In mid-August, the American government passed legislation to deny subsidies to electric vehicles that are not manufactured in the USA. The explicit name “China” was not mentioned in the legislation, but it is quite clear that it was intended to block the invasion of the Chinese automobile industry.
This month, Carlos Tavares, president of the international automobile corporation – Stellentis, proposed to raise the customs duty on Chinese-made vehicles that are imported into Europe. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, also made a similar call this month.
But the attempts of Western governments to block the progress of the Chinese car industry seem to be “too little too late”. Most American and European car manufacturers do not want to jeopardize their interests in China, and the Chinese themselves have a competitive advantage in electric vehicle production over their peers.
Israel is one of the first landing beaches for the Chinese troops on their way to the West, and the new Chinese cars are received here with great enthusiasm. One of the prominent examples is BYD’s new ATTO 3 crossover, which has already managed to accumulate thousands of orders, even though until two months ago many buyers did not even know who the company behind it was.
between conservatism and originality
The crossover ATTO 3 is responsible for a significant part of the success and it is quite clear why. It has a solid and eye-friendly design that could be equally Japanese or Korean, balanced proportions, dimensions parallel to popular models such as the Nissan Qashqai, a nose with narrow, modern lighting units and a conservative tail with headlights.
In contrast to the conservative exterior design, the cabin adopts an original and adventurous design line. The list of design items “that create an atmosphere” and includes, among other things, a command post and doors with rich stripes and curves, air vents that consist of a multitude of large plastic rings, opening handles that are disguised in the door trim, a huge gear lever resembling the throttle of a passenger plane, high sports seats with multi-colored trim, And even three strings that stretch along each of the doors and make bass guitar sounds when plucked. Yes, it’s as weird as it sounds.
Interior space is excellent, with plenty of space for shoulders, knees and head – even for tall passengers and the floor in the back is flat as requested. There is also a wide, deep and useful trunk, although it comes at the expense of a spare wheel. Although the interior design is somewhat reminiscent of a visitor to the toy department of various stock stores, the cabin is well built with quality materials and strict quality control.
As with many vehicles made in China, the standard equipment is very generous. Along with common items, such as leather-like upholstery, ambient lighting, a panoramic roof and electric front seats, the specification of the private version also has some items that are difficult to accept as standard even in prestigious and much more expensive Western vehicles. Among them: a huge and elegant multimedia screen that at the press of a button moves on its axis for horizontal or vertical viewing, an electric rear door, a voice command system that uses artificial intelligence and functions better than most western systems we have encountered, and an electric cover that rolls up to the panoramic roof that isolates well from the scorching Israeli sun.
Slopes? They are not a problem
The Chinese “all-inclusive” approach must be a wake-up call to many competing Western manufacturers, including Tesla, who still advocate the method of “giving the customer the minimum necessary as standard, and everything else (if any) at an additional cost.”
BYD is currently the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in China and it also manufactures and develops its own engines and batteries, and even sells them to competitors in China and the West. Its engineering experience is well reflected in the ATTO propulsion system. The electric motor has a respectable power of 204 hp, and with a particularly healthy click in the sports programming mode, the vehicle gains speed linearly even on steep inclines with three or four passengers in the cabin. There is no problem cruising at 140 km/h on highways, at least according to the computer data The average power consumption is quite reasonable even under load, which makes it possible to make good use of the battery, which offers a relatively modest capacity of about 60 kilowatt-hours.
The test drive was carried out on an autumn day, with rather limited use of the air conditioner. In such conditions and with prolonged driving in the economical programming mode, it seems that a goal of 400 km between charges is achievable. On the other hand, the power of the climate system is less effective compared to competing models, so cooling the cabin in the never-ending Israeli summer may cut the realistic range to around 300-350 km M. From one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world, we would also expect support for charging a little faster than 88 kW. At least the home charging is relatively fast (11 kW). We would also be happy to have a more effective system for the energy cycle in braking.
Price according to value
The suspension and shock absorbers are calibrated with a pronounced tendency to softness, and this is reflected in a quite tangible body lean in tight turns, although the road grip itself is good. The shock absorption on intercity roads and asphalt is quite reasonable, but slow urban bumps and high vibration bars may shake the cabin more noticeably than we remember from the competitor Geely Geometric.
Even in the “Sport” programming mode, the steering is light, detached and vague, and while it helps with tight city maneuvers, Western drivers who want to drive will need to lower their expectations significantly.
Bottom line, at a price ranging from NIS 156,000 to NIS 165,000, the ATTO 3 is a recreational vehicle that earns a lot of points in issues that are really important to most private customers in the State of Israel and certainly to institutional customers. It is friendly to the eye, very impressively spacious for its dimensions, well built, unusually generously equipped and offers a range ratio at a reasonable price that is quite in line with the average in this segment. It is also backed by a generous warranty and a national service system. While the ATTO is not without flaws and driving enthusiasts will wish for more polished dynamic ability, the tribe has already had its say. It seems that in the war for the electric vehicle market, the West has already lost.
Some of the competitions
Geometric ages C
The long-range version of the recreational vehicle, which is spacious and very well equipped, costs NIS 160,000. Propulsion is provided by a 204 hp engine that accelerates the vehicle to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and a 70 kW battery provides a driving range of up to 460 km.
Gili Geometric C / Photo: Yeh’ach
MG4 electric
During 2023, the compact electric vehicle should land in Israel, so the price has not yet been announced. A wheelbase of 2.71 m ensures a spacious passenger compartment, and it is equipped with a 204 hp engine and a 62 kW battery with a range of up to 435 km in WLTP.
Electric MG4 / Photo: Y’h’chaz
BEINGS 3
The main representative of the SERES brand will arrive in Israel next year, and the price has not yet been announced. The new version includes a very large battery – 70 kilowatts – which should provide a range of up to 450 km according to the European standard.
SERES 3 / Photo: Yeh”c