The BYD ATTO 2 costs $31,990 + ORC and we checked it out in person. #BYD #ATTO2 #SUV #cars
BYD has just revealed Australia’s cheapest EV, but it’s not this car. This is Australia’s cheapest electric SUV, the ADO2, which has been revealed at the same event as the AD1 hatchback. The price on this vehicle, $31,990 plus on-road costs. This one is actually the upspec ADO2 Premium. This is $35,990 plus onroads. However, that base ADO2 undercuts cars like the Cherry E5 and of course the bigger ADO3 to become the cheapest electric crossover on the Australian market. It’s got up to 345 km of electric range from a 51 kWh blade battery mounted here between the wheels. Now, I think it’s kind of hard to tell from photos how big the AD2 is. Well, it’s about the size of a Hyundai Kona. The Coner is a little bit wider, a little bit more sophisticated under the skin to the AD2. This is a cheaper and more simple car, but as you’ll see inside, it doesn’t feel exactly like a bargain basement option. As I said, this is the 36 grand car plus onroad, so we do have expectations of it being relatively nice, and I haven’t sat in the base model yet. But what I can tell you is this is certainly a presentable interior. You’ve got a 12.8 8 in touchscreen up here, a reasonable size digital instrument cluster, and the seats themselves are kind of firm in that Germanic way and relatively comfortable. Now, I am driving this car on Australian roads tomorrow. I won’t be able to tell you what I think about it for around another week, so you’re going to want to follow the page in order to get those impressions of how it actually drives here in Australia as soon as I can give them to you. but very keen to see how this front-wheel drive 130 kW EV actually copes with our difficult roads in this country. But in terms of curb appeal and first impressions, while the exterior may look a little dated, the interior is quite nice, I think I’d say. So clearly BYD means business in terms of continuing the price war in the electric space and driving down the costs associated with picking up a new EV in Australia. How sustainable this sort of approach is long term, we don’t really know. But for now, the ADO1 over there, the ADO2 right here, both represent a pretty big steel. However, as always, reserving final judgment till I drive it. So, make sure you’re subscribed.
