BYD upgrades Atto 3 to more powerful and improved Evo status
2026-02-13 - 05:16
With sales in China still to kick-off, BYD has instead introduced an updated version of the Atto 3 in Europe ahead of its home market. Known as the Yuan Plus in China where it forms part of the Dynasty range of products, the officially named Atto 3 Evo receives not only external revisions, but also inside and underneath its skin. Unchanged Still mounted on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, the Evo retains the same dimensions as before – an overall length of 4 455mm, wheelbase of 2 720mm, height of 1 615mm and width of 1 875mm. ALSO READ: WATCH: EV frenzy loading as BYD officially prices Atto 3 Claimed boot is 490 litres or 1 360litres with the rear seats folded, plus an additional 50 litres underneath the bonnet. New outside Visually, the Evo gets new bumpers and side skirts, newly designed 18-inch alloy wheels, a new roof spoiler and replacing of the Build Your Dreams script across the tailgate with BYD. Inside More prominent are the changes inside where the centre console is new and now accommodates a wireless smartphone charging pad at the expense of the gear lever, which moves to the steering column. Interior has been redesigned with a new centre console and larger infotainment system which no longer rotates. Picture: BYD Europe Also new is the steering wheel and the 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster display. In addition to more premium materials, BYD has increased the size of the infotainment system from 12.8-inches to 15.6-inches, though the display no longer rotates as before. More punch Underneath, the e-Platform’s unchanged dimensions have, however, seen the introduction of a new rear suspension, 800-volt instead of 400-volt electrification and, for the first time, the option of all-wheel drive. Powered by BYD’s latest Blade battery pack, which increases in size to 74.8kWh, the single-motor Atto 3 Evo makes 230kW/380Nm, which translates to a top speed of 180km/h. The claimed 0-100km/h sprint time is 5.5 seconds and the range is 510km. Biggest change to the rear is the removal of the Build Your Dreams script across the tailgate. Picture: BYD Europe While with the same battery pack, the inclusion of the second electric motor translates to 449kW/560Nm in the dual-motor Atto 3 Evo, a top speed of 200km/h and 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds. The all-wheel drive Atto 3 Evo’s claimed range is 470km. As before, the Atto 3 Evo supports vehicle-to-load up to 3kW and DC charging up to 220kW. Using the latter will require a waiting time of 25 minutes. Standard on both models, though, is an 11kW on-board charger. Not yet approved Still to be priced in Europe, the Atto 3 Evo has not yet been confirmed for South Africa where the original Atto 3 debuted back in 2023. NOW READ: BYD’s Dolphin Surf: Can SA’s cheapest EV be SA’s best car?