BYD Atto 1 2025 Review

The headline number here is $25,000. That’s the price the 2025 BYD Atto 1 could start from (or just under) when it arrives in dealers this November.

But there are caveats. That price applies to the cheaper and lower-powered 65kW/175Nm Atto 1 Essential and we still don’t know whether that’s drive-away or plus on-road costs (the latter is the norm with BYD).

The Atto 1 – sold as the Seagull in China – we’re driving here is a UK-spec machine more equivalent to the flagship 115kW/220Nm Atto 1 Premium that will arrive here next month. Its price? BYD isn’t saying for the moment, but high $20Ks at least.

Even if on-road costs are to be added, the reality is the BYD Atto 1 Essential will be Australia’s cheapest new electric vehicle.

The current holder of that title is another BYD, the $29,990 (plus ORCs) BYD Dolphin Essential.

So, let’s give you the basic Atto 1 rundown. It is a small hatchback that measures up at 3990mm long, 1720mm wide and 1590mm high, underpinned by a 2500mm wheelbase and a structure called e-Platform 3.0.

It is small enough to have only two rear seats. The boot measures up at 308 litres and expands to 1037 litres with the rear 50:50 seat folded. There is no frunk.

The powertrains are not only split by e-motor outputs, but BYD Blade LFP battery size as well. The Essential gets a 30kWh pack for a claimed (WLTP) 220km range, while the Premium’s is 43.2kWh and claims a 310km combined range.

Perhaps more relevant, the WLTP urban range is calculated at 356km for Essential and 507km for Premium.

Small batteries mean quick charging times and BYD says both cars can zot from 10-80 per cent full on a DC fast charge in around 30 minutes; that translates to a max charging rate of just 65kW for the Essential and 85kW for the Premium.

Both powertrains claim a maximum 11kW AC charging rate for which you need three-phase power.

In Europe, WLTP consumption is 15.5kWh per 100km (combined) for the Essential (on 15-inch wheels) and 16kWh/100km for the Premium (on 16s).

BYD has confirmed the Premium gets a (BYD signature) rotating 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 7.0-inch digital instrument panel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, synthetic leather seats, power adjustable front seats and a cooled 50W wireless phone charger.

As per all BYDs, the Atto 1 comes with a 4G connection that provides access to the MY BYD smartphone app that offers the ability to remotely check things like battery status and lock/unlock. There is no charge or time limit for the app. The Atto 1 comes with some onboard apps and 2GB of free data – you pay after.

Safety equipment includes six airbags, a 360-degree camera and driver assist systems that BYD says adds up to Level 2 autonomous driving (stays lane-centred and can slow down/speed up on its own).

In Europe it comes with a five-star NCAP rating that BYD expects to translate to a five-star ANCAP rating here.

BYD says the Atto 1 will come to Australia in four colours including the loud ‘Sprout Green’ on our tester, which goes well with the funkiness of the exterior design.

There’s no warranty or servicing information at this point, but in Australia, BYD usually covers its cars with a six-year/150,000km vehicle warranty and eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

The 2025 BYD Atto 1 is a surprisingly good drive.

We say this with caveats: this is not an Australian-spec car (although we don’t expect ours to be much different; apparently the indicator stalk will switch from left to right-side) and the drive program was brief, at the Lang Lang proving ground and not on public roads.

It was also in the 115kW Premium equivalent, which proved to be something of a pocket rocket.

Seriously, its tip-in throttle acceleration away from a standing start will surprise a few V8s and sports cars. It’ll get the jump on them for at least the first 50-100m before they get into their stride.

It’s not only power, but power-to-weight, as the Premium only weighs in at 1390kg.

It’s going to make traditional petrol-powered mini-cars like the Kia Picanto and Suzuki Swift feel awfully pedestrian. Of course, we don’t know what the 65kW Atto 1 Essential is going to be like. Slower obviously, but hopefully still spritely from a standing start.

BYD says the Premium goes from 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds (it feels faster) and the Essential, 11.1 seconds.

Even getting worked quite hard, the economy of the test car came out at 17kWh/100km, according to the trip computer.

The other thing the Atto 1 does is stop (disc brakes all-round) and change direction surprisingly well. It is truly nimble, by far the easiest car to flip through the slalom at our test day.

You can even tune the powertrain, steering and brake feel between multiple modes, although there seemed no dramatic difference.

There’s nothing special going on technically; it just works.

The Atto 1 is front wheel drive and based on a combination of passive MacPherson strut front- and torsion beam rear-suspension and has electric-assist power steering. Our test car rolled on 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 185/55 Hankook tyres.

Its light weight, small size and instant response will make it great for congested areas.

The interior of the Atto 1 we drove also impressed with the quality of its design, materials and equipment level. In that typical Chinese way, it delivered an ambience well beyond its eco-car basis.

Things like sizable single-piece front seats, fake leather that looks quite nice, a (flat-bottom) steering wheel that adjusts for reach and rake, a sizable left footrest, large door bins, glovebox and centre console storage area, are all noteworthy.

The Atto 1 comes with start-stop button, which I personally find preferable to the is-it-running-or-not alternative.

There are some unique touches, like the rotating dial on the centre console that selects gears. It took me a while to realise the park button was stuck on the end! Volume and some basic air-con controls are located here as well.

The positioning and security of the wireless charger also ensured your phone won’t turn into a projectile during cornering!

The size of the 2025 BYD Atto 1 obviously means it has limitations.

BYD’s target market for it are couples and singles. They’re hoping to lure people out of the used car market with sharp pricing.

The main problem with that plan is a lot of young people who might fancy the Atto 1 don’t own houses or have off-street parking and that makes this vehicle harder to charge and justify as a purchase.

The obvious reason families are not a target market for this car is its size. The back seat is quite tight and down one seat from normal.

It’s not impossibly bad back there; a taller person can squash in, but shorter people or young kids would be fine.

Could you line up amongst the SUVs at a school pick-up time in an Atto 1 and retain your street cred?

Up-front, at 180cm I found myself having to set the driver’s seat as far back as possible and push the steering wheel all the way in and I still felt a little jammed. The seat also doesn't lower enough for my liking.

And, while much of the interior is praiseworthy, it only took about 10 seconds to bang my right elbow on the hard door rest – ouch! – right before I noticed the lack of storage bin between the front seats.

The Atto 1 isn’t a car for people who plan lots of open road driving. For a start, it hasn’t got the battery range and secondly, it really is set up for city driving.

There, the comfort level of the ride is appreciated. On the open road, at speed, it feels a little soft, springy and rolly. It’s not at all objectionable, just not its primary environment.

While BYD’s impressive technology is on show in the screens – essentially miniaturised versions of what goes on in bigger cars – it would be great if there were better shortcuts to important features.

For instance, driver monitoring and lane keeping were noisily intrusive and the car drove better without them, but the only way I could see to switch them off was via a laborious dab and swipe into the screen.

There’s much to like about the 2026 BYD Atto 1, not least the reduction in entry price it’ll bring for new EVs.

Although we didn’t taste the cheaper and less powerful Essential, the Premium demonstrates the fundamental execution is effective.

It was smart of BYD to give us a first taste of that model because it’s a hoot to drive.

City cars don’t sell in big numbers in Australia and small EVs have not been notable for their success here either.

The BYD Atto 1 could be the best shot yet at changing that, simply thanks to its price and package.

BYD Atto 1 Essential and Premium at a glance:
Price: From $25,000 (plus on-road costs, we think)
Available: November 2025
Powertrain: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 65kW/175Nm and 115kW/220Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 30kWh LFP and 43.2kWh LFP
Range: 220km and 310km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.5kWh/100km and 16kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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