2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium: The best made better
Following up on a hit is a really tall order – and it takes a whole heap of talent (and perhaps luck) to do it.
A superb example is one of my favorite singers, the late Whitney Houston, whose debut album “Whitney Houston” was not only the best-selling album of the year, but also had three number-one hits (“Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”) in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.
And while most artists would struggle to replicate such success, “The Voice” did it again in 1987 and 1988 with her follow-up album “Whitney” – despite criticism that it was too similar to her previous work, she scored four number-one hits with “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”
In the car world, a best-seller signifies widespread popularity resulting from making the right model at the right time. Case in point is the BYD Atto 3 Premium subcompact crossover, which we tested in February after it had become the Philippines’ best-selling electric vehicle (EV).
With tweaks for 2025, is the Atto 3 still be worthy of its number-one title?
Black is beautiful
From the outside, BYD wisely chose not to mess with the Atto 3’s friendly yet handsome styling.
You still get large LED headlights that flank a matte-finish panel – these all have the amusing trait of lighting up in the dark to tell other drivers exactly who is behind them. There’s also a lot less silver trim in this revamped model, especially in the dogbone-shaped, faux lower grill.
Down the side, the Cosmos Black paintwork really gives the Atto 3 an undeniable sleekness, particularly with the textured rear-quarter-window trim going from silver to gloss black. The prominent beltline, minimal matte-black fender cladding and two-tone, 18-inch alloy wheels combine to give this crossover some serious attitude.
Out back, the wraparound LED taillights include a full-width red strip that lights up when the headlights are on. Other neat details include the tailgate spoiler, the steeply raked rear windscreen and the intricate lower bumper with strakes that surround the license-plate holder.
Bigger screen
Inside, the updated Atto 3 looks and feels much the same as the previous one – there is good space for five passengers, although the cargo area is rather small and the driver’s seat lacks thigh support.
Ingress and egress are fine, but the doors open quite low, so there’s a chance of banging these into a gutter. You do still get blue-and-black leather upholstery with soft-touch materials on the dashboard and door cards, providing an interior ambiance that puts more expensive Japanese crossovers to shame.
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that the Atto 3’s famous rotating center touchscreen is larger than before, now measuring 15.6 inches. Although the clarity and responsiveness of this in-car laptop screen are impressive, the interface is as infuriating as ever, particularly the bamboozling number of menus you must navigate for various functions.
Nonetheless, the improved screen emphasizes the clarity of the standard 360-degree camera, which is useful since the rear windscreen is rather small. I would also have preferred separate controls for the dual-zone climate-control system that always provided excellent cooling, even with a full load of passengers.
Other features that are exclusive to this top-spec Atto 3 Premium include the panoramic moonroof (although the sunshade in this particular test unit occasionally got stuck), electric tailgate, wireless charging pad and customizable ambient lighting for when you want your EV to look like an expensive club.
Electric zing
We have long rated BYD’s little EV highly for its impressive driving dynamics, not only among other subcompact crossovers, but also among other BYDs.
With 201 horsepower and 310 Newton-meters of torque, it certainly has the shove to hurtle past even some so-called performance cars. This is thanks to the front-mounted electric motor that is mated to a 60.5-kWh battery pack, which offers up to 430 kilometers of range in the city or the expressway.
And where the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i compact crossover and the BYD Shark DMO pick-up truck are rather floaty, this EV’s suspension is just right – bumps are absorbed with aplomb, while the firm springs provide acceptable body pitch and roll without decimating your spine. The brakes are also very strong, with the well-weighted brake pedal adding confidence.
What could use more beefing up is the steering – although it is light and responsive, it needs more feel, especially when it gets jittery from the lack of weight on the front wheels when you’re at full throttle.
But should things get too hairy, the DiPilot advanced driver assistance system that come standard in the Premium variant can help save the day. This includes a bevy of life-saving features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot detection.
Another year at No. 1?
At P1,798,000, the 2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium is priced on the higher end of the non-luxury EV crossovers.
While many hybrid-electric models are cheaper (including BYD’s own excellent Sealion 6 DM-i), those who are dead-set in breaking free from the clutches of tempestuous fuel prices can turn to this well-equipped and practical EV for quiet and rapid mobility – it also helps that it already has a proven track record among its many fans.
I certainly wouldn’t call it the Whitney Houston of EVs, but the revamped Atto 3 Premium certainly sings the right tunes and doesn’t deviate too much from its proven formula. Perhaps it could achieve a back-to-back number-one success this 2025.
