The top-selling EV brand in China, BYD, will unveil a new product in India on July 10. The company announced the upcoming car by releasing a teaser on its social media handles. According to multiple sources, BYD will launch a new base model of its e-SUV with a small battery capacity.
Earlier, the Indian chairman and managing director of BYD, Ketsu Zhang, hinted on LinkedIn that the BYD Atto 3 EV might soon have a more affordable base model. Well, the news seems to be true.
New Atto 3 Powertrain and Features
Sources indicate that the upcoming Atto 3 variant will feature a smaller 50kWh battery pack. Currently, it’s the 60.48kWh battery which powers the Atto 3 model. This helps the EV deliver a certified range of 521km when fully charged. However, the smaller 50kWh battery will provide a reduced driving range compared to the larger unit.
The current Atto 3 has an electric motor at the front that generates 204hp and 310Nm torque. However, we’ll have to wait and see whether the new entry-level variant will maintain the same power output or undergo slight changes.
Moreover, BYD might exclude some features to reduce expenses. But it remains uncertain which features BYD will omit from the SUV.
New Atto 3 Rival
When released in the market, the entry-level Atto 3 variant will compete against the top variant of the MG ZS EV. At least, that’s what BYD will target.
The price tag of the MG electric SUV is between Rs 18.98 lakh and Rs 25.20 lakh. Moreover, it features a 50.3kWh battery pack that helps deliver an impressive 461km range.
If we talk about the current variant of Atto 3, BYD sells it for Rs 33.99 lakh. However, the company will look to offer the new version in around 25 lakhs so that it could rival the MG ZS EV.
The new lower-priced Atto 3 variant will compete directly with the MG ZS EV. However, it won’t be its only rival. The EV will take on upcoming electric SUVs such as the Tata Harrier EV, Mahindra XUV.e8, Hyundai Creta EV and the Maruti eVX.
