I ended up buying a BYD Atto 3, partially because I wanted an EV, somewhat because I didn't want a Tesla and mostly out of spite (As per that comment, it's even complete with wankery number plate). I wanted to put my money where my mouth is and buy one of these "cHiNa CaR bAd" EV's so maybe you don't have to.
I took delivery of it from Sydney (Castle Hill BYD) and promptly drove it back to work up the F4 freeway and back to work (About 200km journey). Consumption was ok (but there is no way this car is getting anywhere near the optimistic 480km range on the highway.) and used an average of about 17kWh/100km.
I ended up getting white, because I'm a tight arse and it was $0 for white ($700 for other colours) and it is not white. It's not even "Pearl White"… it's silver. For comparison, it was sitting next to a silver Navara at the dealership (they share with Nissan) and it was more silver than the Navara.
Quick thoughts
Fit and finish: Very good. I would absolutely say it was on a par with Kia and Hyundai. Seats are really nice. Dash material, not so much. Paint is all good and no massive panel gaps or piss poor painting.
Colours: Interior colours are much more muted and acceptable compared to the original LHD one they were showing in Darlinghurt. And as above, white is not "white".
Performance: About what you would expect from a 1.6 turbo, or a 2.0+ 4 cyl. engine, just way more torque. Regen is disappointing, it's either not enough, or too much. No one pedal driving.
Features: Yep, it's got them. Every anagram you can think of, it's there somewhere. Radar cruise is good and much better than the work Outlander. Lane Keep Assist is a little intrusive, but can be turned off. Cameras are amazingly clear.
Infotainment: Yep, well, that's a hot mess. No AA/ACP, (but AA can be side loaded for now.) Radio randomly reset volume when you turn vehicle off and on again. But all in all, LOTS of features and settings and it is a very snappy display with no lag.
Climate control: It works? All done through media control.
Ride comfort: Meh. Better than my Outlander, not as good as my Fiat. Around town and over bumps and rough surface, it's good. Around fast curves, it's a whale.
Economy: On the freeway/highway, not to bad, better than expected (expected 200~250km, got about 350km) around town, excellent. On one drive, I left home at 75%, got home with 76%.
Noise: Very quiet inside. It is very well insulated. It's no BMW 7 series, but it's certainly no Hyundai Accent. The "pedestrian warning" (drone noise up to 30km/h) feels like it resonates a bit, but swapping it from standard to dynamic helped. (I want a custom pedestrian warning noise.)
Size: Bigger than a Toyota Yaris Cross, a bit smaller than an Outlander. Interior is big compared to the outside would have you believe (I borrowed neighbors cat to swing around to test.) Seats are a good size, rear leg room is massive, boot space is, "average". not small, but not huge. I am 6'2" (188cm) and my head fit well within the car with a good 80~100mm between my head and the roof.
All in all, a really solid first impression. It drives well, is built well, handles on the upper side of "ok", power is good and range is not to bad… So, if you have any questions about the car, want to know anything or want a photos of something in particular, or just want to hang it on me for buying a Chinese EV, have at it.
Remember, I early adopted here so you don't have too, and I am not some paid off shill working for an auto review site/publication, so if it is a piece of shit, I'll say it, if it has issues, I'll certainly let you know and I am not here to defend the vehicle like some fanboi. To me, it is transport, not a love story. It's a family car, so it needs to be treated like one.
Edits and additions:
Total Cost: Some have asked me about what I paid for it, In NSW, the final price was $48,405.91. This included registration but not the stamp-duty. The stamp-duty rebate was done at the dealer for me. There is also a $3,000 EV rebate as well, that one you have to apply for online, and I have applied, but have not received it. After rebate, if/when I get it, it will be a total of $45,406 drive away.
Charging: I have a wall charger ready for install, but at the moment, I am living with a 10A granny charger. From 36% to 100%, the car estimated 24 hours on the 1.6kW granny. I plugged it in over night (8pm~8am) and it went from 36% to 75%. More than enough for an average day of town/city driving.
Pics or it didn't happen: Hold my beer fam… I got this…
Safety Features: I went and covered most of it in this reply
Servicing: This can be found on the BYD Aus website and I have talked about it somewhere around here
Price: $48,405.91 ($0 stamp duty and before $3,000 NSW EV rebate. For more info, I covered it here
Insurance: $884 full comp. through Budget Direct. More info on my "stats" for this price was mentioned here
Why an EV?: Because (fropanity) petrol companies! It had nothing to do with "saving the planet"
That rear badge: It's ok, you know I got your back on this…
Observations and Updates
First OTA updates have arrived: Info here
EV Incentive rebate was approved. Applied for it 16/9 and was approved 30/9. Payment arrived about 5 days after final approval.
Update on safety rating. Vehicle received Euro NCAP 5 star rating. ANCAP rating release in NZ (5 stars) still pending in Aus.
Yes, a lot of ‘fear mongering’ by the fuel companies, the irony of it all though is a lot are now starting to put in charging points.They have no choice, move with the times or lose out.