There’s a bigger battery and more range for the BYD Atto 3 as the Chinese carmaker reveals an upgraded version of the small SUV. 

The Atto 3 has been on sale in the UK since 2023, but was launched in China the year before, making it ripe for a mid-life facelift – the car’s new ‘Evo’ title shows that it’s more than just some upgraded bumpers and a few trim tweaks though.

The BYD SUV has shifted from being a front-wheel-drive car to offering rear-wheel drive as standard and an all-wheel-drive powertrain in a fancier trim level. The company has upgraded the suspension for a better ride, too. 

There are now two versions of the Atto 3 to choose from, both with the same 74.8kWh LFP ‘Blade’ battery – RWD ‘Design’ with 317 miles of range and AWD ‘Excellence’ with 292 miles. The battery comes with fancy 800V technology that means 220kW charging and 0–80% battery in just 25 minutes. 

Packaging changes to the car mean that the boot is now 50 litres bigger, with 490 litres of space seats up and 1,360 litres of space with the back seats tipped down. There’s even a new frunk under the bonnet that has 101 litres of space available for storage. 

Inside, BYD says that the cabin feels a little airier up front thanks to the gear selector moving to behind the steering wheel, and there are some swanky additions to the kit list including a head-up display in the front and heated rear seats in the back. 

The 15.6in infotainment display offers BYD’s latest software package that uses Google tech, plus a onboard assistant that uses cloud-based AI tech that the company says will understand ‘complex commands in natural speech’.

In other tech, the car comes with V2L as standard, where you can run electronics off the car’s battery supply, and comes with a heat pump for added efficiency in cold weather.

The changes show how far BYD has come in just a few short years – the manufacturer is now the world's biggest seller of EVs, and the Atto 3 was its first electric toe in UK waters, representing strong value but perhaps a little behind rivals. Recent cars like the Seal have shown that BYD is ready to mix it in with established European brands, however. 

The Atto 3 Evo is available to order now, with deliveries commencing within the next few months. There’s no word on the actual price of the upgraded Atto 3 Evo, but we imagine it’ll be more than the current 60kWh-batteried car’s entry price of £37,730.