Still, the kids will be happy by the amount of size in the rear of the car. By contrast, at 440 litres, the boot is a little on the small side for this class of car: it’s 35 litres smaller than that of a Niro EV, for example.
On the road, the Atto 3 is, well, disarmingly unassuming. It is exactly what you’d want an electric family SUV to be: acceleration is swift but not exceptional, while the steering is responsive if a little unengaging. There are various drive modes and a few levels of brake regeneration, although there isn’t a full one-pedal function, and as is often the case with EVs the brakes lack a touch of feel. It certainly rides well on bumpy UK roads, soaking up imperfections and lumps to make for a pleasingly smooth ride.
The Atto 3 is priced from £36,490, rising to £38,990 for the top-spec Design model we tested. That’s competitive for this class of car, although it’s notable that BYD clearly hasn’t set out to significantly undercut rivals to claim market share. The firm has yet to disclose what finance deals will be on offer, and as ever much will depend on those monthly payments. And for that money you get a thoroughly decent, pleasant electric family SUV. Perhaps the biggest knock on the Atto 3 is that there isn’t really a pressing reason to tempt a UK buyer away from a more familiar brand. Then again, if a buyer wonders into an actual, physical BYD dealership, they won’t find anything to scare them off.
