BYD Atto 3

Anyone for a game of Guess Who?

- John Mcllroy

I WAS always more of a KerPlunk devotee as a youth - when I wasn't playing my part in Ludo sessions that frequently caused family Armageddon - but right now, I'm enjoying a good old game of Guess Who?, with the latest addition to the Auto Express fleet at the heart of it. Say hello to, er... yeah, the blue one!

Okay, so it is, of course, the BYD Atto 3, a new compact SUV that picked up a couple of commendations in our New Car Awards (Issue 1,787), and a vehicle that could well be an extremely thin end of an extremely thick wedge when it comes to the Chinese brand's plans for the UK and Europe.

BYD remains the biggest company that nobody has really heard of - at least, not in my home patch of Berkshire. But it is, to remind you, the second-largest maker of batteries on the planet, subtly featuring in many of the devices we all use every day. And during my first few weeks with the Atto 3, I've quickly realised that while its shape is pretty homogenous, and even a little bland to my eyes, it is, at least, new.

This has prompted passers-by to take a second look at the badge, front or back, and then quickly start a guessing game. "Is it a Volkswagen?", "Korean, maybe?", "Nice paint job", "What on earth does Build Your Dreams mean?" And eventually, "Oh, it's Chinese. But it looks fairly decent, right?"