BYD Atto 3 launched in India: Competition Check

Introduction

Last month, BYD showcased its second EV for India in the form of the Atto 3 on October 11 and opened bookings for the car on that day. It’s now launched the car in India with a price of Rs 33.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for one fully loaded variant. The car has been on display in their showrooms across the country since its unveiling and the first batch of buyers will get their deliveries in January 2023.  

Features, powertrain and warranty

The BYD Atto 3 is the Chinese automaker’s second private market vehicle for India and is underpinned by their e-platform 3.0. Powering the Atto 3 is a permanent magnet synchronous motor mated to a 60.48kWh Blade battery pack. The motor produces 201bhp and 310Nm of torque and has a sports car with a 0-100kmph time of 7.3 seconds. What’s more, the battery pack offers an ARAI-specified 521kms putting it right up there in terms of the current EVs on offer in India. On the juice up front, the fast charging feature enables charging from zero to 80 per cent in 50 minutes, while the charging time via an AC unit is 9.5-10 hours. The company offers a 7kW home charger with installation service and a 3kW portable charging box. 

In terms of warranty, the BYD-ATTO 3 gets a warranty of eight years or 1.6 Lakh kilometres (whichever is earlier) for the traction battery, 8 years or 1.5 Lakh kilometres (whichever is earlier) for the motor and the motor controller and 6 years or 1.5 Lakh kilometres for the vehicle. 

Competition check 

Hyundai Tucson

The Atto-3’s biggest rival in terms of a segment is the Hyundai Tucson, more specifically in the Platinum 2.0 diesel AT trim. In terms of basic features both cars are evenly matched with both getting climate control, leatherette upholstery, connected car technology, LED light package, touchscreen infotainment system, digital instrument cluster and power front seats. Where the BYD has an advantage in that it gets level-2 ADAS, regenerative braking and seven airbags as opposed to six in the Hyundai Tucson. The latter comes back on its own in terms of dimensions with more presence and also has the current advantage of a 54-litre fuel tank that can go a long way in terms of litres per kilometre.  

Jeep Compass

For a price similar to that of the BYD Atto 3 you can have a fully loaded Jeep Compass. We are talking about the top-spec Limited (O) 4X4 automatic. This means you get dual digital displays, leather upholstery, connected car technology, power front seats, power mirrors, power windows and of course Jeep’s legendary 4WD technology and very high ground clearance for full off-road ability. The Atto 3 over this fully loaded Compass has the advantage of L2 ADAS, a 360-degree camera and a bigger boot.

Another place where the Compass wins over the Atto3 is outright theoretical range. With a 60-litre tank and a claimed mileage of 17.1kmpl, you get 1026km as compared to the Atto 3’s claimed 521km. Now, the Atto 3 is electric which means the approach to using it will be way different from the kind of places and distances you can go with the Compass.

Skoda Octavia L&K 

In a segment filled with SUVs, the Octavia stands out as the sole sedan still available on sale today. We have considered the top-spec L&K version in which you get dual digital displays, leather upholstery, connected car technology, dual-zone climate control, power front seats with memory function for the driver, power mirrors and power windows. The Octavia is a larger car with a significantly bigger boot to the point where it is the largest among the competition. However, it has a wheelbase smaller than that of Atto 3. The Octavia is also the only car in the fight that doesn’t have diesel power. Still with a claimed figure of 15.8kmpl and a 50-litre tank you get a range of 790km which is again significantly higher than that of the Atto 3.

Jeep Meridian- 4X2 AT 

We get on to the first of our three-row competitors in the form of the Merdian. It’s the elder brother to the Compass and is offered with a similar feature list, interior layout and even diesel with the same automatic transmission. The Meridian’s third row is its USP but we have seen in our detailed reviews, that the space in the third row is quite poor and is best suited for kids or adults during short journeys. It gets a larger tank than the Compass at 60 litres and with a mileage of 15.7kmpl you have a theoretical range of 942km, close to double that of the Atto 3. We tested the Meridan in detail recently and you can find a link in the description below.   

Kia Carnival prestige 7 STR

The Kia Carnival is the largest car in this competition, anyway, you look at it. This entry-level version doesn’t have too many features as compared to the Atto 3 with just the basic segment requirements like multi-zone climate control, touchscreen infotainment system, reverse camera and only power function for the driver's seat. What it loses in features, it more than makes up for in size with three rows of seating and a wheelbase that’s 340mm over what the Atto 3 offers. It’s only available with diesel automatic power and will more often than not be used in the chauffeur-driven mode.  

MG Gloster Super 7 STR 2WD- Rs 37.57 lakh

The final car on our list is the MG Gloster in the seven-seat 2WD trim. Like the Kia Carnival, it’s a big, three-row diesel vehicle to have a large presence and offers a huge amount of room within the cabin. In this entry-level, you get the bare minimum of features like power mirrors, power tailgate, LED headlamps and a 12.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It is way behind the Atto 3 when it comes to features but is the second-largest car in the segment. 

An alternate buy or a second car?

While these may be its segment rivals, you will notice that there is no electric car at this price point and that’s something that should give the Atto 3 a significant advantage in terms of presence. Going by the buyer habits in this part of the market, the owners of any of these cars will consider a vehicle like the Atto 3 as a second vehicle in their fleet.