Having just unveiled the facelifted Atto 3 in China (where it is sold as the Yuan Plus), BYD has now quietly launched the 2025 model year electric crossover in markets such as Australia and India. Bizarrely, this is merely a colour and trim upgrade to the current model, rather than the comprehensive rework that the Middle Kingdom gets.
Changes to the Atto 3 are thus very minor. Building on last year’s model, the car gets a new design for the range-topping 18-inch alloy wheels, which are less intricate (and to our eyes, less handsome) than the original rollers.
Inside, there’s a new full-black colour option that fully expunges the launch car’s extroverted blue-and-white interior; rather perplexingly, the piping has been switched from red to a very loud lime green, but only on the black interior. You also now get ventilated front seats, a glaring omission on the current model.
Otherwise, the cabin is unchanged over the 2024 version, meaning you still get the Seal‘s larger 15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen, a tiny five-inch digital instrument display and a conventional gear selector (in placement, not shape) on the centre console.
One change that can’t be seen is the 12-volt battery, which has been switched from a lead-acid unit to a lithium iron phosphate pack – the same chemistry as the traction battery. The new low-voltage battery is claimed to be six times lighter and have a lifespan of 15 years.
There are no other mechanical upgrades, so the Atto 3 soldiers on with the same front motor producing 204 PS (150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque. Two choices of Blade battery remain – a 49.92 kWh pack providing a WLTP-rated range of 345 km and a 60.48 kWh unit that enables the car to travel up to 420 km on a single charge. Charging speeds using a DC fast charger are also still capped at 70 kW and 88 kW respectively.
This 2025 model is almost certainly the car that BYD Malaysia was teasing on its social media pages last month. The car is currently sold in a single Extended Range trim with the 60.48 kWh battery, priced at RM149,800 nett, but an influx of new rivals – notably the Proton eMas 7 – could see the Chinese EV specialist reintroducing the 49.92 kWh Standard Range variant with a new, even lower starting price. The release of this mild 2025 update means the facelift is not expected globally for at least another year.
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