The facelifted BYD Atto 3 has been launched in Malaysia, a culmination of a teaser campaign spanning the past two weeks. And yes, as previously reported, we get the massive Evo upgrade that was designed for the European market, offering more performance, a longer range and faster charging.
Surprisingly, however, we’re getting both the regular front-wheel-drive variant sold in Hong Kong and this rear-wheel-drive Evo, called the Ultra and Premium respectively. These are priced at RM125,800 for the Ultra and RM138,800 for the Premium, both nett inclusive of a six-year/150,000 km warranty and an eight-year/160,000 km battery and motor warranty.
That means the Ultra is RM2,000 more expensive than the previous car’s launch price of RM123,800, owing to the import and excise duties applied to CBU fully-imported EVs starting this year. To soften the blow, the company is offering a launch package worth up to RM14,000, including RM10,000 in overtrade support and either an AC wallbox charger (inclusive of installation) or six years of free service.
BYD Atto 3 Ultra
With initial units arriving in Malaysia just before the ministry of investment, trade and industry’s (MITI) new EV policy is applied on July 1, the facelifted Atto 3 dodges the revised rules that effectively force a minimum price of around RM300,000. That means the car will continue to be sold at this price until stocks run out, by which point BYD has hopefully begun CKD local assembly – either by reviving its stalled factory in Tanjong Malim, or by partnering with a contract manufacturer like Sime Motors.
The Ultra continues to produce 204 PS (150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. The 60.48 kWh Blade LFP battery also remains in situ and delivers a claimed range of 420 km on the WLTP cycle. The only significant change is the increase in DC fast charging power from 88 kW to 110 kW, topping up the pack from 30 to 80% ten minutes quicker at 30 minutes; AC charging remains at 7 kW.
The big news is the Premium, which switches to a rear motor that boosts output by a staggering 109 PS (80 kW) and 70 Nm, taking it to 313 PS (230 kW) and 380 Nm of torque. This takes two whole seconds out of the previous car’s zero-to-100 km/h acceleration, which it completes in 5.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 180 km/h. There’s an even more powerful all-wheel-drive model in other markets, but not here.
Battery capacity also jumps to 74.88 kWh, granting a commensurately longer range of 510 km. We should point out that in Malaysia, BYD continues to use NEDC range figures to market the car, with the numbers being 480 km for the Ultra and 600 km for the Premium.
Even more impressive is charging – the Premium is built on an 800-volt electrical architecture, enabling the charging speed to be uprated to a much more respectable 220 kW. Despite the larger battery, it takes just 25 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%, while AC charging is also bumped up to 11 kW for a full charge in eight hours – more than an hour shorter than before.
Other far-reaching changes exclusive to the Premium include new dual-jointed MacPherson strut front and five-link (previously four) rear suspension setup. The latter, together with the rear motor, means that the boot floor doesn’t go as low as on the Ultra, so ultimate boot space is less at the rear.
However, the removal of the FWD model’s dual-level boot floor, side storage nets and thinner rear seat backs with dual-position recline enables BYD to claim a 56 litre increase on paper, from 434 litres on the Ultra to 490 litres on the Premium. The difference between the two is closer with the rear seats folded – 1,340 litres versus 1,360 litres – but the Premium also benefits from the addition of a 101 litre front boot.
The rest of the changes are mostly common on both cars and include sportier front and rear bumpers with body-coloured “tusks”, cascading triangular graphics for the taillights and a new rear spoiler with twin vertical centre brake lights. The D-pillars have also been made sleeker with new rear quarter light windows and the ditching of the old car’s “scales”.
Being rear-driven, the Premium obviously gets a rear charging port instead of a front one, which has in turn resulted in the jettisoning of the “BYD Design” front fender appliqués. Also different are the wheels – while they both measure the same 18 inches in diameter, the Ultra uses the same two-tone design as the previous model, whereas the Premium gains a new turbine rollers with a grey finish.
On the inside, the Atto 3 has been dispensed with much of its eccentric fitness- and muscle-inspired touches. The dashboard and door panels, previously ribbed for your pleasure, are now all smooth with classy stitching, although the pull-back door openers and the “guitar strings” on the door pockets remain. The latter are now finished in black, however, helping them better blend in with the rest of the interior.
The 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen also no longer rotates, while a much larger 8.8-inch instrument display takes the place of the current car’s tiny five-inch panel. No built-in Google services for the Premium here, unlike the Evo in Europe.
Meanwhile, the steering wheel has been lifted from the Atto 2, with a less ornate design and a new column-mounted gear selector that replaces the kettlebell-inspired centre console-mounted one. This has freed up space in the middle for twin smartphone holders, one of which houses a faster 50-watt Qi wireless charger with integrated cooling.
Standard kit includes LED headlights, roof rails, keyless entry with an NFC key card, push-button start, single-zone automatic air con, six-way driver’s and four-way passenger side power-adjustable front seats with ventilation, faux leather upholstery, a panoramic glass sunroof, heated side-view mirrors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 360-degree camera system.
The Premium adds driver’s side seat lumbar adjustment and a six-way power-adjustable passenger seat; neither car offers a built-in dash cam anymore. The differences even extend to the tonneau cover – the Ultra retains its hard cover, while the Premium doesn’t get one at all, even though there are provisions for a more “premium” roller cover.
In terms of safety, the Ultra loses its front centre airbag, bringing the total count down to six airbags; the Premium continues to offer seven airbags. The suite of driver assists remains and includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and a door opening warning. The Premium adds front cross traffic alert with auto brake, traffic sign recognition and speed limit assist.
GALLERY: BYD Atto 3 Ultra facelift
GALLERY: BYD Atto 3 Premium facelift
