BYD ATTO 3 EX in Japan: price, range, power and charging

© BYD Auto Japan

Japan's BYD ATTO 3 keeps almost the same dimensions, but technically it is now a very different car. The ATTO 3 EX went on sale on September 29 from 4.378 million yen. The AWD version costs 4.873 million yen. For comparison, the previous ATTO 3 was priced at 4.18 million yen, so the entry price has risen by only 198,000 yen, or about 4.7%.

The biggest change is the traction battery. Capacity has increased from 58.56 to 74.88 kWh, while the rear-wheel-drive version's range has risen from 470 to 620 km on Japan's WLTC cycle. The all-wheel-drive ATTO 3 EX is rated at 550 km. BYD has also moved from a Cell-to-Pack layout to CTB, or Cell-to-Body, where the battery becomes part of the body's load-bearing structure.

Front-wheel drive is gone. The base version now uses a 230 kW rear motor, roughly 313 hp, instead of the previous 150 kW unit. The AWD model adds a 100 kW front motor: combined output reaches 330 kW, around 449 hp, torque is 560 Nm, and 0-100 km/h takes 4.0 seconds. Moving the main motor to the rear has also created a 95-litre front luggage compartment.

The most striking difference appears when the markets are compared. The Japanese ATTO 3 EX raises its maximum DC fast-charging power only from 85 to 100 kW. The European ATTO 3 Evo, meanwhile, officially supports up to 220 kW and can charge from 10% to 80% in about 25 minutes. BYD Auto Japan has not explained why the Japanese version has a much lower limit, so the difference cannot be attributed to a specific charging standard without a statement from the manufacturer.

The Japanese rear-wheel-drive car also carries the higher official range figure: 620 km WLTC versus 510 km WLTP for the European Evo. Those numbers should not be treated as a direct efficiency comparison, because the certification cycles and market specifications are different.

Earlier information had already indicated that the updated ATTO 3 Evo would switch to rear-wheel drive, gain a 74.8 kWh battery and add an AWD version. That report concerned Australia and did not include final Japanese pricing. The Japanese launch now shows how extensively BYD can adapt the same technical base to individual markets: power output may match, while range ratings and charging capability do not.