2026 BYD Atto 3 Evo prices: Updated EV available with front- or rear-wheel drive

The BYD Atto 3 has received a substantial update that has given it the unusual distinction of being the only model that’s not a van to be offered in Australia simultaneously with front- and rear-wheel drive.

The base Dynamic retains the pre-update model’s front-wheel drive configuration, and is priced at $41,990 before on-road costs, while the Premium adopts rear-wheel drive and is priced at $46,990 before on-roads.

Deliveries of the updated Atto 3, or Atto 3 Evo as it’s referred to, will commence in September 2026.

The upgraded SUV is more expensive than the pre-update lineup, which opened at $39,990 plus on-roads for the Essential and topped out at $44,990 plus on-roads for the Premium.

However, there have been a raft of changes made to this small-to-medium electric SUV.

The Premium now features an 800V electrical architecture, while a new 74.88kWh ‘Blade’ lithium iron phosphate battery powers a 230kW/380Nm electric motor.

BYD touts a maximum DC fast-charge rate of 220kW, allowing for a 0 to 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes, and an AC charge rate of 11kW, while the Atto 3 Evo Premium now has a range of 510km on the WLTP cycle.

The Atto 3 Evo Premium can also jet from 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.5 seconds, which BYD says is comparable with “homegrown Aussie V8 muscle cars from generations gone by”.

Braked towing capacity has also doubled to 1500kg.

The base Dynamic is unchanged from the pre-update Atto 3. This means a single 150kW/310Nm front-mounted electric motor, a 400V electrical architecture, and a 60.48kWh LFP battery.

WLTP range remains 420km, with the battery able to be charged at up to 110kW on DC power – with a 0-80 per cent charge taking 41 minutes – and at up to 7kW on AC power.

The Essential, with its smaller 49.92kWh battery, hasn’t been carried over to the updated range, while the new dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain offered overseas doesn’t feature in the local lineup.

Both the Dynamic and Premium have 3.3kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing you to power small appliances.

The exterior changes are subtle – a sharper front bumper, slimmer side skirts, new 18-inch alloy wheel designs, and revisions to the rear bumper, spoiler and tail-lights. 

Dimensionally, the Atto 3 is unchanged. It measures 4455mm long, 1875mm wide and 1615mm tall on a 2720mm wheelbase, making it 60mm shorter, 10mm narrower and 40mm lower than the Leapmotor B10 on a 15mm shorter wheelbase. 

Despite this, the Atto 3 is classified in VFACTS sales reports as a medium SUV, while the B10 is classed as a small SUV.

The interior retains its quirky design cues, from the guitar strings on the door trims to the unusual door handles and cylindrical centre air vents.

However, the two-tone blue and off-white interior of the pre-update model – complete with its bold red highlights – has been replaced with a much more subdued grey colourway.

The chunky console-mounted gear shifter is gone, and there’s now a slim, column-mounted stalk used for gear selection.

This has seen the wireless phone charging pad – now with a 50W output, up from 15W – repositioned to a more prominent place on the centre console. There are still physical switches on the centre console, but they’ve been moved further back towards the centre armrest.

The 15.6-inch touchscreen runs BYD’s latest generation of infotainment, which the company says brings a cleaner interface, quicker response times, and more intuitive location of key functions. Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity remains standard. 

The 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster has been replaced with a larger 8.8-inch unit in both variants, while there’s a new steering wheel design and redesigned door panels.

The base Dynamic gains rain-sensing wipers and ventilated front seats, and picks up the front seat heating and eight-speaker sound system previously exclusive to the old Premium.

There’s also a new child presence detection function that uses sensors inside the cabin to detect if a passenger has been left behind.

The Atto 3 Evo Premium gains dual-zone climate control and four-way power lumbar for the power-adjustable driver’s seat, as well as active front cross-traffic assist.

The Premium is the practicality champion of the range. Despite the rear-mounted motor, boot space has actually grown from 434 litres to 490L (and from 1340L to 1360L with the rear seatbacks folded), while there’s now a 101L storage space under the bonnet where the electric motor sits in the base Dynamic.

The Atto 3 Evo carries over the same exterior colours, with Ski White paint standard and Harbour Grey and Cosmos Black finishes costing an extra $600. Atlantis Grey is offered exclusively on the Premium, also for $600.

After limited runs of models like the T3 van and e6 people mover, the BYD brand properly commenced volume sales in Australia with the original Atto 3 back in 2022.

BYD’s local lineup has continued to grow since then, with the small Atto 2 and mid-size Sealion 7 electric SUVs launched last year as bookends for the Atto 3.

It’s no longer BYD’s highest-volume model, with the Sealion 7 having overtaken it.

Nevertheless, BYD has delivered 3329 Atto 3 SUVs this year to the end of July, outpacing the Leapmotor B10 (607) and C10 (301) and the Deepal S07 (559).

While there are various vans, including the Ford Transit, that are offered here simultaneously with front- and rear-wheel drive, this is far less common among passenger cars and SUVs.

The last passenger car to be offered here simultaneously with front- and rear-wheel drive was the MG ZT, withdrawn from Australia in 2005, while Volvo switched the electric Recharge version of its XC40 to rear-wheel drive in 2023 and sold this alongside front-wheel drive, combustion-powered XC40 variants.

Overseas, General Motors has simultaneously offered front-, rear- and all-wheel drive versions of its Chevrolet Blazer EV.

Pricing

MORE: Explore the BYD Atto 3 showroom