BYD ATTO 3

The BYD Atto 3 is here and aims at offering best-in-class battery tech and features

- HALLEY PRABHAKAR

BYD or Build Your Dreams is the world's largest EV maker, higher than Tesla even. I wasn't aware of this fact until Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of BYD India brought it to my notice. The EV maker clearly seems to be doing really well globally and even considers India an important market with some serious plans over the next few years. While the brand launched an EV MPV, the E6 last year to fleet operators and later to individuals, a competent and modern e-SUV, the Atto 3 was unveiled globally and has been a bestseller in various markets. The Atto 3 is named after the attosecond, a very tiny unit of time. The e-SUV has been launched quite early in the country with deliveries expected to start in 2023. We had a go at it in Chennai and came back quite impressed.

The Atto 3 may be an SUV but the reduced overall height and larger proportions give it a crossover character. The face is well sculpted with the bumper combining rounded and edgy elements. The Dragon Face 3.0 design language focuses on integrating futuristic design. The grille gets a brushed aluminium finish that looks unique and smart while the sharp headlamps get LED lighting with DRLs that merge with the central light strip giving it a seamless look. The sides are smart too and don't feature anything out of the ordinary. I like the body-coloured distinction for the side skirt and the rippled and contrasting D pillar. The futuristic approach however comes in the form of flat and chunky 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels with carbon-fibre-like detailing. Move to the rear and you will be greeted by a rather large section of curved mass with sleek angular LED lamps and a light strip that runs across the width of the car.