BYD Atto 3 awarded five-star ANCAP safety rating – sort of

After a false start due to some Australian Design Rule compliance issues, the 2022 BYD Atto 3 has finally been awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but only examples produced as of November 21.

First launched Down Under in late August, the budget-friendly small Chinese electric SUV was initially denied an ANCAP rating – and then temporarily pulled from sale – due to the ADR-breaching placement of certain child seat anchorage points including the lack of a top-tether anchorage point for the centre rear seat and the fitment of an Isofix point on the front passenger seat.

Said breaches have now been rectified by the brand, allowing BYD Australia’s first model to share the same five-star rating as its Kiwi counterparts, scoring 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 84 per cent for child occupant protection, 69 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 80 per cent for its safety assist suite.

Due to the Atto 3’s initially non-compliant child seat anchors, the top local safety rating does not apply to vehicles produced before November 21 unless owners have their cars upgraded by BYD.

The nature of this retro-fit update is yet to be detailed – whether it will be part of a product safety recall or a paid service centre job – but ANCAP has made it clear that any vehicles not updated will remain formally ‘unrated’ and encouraged owners to have the work carried out as soon as possible.

According to ANCAP, the work involves updates to the “centre rear seating position to expose the top-tether child restraint anchorage, and to the front passenger seating position to disable use of this seating position for the transport of young children, including removal of the airbag disabling switch”.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said the five-star safety rating will be welcome news to both existing and prospective Atto 3 buyers given it’s applicable to all examples one way or another.

“This rating provides positive guidance to potential fleet buyers looking to increase the range of five-star electric vehicles on their purchasing lists,” she said.

The result sees the Atto 3 match the pre-facelifted version of its arch-rival, the MG ZS EV, with the heavily updated version of Australia’s cheapest EV yet to be tested by ANCAP.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au