• Good room up front
• Unimpressive boot space
• Rear headroom isn’t brilliant

How much space is there?

Practicality impresses for the most part. Space up front is good, but headroom in the back has been affected by the standard-fit panoramic sunroof. The mounts for the sliding panel steal a couple of inches from those in the outer two seats, so you’ll have to hunch down if you’re more than six feet tall.

Legroom is good, though. Because it’s an EV, the Atto 3 has a completely flat floor, which means rear seat passengers can stretch out. There’s also enough space on the middle of the bench for a third passenger, and there’s a lot of kneeroom available even with a tall driver up front.

In his long-term test, Alan Taylor-Jones noted: ‘When travelling in the back with my son, I’ve appreciated the fold down armrest with a couple of integrated cupholders. Not only does it boost comfort, I can store my phone and a drink in the cupholders while balancing snacks on the bit I’m not leaning on. I have ended up flinging rubbish from the door pocket when opening the door though, the items slipping between the strings.’

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Boot space and storage

The boot’s a decent size, too. It’s slightly smaller than the Kia Niro EV’s, offering 440 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,338 litres with the bench stowed. However, the space the Atto 3 gives away in the boot is passed on to those sitting in the back. So, it’s swings and roundabouts, really.

You also get a handy storage area under the boot board, which is useful for hiding the car’s charging cable – and it’s especially welcome considering you don’t get any storage space under the bonnet. You can also set the boot board to a higher position to eliminate the lip between the boot opening and the floor.

Alan found that it wasn’t perfect on this score. ‘My biggest issue is the boot. In most scenarios it’s fine, especially if we’re using a stick buggy rather than a bulkier pushchair. However, with the purchase of a large tent for holidays and a large battery-operated ride-on a gift for our son from his doting grandparents, it’s just not big enough anymore.

‘To be fair, it’s an issue we’d almost certainly have with direct rivals such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Peugeot e-2008. However, in my experience those cars’ boot linings are made of tougher stuff, our Atto 3’s load area sides are made of flimsy plastic that marks very easily,’ he said.

Is it easy to park?

The Atto 3 doesn’t feel particularly large on the road, taking up a similar footprint than an Audi Q3 or Nissan Qashqai. The raised seating position is a positive, and the turning circle is agreeably tight, making it very manoeuvrable in town.

The Atto 3 is actually quite a bit larger than the A3, at 4,455mm long, 1,875mm wide (not including its door mirrors) and 1,615mm high. So, it’s quite wide but not particularly long, making it well sized for typical parking bays.

Rear parking sensors are standard on all models, while the optional 360-degree camera, and electrically folding door mirrors work well. Interestingly, you get more camera views when the screen is in portrait mode (see image below).

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Safety

• Five-star rating from Euro NCAP
• Two Isofix points as standard
• Plenty of safety technology on offer

The Atto 3 scored the full five stars when it was tested by Euro NCAP at its European launch in 2022. The days of Chinese cars lagging behind on this score are long gone now, with an extensive suite of safety kit on offer – on all models.

That means you get automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring and traffic-sign recognition, which displays the speed limit. Adaptive cruise control is also offered, and it works very well indeed, holding a decent distance between you and the car in front, and not throwing up any surprises in daily driving.

Watch: BYD Atto 3 crash test video