (100kW) has been launched which now qualifies the car under Category A COE. With a maximum power output of 100kW, it offers 132bhp and 310Nm of torque. The BYD Atto 3 (100kW) has a range of up to 565km on a single charge. It takes less than 45 minutes to charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent on a 50kW DC charger.
Vantage Automotive is the official distributor of BYD cars in Singapore. Visit its showroom at 304 Alexandra Road to explore the range of the latest and best-selling models.
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Updated: 14 June 2023
