BYD, China’s biggest EV manufacturer, has now come to Pakistan. Their all-new add-on is the Atto 3, which BYD showcased at the PAPS event in Expo Center, Lahore. The official price of this car (base variant) is 8.99 million, or 9 million if you round off.
Note that this Crossover is an all-electric vehicle from China’s biggest EV conglomerate, which is outperforming Tesla in the Chinese and Australian markets.
Now, at this price, this EV crossover gives the competition to Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Haval Jolion HEV. First of all, let’s compare the most popular model, the Kia Sportage, or, specifically, the Kia Sportage Black Edition, which costs the same as the Atto 3’s base variant.
BYD Atto 3
Atto 3 is a fresh EV crossover from China that aims to find a place on your list if you’re looking for a car like Jolion HEV, Sportage, or Tucson.
BYD is not just an EV manufacturer; it is a conglomerate of electronic and battery-related items that produce everything from smartphone batteries and alkaline batteries to semiconductor chips.
It’s electric, which means you can’t take it to long routes in Pakistan for now, so it’s all made for city and short tours, and it’s a really great car for that. Supple suspensions provide a comfy ride in town, cabin insulation is really great, and you’ll not hear any motorcycle sounds in the cabin + The seats are ergonomic, and there are no big blind spots. In the future, when EV chargers reach motorways and GT roads, you can easily do long tours on this car with your family.
The interior is wrapped in soft-touch leather, and the rest of the materials are aluminum, which gives it a lavish vibe. It’s great for driving on the roads of Karachi, too, because the suspension is soft and goes smooth over bumps. It has practical storage compartments, and the sound system is great, too, with good deep bass and clear vocals in the music.
Plus, it’s all-electric, so its per-km running cost would be as low as an Alto or Mehran.
Kia Sportage Black Edition
Sportage, everybody knows about it. While the whole world is getting the 5th generation, Pakistan is still getting that old 4th generation that came internationally in 2017.
Still, due to Kia’s badge, it has a good resale in the market. It’s a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine that is just 50 HP lower than the Atto 3. Besides the old generation, the car is still valued for money, although it is a bit overpriced.
It’s a proper crossover; cabin and boot space are good enough to fit a mid-size family for long routes. Regarding features, it has all the essential items, including AWD terrain, power windows, and all controls, including VSA, ABS, HAC, HDA, TC, and BA.
It has 2 airbags and 6 speakers, so the music shouldn’t stop in a flipped car. The exterior looks are inspired by the Cayenne, which looks good. The interior, although it’s a plastic dashboard and not leather-wrapped, by no means feels cheap, and that’s fine as well because Germans also give plastic dashboards in their mid-segment 2-3 crore cars.
The drive quality is also great. In cities, the suspension is soft and doesn’t give you strong jumps over the bumps. However, due to its body shape, it has a body roll, and the only thing we don’t like is its old interior looks.
But still, technology-wise, Atto 3 throws Sportage out of the water, and that’s the fact.
Here’s a 1-1 comparison:
Performance and Power
Here are the performance and power specs comparison:
| Category | BYD Atto 3 (Base Variant) | Kia Sportage Limited Edition |
| Engine | Single front motor | 2.0L Inline 4-cylinder |
| Power | 201 HP, 310 Nm torque | 157 HP, 196 Nm torque |
| Transmission | – | 6 Speed Automatic |
| 0-100 km/h | 7.3 seconds | Approx. 10 seconds |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive (FWD) | All-wheel drive (AWD) |
| Fuel Economy | Equivalent to 27 Km/l | 8-10 Km/l |
| Range | 330 km | – |
| Battery Capacity | 62 kWh | – |
| Charge Time (0->330 km) | 6h30m | – |
| DC Fast Charging | 37 mins (50kW) | – |
Interior Specs
Here are the interior specs comparison:
| Category | BYD Atto 3 (Base Variant) | Kia Sportage Limited Edition |
| Seats | Vegan leather, partially covered | PU leather |
| Dashboard | Soft-touch leather | All plastic |
| Front Seat Adjustments | Electrically adjustable, heated, 6-way driver seat | Electrically adjustable, heated, 6-way driver seat |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 split folding, center armrest | 60:40 split folding, rear armrest with cup holders |
| Ambient Lighting | Multi-color, rhythm-reactive | Not available |
| Touchscreen | 12.8″ rotatable touchscreen | 8″ infotainment touchscreen |
| Infotainment System | Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 6 speakers | Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 6 speakers |
| Additional Features | Wireless charging, dual USB ports (front & rear), heated steering wheel | Rear AC vents, dual USB ports, no wireless charging |
| Climate Control | Dual-zone automatic | Dual-zone automatic |
| Instrument Panel | 5″ digital driver display | Analog with 3.5” digital display |
| Voice Command | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Air Vents | Available | Available |
Exterior Specs
Here are the exterior specs comparison:
| Category | BYD Atto 3 (Base Variant) | Kia Sportage Limited Edition |
| Headlights | LED automatic headlights, high-beam assist + follow me home | LED automatic headlights |
| Taillights | LED taillights | LED taillights |
| Wheels | 18″ alloy wheels | 19″ alloy wheels |
| Sunroof | Panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade | Standard sunroof |
| Side Mirrors | Heated, electrically adjustable, folding | Body-colored, manually folding |
| Exterior Door Handles | Body-colored | Body-colored with chrome accents |
| Roof Rails | Aluminum roof rail | Silver roof rails |
| Front Grille | Closed grille for EV design | Black and silver grille with Kia logo |
| Fog Lights | None | Integrated front fog lights |
| Rear Spoiler | Standard | Standard |
| Wipers | Rain-sensing wipers | Rain-sensing wipers |
| Ground Clearance | 175 mm | 172 mm |
Safety Specs
Here’re the safety specs of both cars:
| Category | BYD Atto 3 (Base Variant) | Kia Sportage Limited Edition |
| Airbags | 6 | 2 |
| Driver Assistance | Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Detection | Basic Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning |
| Advanced Safety Features | Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Sign Recognition, Rear Cross Traffic Alert | Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear View Monitor |
| Traction & Stability | Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control | Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control |
| Parking Assistance | Front and rear parking sensors, 360° camera | Rear parking sensors, rearview camera |
| Tire Pressure Monitoring | Available | Available |
| Emergency Call System | Available | Not available |
| Hill Assistance | Hill Descent Control (HDC), Auto Hold | Hill Descent Control (HDC), Auto Hold |
| Child Safety | ISOFIX child seat anchors | ISOFIX child seat anchors |
| Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) | ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) | ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) |
| Collision Warning | Forward Collision Warning | Not available |
| Blind Spot Monitoring | Standard | Not available |
| Additional Features | Door Opening Warning (DOW), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) | – |
Let us know your comments on Atto 3?
Comparing apple with orange
Here an ICE with an EV
after all they aren’t a lot of competitor other than chinese
Personaly i would take the sportage over atto 3 despite being from 2017
@Waqas
This is not an Apple with Orange comparison, both cars are priced exactly the same, so whoever got 9 million for the crossover, Atto 3 and Sportage Black Edition will be on their shortlist. I know one is ICE and the other is EV, but this comparison was just for sake of information of what you are getting in the Chinese EV and what you are losing in the Korean Sportage from 2017.
@Ahsan
Thanks for your explanation, is just from where i come from, the automotive journalist aren’t doing this kind of comparison, because technicaly is a nonsense, but they do sometimes do article for a given price, what customer can buy
I respect your job
and if we are losing some technologies features like the ADAS system, they are many customers who don’t like the ADAS system since it is spoiling the drive, even the digital speedometer many prefer the analog one, i’am part of them
But to talk about this comparison , this atto 3 also losing a lot of thing first of all is the car’s range 330km and that is a test number, in reality if someone use features the range will sure decrease quicker, where a full tank of Kia will haul people for 800 km with speed limit and efficient drive and using all the comfort features (AC…)
when recharging an EV it will took at least 20 min to half an hour at least to gain what 50% up to 80% depending on the model
With an ICE is 5 minutes with using sanitary and buying a bottle of water