The BYD Yuan Plus is the all-new Atto 3 and it’s better than ever
You might not be familiar with the BYD Yuan Plus. It’s actually what the BYD Atto 3, the brand’s compact electric crossover, is called in its home market of China. After a couple of years on the market, it gets a new generation.
Unveiled at the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026), the Yuan Plus is now in its third generation (or second for the Atto 3), and comes with a whole bunch of changes that will certainly set it apart from its predecessor.
For starters, it’s larger than before. It now measures at 4,665mm long (+210mm), 1,895mm wide (+20mm), and 1,675mm tall (+60mm). Its wheelbase has also been extended by 50mm, now measuring at 2,770 mm.
Design-wise, it still wears the familiar BYD Dynasty Series design language that’s meant to evoke a dragon. In fact, it looks like an evolution of the outgoing version with its sleek lines and wraparound slim headlights and taillights, along with a wide front grille panel. Its lines look generally cleaner as well, and it also gets pull-up door handles instead of the usual swing-out or even pop-out door handles.
We weren’t able to check out the all-new Atto 3’s interior for ourselves, but it’s a huge departure from the outgoing version’s curvy and rounded appearance, and also takes on a different design direction compared to other BYD products today.
It still gets large screens for the driver’s instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, but the dashboard now follows a layered-design. The air vents are horizontally cylindrical, and the center console has been cleaned-up with the electronic gear selector being moved to the steering column, behind a two-spoke steering wheel.
As for its powertrain, the all-new third generation BYD Atto 3 adopts the Atto 3 Evo’s rear-mounted electric motor setup with shorter and long-range versions. The first option produces 272 horsepower and is paired to a 57.55kWh LFP battery, allowing for up to 540km (CLTC) of range on a single charge. The second option produces 326 horsepower, paired to a larger 68.55kWh LFP battery that allows for up to 630km of range.
Whether you get the smaller or larger battery, the all-new BYD Atto 3 is compatible with BYD’s flash charging, allowing the vehicle to be recharged from 10% to 97% state of charge in just nine minutes.
For now, the all-new BYD Atto 3 will be a China-only model, similar to the brand’s other products like the Sealion 05 and Sealion 06. But once a global roll out begins, should BYD Cars Philippines bring this to our market, especially considering that the Atto 3 is one model that helped kickstart the brand’s popularity locally?
Photos by Sam Surla
