BYD Atto 3 facelift in HK – still FWD, 204 PS, 420 km WLTP range, but with faster 105 kW DC charging

We were wowed by the BYD Atto 3 Evo and its massive spec bump earlier this month, so you’d be forgiven for salivating at the prospect of the facelifted model coming to Malaysia. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but it seems the Evo upgrade is only destined for the European market.

Hong Kong has received its own facelifted Atto 3, and if the past is any indication, this is the version that will be offered here. While the visual tweaks – first seen in China last year – are all present and accounted for, the Evo’s far-reaching mechanical revisions are missing here.

For a start, the Asian model retains the use of the e-Platform 3.0, and not the Evo version of the, uh, Evo. This means that not only does it not get the 800-volt electrical architecture, but it also misses out on the switch to rear-wheel drive, remaining resolutely front-wheel drive – as the front charging port suggests.

The standard-fit single motor continues to produce 204 PS (150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque, getting the Atto 3 from zero to 100 km/h in the same 7.3 seconds. The battery is also an identical 60.48 kWh Blade LFP unit for an unchanged 420 km of WLTP-rated range – no increase here, unlike with the Evo.

In fact, the only change is in DC fast charging power, going up from an underwhelming 88 kW to a more respectable 105 kW. This shaves ten minutes from the charging time from 30 to 80%, which now takes 30 minutes. No change to the AC charging power (7 kW) or the suspension (MacPherson strut at the front, a four-link setup at the rear, versus a five-link rear axle for the Evo).

Beyond all that, the styling changes are mostly common to both the Evo and the Chinese-market facelift. There are sportier front and rear bumpers with body-coloured “tusks”, bringing a closer familial resemblance to the Atto 2. Redesigned D-pillars also get rid of the old car’s “scales”, while the rear gains a “knotted” looping taillights and a larger spoiler with split brake lights. The Asian version retains the 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels that were introduced on last year’s Ultra update.

Inside, much of the Atto 3’s weird, muscly, gym-inspired cues have been dispensed with. The ribbed lower dashboard has been replaced by a simple stitched panel and the kettlebell-style gear selector has been jettisoned in favour of a steering column-mounted stalk. You still get guitar strings on the door bins, however, so there’s that.

Elsewhere, the steering wheel is now the more modern and less ornate version found in the Atto 2, and the 15.6-inch touchscreen loses the gimmicky rotating function. More importantly, the tiny five-inch instrument display has grown to a far more usable 8.8 inches across.

Without a discrete gearlever, the centre console has now been freed up to fit twin phone holders (only one of which houses a 50-watt cooled Qi wireless charger) and a small storage cubby. Boot space is the same as before at 440 litres, and unlike the Evo, there’s no front boot to speak of.

Expect the facelifted Atto 3 to arrive in Malaysia sometime soon, as existing 2025 stock is likely to be running out by now. This will coincide with a slight price increase due to the expiry of CBU EV tax incentives, before it comes down again once CKD local assembly – enabling it to once again enjoy tax breaks – kicks off in the second half of the year.

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