2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium Review: Price drop makes Tesla-fighting electric SUV even more appealing

January 26, 2025January 26, 2025 Toby Hagon 7642 Views 0 Comments Atto 3, BYD

The BYD Atto 3 came in for an upgrade in 2024 and has recently had its price sharpened as part of a strategy to boost sales – and better take the EV fight to Tesla.

As well as the addition of a new price-focused Essential model, the regular Atto 3 is better value than ever courtesy of improved spec and a lower price.

There are also new tyres, a larger touchscreen and mildly tweaked design elements, including BYD badging on the boot (instead of Build Your Dreams) and a black design panel for the rear-most side pillar (it was previously silver).

It lines up against pricier options such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro Electric as well as the soon-to-arrive Kia EV3.

2024 BYD Atto 3 Premium now comes with more equipment and sharper pricing.

The updated Atto 3 also arrives as a flurry of new compact SUVs line up to call Australia home.

And, of course, the Atto 3 now represents solid value against hybrid and petrol SUVs from Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and others.

2025 BYD Atto 3 price and equipment

The BYD Atto 3 Essential is now priced from $39,990 plus on-road costs, making it one of the most affordable electric SUVs on the market.

But it’s the better equipped model we’ve tested here.

Formerly known as Extended – to denote the larger 60.48kWh battery (the Essential gets a 49.92kWh battery) – it’s since been rebranded Premium and picked up a new design of 18-inch alloy wheel along the way.

It’s priced from $44,990 plus on-road costs.

Standard gear includes smart key entry with the ability to use your phone as the key, panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, faux leather trim, wireless phone charging and heated and power adjustable front seats.

The 12.8-inch touchscreen that continues in the Essential model has been replaced by a 15.6-inch screen in the Premium.

It makes a big difference and takes up a lot more real estate.

Combined with 360-degree cameras that provide a clear view of what’s going on around the car it’s an impressive base to pack in a whole bunch of tech, although familiarising yourself with the screen operation is a must to figure out where everything is.

As before the screen rotates through 90-degrees, allowing a landscape or portrait configuration. It’s a tad gimmicky but is at least a good party trick.

At least BYD keeps some hard buttons in the centre console to adjust commonly used things such as volume and drive modes. The large wheels on either side of the air vents are also a handy way to adjust the temperature (there are two of them but it’s only single zone ventilation).

2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium: What we think

One of the best changes to the updated Atto 3, though, is the fitment of Continental tyres in lieu of the underwhelming Atlas Batman rubber of the previous car.

It makes a big difference to the driving experience, especially in the wet.

The torquey electric motor – there’s 150kW and 310Nm – can still chirp the front wheels if you’re powering hard out of a tight corner.

But it’s generally well behaved and feels more confident mid-corner thanks to the additional grip and composure.

While performance is modest by EV standards the Atto 3 is zippier than most of its petrol-powered rivals.

And having so much pulling power on tap as soon as you press the throttle makes for a fun and handy around-town option.

And while the Atto 3 is a compact SUV, it’s bigger than most, providing decent interior space.

Being based on a dedicated EV architecture helps there (some rivals aren’t), allowing designers to optimise the placement of key components, in turn leading to more cabin space.

In Premium guise the Atto 3’s 60.48kWh battery delivers 420km of WLTP range, healthily up on the 345km of range from the base Essential model.

Bank on something like 370km in the real world, or less on a freeway.

Charging can be done at up to 88kW on a DC fast charger or 7kW for a home wallbox.

That means a circa-nine-hour charge using a wallbox or more like 30 hours from a regular powerpoint.

2025 BYD Atto 3: Verdict

The update to the BYD Atto 3 has succinctly addressed some of the niggles with the original car, chief among them tyres.

The new rubber makes for a better driving machine, cementing the Atto 3 as an easy car to live with.

Tweaks elsewhere – including a larger touchscreen – combine with price cuts to ramp up the value.

It’s to the point where the Atto 3 makes plenty of sense against petrol-powered alternatives, depending on your driving and circumstances, obviously.

Votes: 4/5

2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium specifications

Price: $44,990 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, FWD
Range: 420km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 60.48kWh
Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 16kWh/100km
Motors: 1 front 150kW/310Nm
AC charging: 7kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 88kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds