BYD Atto 3 review - Reliability and safety

Whatever preconceptions you have about how safe Chinese cars are, the Atto 3 has already achieved a five-star crash safety rating from industry experts Euro NCAP. The Atto 3 received a 91 per cent score in the adult occupant protection category, and 89 per cent for child occupant protection. Like so many electric cars, the Atto 3 is loaded with safety and driver-assistance systems, including blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise with lane and traffic-sign assist, forward-collision alert and rear traffic warning all included.

Warranty

The Atto 3 is covered by a four-year/75,000-mile warranty, which doesn’t quite match Kia’s market-leading seven-year package, but you’ll still be covered for the entirety of a typical three or four-year lease, plus the mileage limit is pretty generous. Meanwhile the battery itself has a separate eight-year/125,000-mile factory warranty and a guaranteed capacity of 70 per cent, plus there’s a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty on the bodywork. 

Servicing

The Atto 3 is BYD’s first car to go on sale in the UK, and with the brand having only arrived in early 2023, its sales and service network is still in its infancy. There are now four outlets at existing franchise chains in Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Stockport and Glasgow, while a flagship store in London’s Mayfair is due to open in mid-2023. BYD is aiming to have 20-25 retailers in place across the UK by the end of 2023. Servicing costs have yet to be confirmed, and BYD’s roadside assistance scheme hasn’t been finalised, either.