Should I buy a BYD Atto 3 or a Hyundai Kona Electric Elite?

Electric vehicles are an ongoing hot topic, more now than ever after the Australian Government announced plans to increase the range of affordable vehicles available down under.

We've put an affordable newcomer against a well-established mainstay: the BYD Atto 3 versus the Hyundai Kona Electric Elite. Even though the BYD is an early example and is not an exact representation of what we'll see on the roads in Australia, we were eager to see how it stacked up based on what we know so far.

The Hyundai Kona on the other hand, needs no introduction, wearing a badge that represents reliability and quality.

Both compete in an ever-growing segment rivalling against the likes of the Kia Niro and MG ZS EV. But, when focusing solely on the two, which vehicle packs more features, safety, space and is a good value proposition?

Let's take a closer look.

BYD stands for 'Build Your Dreams', an interesting anecdote for the massive Chinese company that has a history of building batteries, and is now building cars.

And the first BYD that will land in Australia is the Atto 3, a medium-sized SUV that measures 4455mm long and 1875mm wide. It has room for five on-board, and will come with a starting price of $44,381 before on-road costs (standard range). The extended range vehicle starts at $47,981 plus on-road costs. 

The final price of the Atto 3 will vary according to the state you're going to buy and register the vehicle, but this will be one of the lowest-priced electric cars on the Australian market.

And it's the first of many, according to the BYD importers, EVDirect. There is expected to be a hatchback, large SUV, sedan and van, eventually making their way to Australia.

The car we reviewed is an Australian-delivered right-hand drive model. Instead, we've got an evaluation vehicle from BYD. It's a Chinese market model, complete with Chinese writing, badges and logos. 

Plus, it's left-hand drive. But armed with special permission and a trade plate, we've been able to test-drive this 2022 BYD Atto 3 on Aussie roads.

While options will likely be short, we've got the extended-range box ticked on this test car. This takes the claimed driving range of the BYD Atto 3 from 320km to 420km, according to WLTP testing. This extended range option, which grows the battery from 50kWh to 60kWh, seems to be a good option for those who want the surety of that extra driving range, at $3000.

In the way of standard highlights it scores a power tailgate, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, wireless charging pad, faux leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric Standard Range joined the brand’s expanded Kona EV line-up, offering less driving range than the original Kona EV (now renamed Extended Range) but at a more affordable price.

Price has long been a barrier to larger-scale electric vehicle uptake, and with the Kona EV Standard Range, Hyundai is making moves to democratise EV ownership.

It’s the most affordable Kona Electric in the brand’s line-up priced at $54,500 plus on-road costs. That compares favourably against the Kona Electric Extended range that gets underway at $60,500 for the Elite trim and tops out at $64,000 for the top-spec Highlander trim, both before on-road costs.

That makes the Standard Range around $10,000 more affordable than the range-topping Highlander Extended Range. It’s an astute move from the Korean carmaker, where consumers might baulk at paying around $64,000 for a small SUV, even an electric one, but might consider one priced closer to mid-fifties. Time will tell.

Standard features include an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, leather appointed seats and steering wheel and smart key with push button start, to name a few.

The Atto 3 offers ample everyday storage. There is room underneath the centre console and shifter for a small handbag, and you'll find twin USB points and a 12V power outlet down here as well. There is a wireless charging pad up top, and a couple of cupholders behind the shifter.

The central storage bin is well sized, covered with the same leather-like material you'll find on door cards and across the dashboard. The design is quite minimalist, with low-slung air vents tidying up an otherwise empty dash (save for that massive screen). It's a curved and flowing design overall, in comparison to the angular and trapezoidal elements that seem quite popular these days.

An interesting point here: our test car had the charging point for a karaoke microphone in the centre console, something of a standard addition for the Chinese market. 

The other major material here is a foam-like plastic, something like an open-pore neoprene. It's designed to resemble a muscle, bulging with tendons and fibres, and certainly adds to the unique ambience inside the Atto 3. We noted a small amount of dirt transfer on this part of the interior, but it seemed to clean down easily with a damp cloth. 

In the second row, the size and design of the Atto 3 yields big benefits. Firstly, it is big. Considering this car is a little shorter than a Toyota RAV4, the amount of legroom and toe room is impressive. Seats – covered in the same materials as the front – are comfortable, but headroom isn't in the same abundant supply. There was enough headroom for me, but taller adults would likely rub their heads (or hair) against the lid. Blame the sunroof perhaps, which extends all the way back to behind the second-row occupants.

Because the Atto 3 is a ground-up EV design, the floor in the second row is completely flat. It's a great benefit overall, especially if you're loading three adults into the rear.

The boot measures in at 434 litres, according to BYD. Although, it's currently unclear what method the Chinese brand took to arrive at this number. General observations of mine says it's a decent size, without being massive.

In its largest configuration, the floor sits low-down above the goo kit. You can shift the floor upwards, almost level with the lip of the boot. In this spot, size is reduced quite dramatically, but those who want to fit in a proper spare wheel – even full-sized, potentially – will have this option. 

Storage is plentiful with a pair of generous cupholders, a decent-sized central storage bin, an additional lidded cubby in the centre console and bottle-sized door bins. There’s also a cavernous storage area under the centre console, but it’s awkward to reach and clumsy to use. We can’t imagine a practical use for it.

Second-row passengers also score a pair of cupholders in the fold-down armrest, while the door pockets can accommodate bottles. But it’s not all wine and roses back there.

Thanks to the Kona’s EV architecture, the battery array living under the raised floor has impacted on space. There’s minimal toe and leg room, although headroom is fine for most adults. There are no air vents back there either, although thanks to the raised floor and that white interior, there’s an overwhelming feeling of light and space, even if the latter is an illusion. Still, as temporary accommodation for around town, the second row is fine.

The boot measures in at 332L and expands to 1114L with the second-row seats folded away. That’s down on the 361L/1143L the regular non-electric Kona offers, all of that litreage down to the battery array underneath. Also, don’t look for a spare tyre, not even a space-saver, as the Kona EV is fitted with a repair kit. Boo.

This infotainment system doesn't use straight Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity – at least initially – for smartphone mirroring. Instead, it uses a 'D-Link' third party app for such things. BYD tells us it is looking to implement straight mirroring in the future however, and is hoping to have it sorted out by the end of the year. This could be a simple software update for existing users as well, without any required hardware changes.

The operating system otherwise uses an interface similar to a smartphone, with the ability to connect to the internet and download apps for general usage. There's digital radio listed as a feature for Australian-delivered vehicles, along with an impressive 360-degree camera system. This has a wide variety of three-dimensional and viewing positions to choose from, as well as keeping an eye on what's happening underneath the Atto 3.

The system also has a built-in DVR recorder – or dashcam – for general usage. For many who want to use such a thing, having an integrated solution already sorted out would be of great benefit.

Instead of a traditional instrument binnacle located on the dashboard, the BYD Atto 3 uses a smaller digital display mounted on the steering column. It works well, with basic readouts like driving range, energy usage and speed readily available. Users can cycle through some additional information as well, like tyre pressure monitoring and average energy consumption.

The Hyundai Kona has inbuilt satellite navigation as well as smartphone mirroring via wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. CarPlay works as you’d expect – quick to pair, and easy to use – while a handy split-screen function (configurable) allows you to keep an eye on range and battery life, as well as a neat little feature that displays where the nearest electric vehicle charging station is located. Digital radio is standard, alongside the traditional AM/FM band, as is wireless phone charging.

The array of shortcut buttons is a welcome feature in an automotive landscape gradually doing away with them. Similarly, having manual buttons and dials for climate-control functions is a boon – easy to use without taking your eyes off the road.

Complementing the Kona EV’s 10.25-inch infotainment screen is another 10.25-inch screen acting as a digital driver display. It’s configurable with a variety of driving data. It looks good, too, with its white dials on a dark background – modern. There are a couple of USB-A plugs up front and an additional one in the second row to help keep devices juiced.

Being a new model both in Australia and China, we don't know absolutely everything about the BYD Atto 3 from a safety perspective. It's yet to be tested by the Australian crash safety authority ANCAP, but there is a fair amount of standard safety equipment listed by EVDirect – the company responsible for importing the BYD into Australia.

Adaptive cruise control, seven airbags (including a driver's far-side, aka centre airbag), front collision warning, rear collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and rear cross-traffic braking as well as autonomous emergency braking. 

We noted a couple of false alarms on the forward collision warning during our time with the car, driving along narrow streets choked with parked vehicles, but otherwise, these more advanced bits of safety equipment seem unobtrusive.

For the full picture on safety, we'll need to wait for the Australian-delivered vehicle to properly land. And we'll also need the input of an official crash-testing authority, whether that comes from the Australian (ANCAP) or more global (Euro NCAP) side of things.

The broader Hyundai Kona range was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2017. This has been updated to include all electric variants.

Australia’s safety body gave it an overall score of 35.07 out of a possible 37, with notable high points a perfect 16 out of 16 for side impact protection and 14.07 out of 16 in frontal offset crash testing.

The Kona Electric range is equipped with Hyundai’s latest suite of active safety technology. Dubbed Hyundai SmartSense, the suite includes blind-spot monitoring and avoidance assist, driver attention alert, camera- and radar-based autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist and lane-following assist, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function.

A suite of six airbags covers both rows of occupants, while those with kiddies are catered for by a pair of ISOFIX mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether points on the second-row seatbacks.

While the Atto 3 won't be able to beat the MG ZS EV on straight asking price, it does have the advantage of being a larger vehicle. It's closer to medium-sized, where the ZS EV is classed as a small SUV.

Standard equipment seems to be quite generous as well, with only one specification level to choose from. This gets things like a panoramic sunroof, a big (rotating) 12.8-inch infotainment display, leather-like seating materials and electric adjustment for the front seats. Other details like a wireless phone charger and an electric tailgate shows that this is a relatively high-specced model. 

And while the Atto 3 doesn't have the same 100kW charging capability of some competitors, 80kW is still a solid number. We're imagining most will use a 7kW wall charger at home most of the time, but the ability to replenish most of the battery's capacity in 30 minutes with a faster DC charger will be useful. 

However, with the caveat that the exact specification of the final Australian model will need to be interrogated, before we have more of a clear picture of value. 

One thing worth noting here: our test car had some spiffy-looking plastic covers over the top of the wheels, but Australian-delivered models will get 18-inch alloys.

Servicing your BYD will cost $1546.31 over the first four years or 80,000km, and $3092 over eight years or 160,000km.

Insuring the BYD isn't a cheap exercise, with the Atto 3 priced at approximately $1,682 per year – a big jump from the price of the Kona, which you'll see below.

Taken at face value, the Hyundai Kona EV Standard Range currently represents good value for the EV segment. With its circa $55K starting price, the Kona EV is at the lower end of the EV market. Yes, the MG ZS EV can be had for around $10K less, but we’d argue the Kona represents better value thanks to its longer range and healthy equipment list.

Hyundai covers the Kona EV with its standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while services are required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Service packs can be prepaid and ask for $540 over three years or $1445 over five.

Hyundai claims the Kona Electric Standard Range will consume energy at the rate of 14.3kWh/100km. Our week of largely urban driving netted a return of just 12.1kWh per 100km, a good deal under the maker’s claim. That translated to greater driving range, too, with the Kona EV indicating 333km of range at our consumption levels against Hyundai’s 305km claim. Nice.

Insurance will set you back around $939 per year – much more cost effective than the BYD.

Sam notes, "the first challenge in doing this review was getting my head around left-hand driving. It takes some getting used to when you're in the right country, but took some initial concentration to do on Australian roads."

Visibility is certainly hampered when you're on the wrong side of the car, and it takes some time to nail your lane positioning. But once acclimatised, the Atto 3 proved quite comfortable and easy to operate.

Suspension – using MacPherson struts up-front and a multi-link setup at the rear – is tuned for soft, wafting comfort. And for a town-based electric SUV, this suits the brief nicely. 

Rougher, more potholed and corrugated roads can see the body bounce and jiggle around a little bit, suggesting that more damping control could be useful. We also noticed when loaded with five adults and a bootload of camera gear, the lack of damping became more conspicuous. 

Steering – fully electric, of course – is also tuned for light, easy control. It's not exactly full of 'feel' and 'feedback' like some might want from a driver's car, but the tune is fast to respond to steering inputs. Once again, it's easy to live with and suits the modus operandi of the Atto 3.

Performance from the 150kW/310Nm electric motor is typical of an electric vehicle: silent, responsive, and surprisingly brisk. Heavy throttle take-offs clearly ask too much of the Chaoyang tyres fitted to this Atto 3, which quickly squealed as they lost grip to the ground. Traction control was quick to respond, but while foot remained buried, the problem simply jumped from wheel to wheel.

BYD claims that the 0-100km/h sprint time would be around seven seconds. 

We also got the chance to drive the Atto 3 during a relatively heavy Sydney downpour, which didn't reflect well on the tyres either. They felt noticeably skittish through corners.

Rolling acceleration is more elegant, and effective. And it left me pondering how much improvement could be gained from a different set of tyres. There is a chance you might lose some efficiency with opting for a grippier tyre, but it also might be worth it.

The good news here is the Hyundai Kona Electric Standard Range drives just like a regular, run-of-the-mill, petrol-powered Hyundai Kona, only quieter. It’s light on its wheels, agile and nimble around town, and simply a pleasure to drive.

It boasts a front-mounted electric motor pumping out 100kW and 395Nm to the front wheels. That motor is fed by a 39.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack and Hyundai claims a driving range of 305km, which is more than enough (just) for the average Australian weekly commute of around 289km (based on our 15,000km annual average). And, as already pointed out, our week with the Kona EV did even better, indicating 333km of available range.

Things to know. Initial acceleration is sharp, the Kona moving away from standstill really quickly. Sure, it’s not in Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S territory, but first-time EV drivers will be surprised at just how fast the Kona gets off the line.

It’s tempting to mash the throttle every time moving away from traffic lights, because that surge of instant torque is fun, but the cost in available range means you don’t want to do it too often. Stick to driving the Kona EV like a conventional petrol-powered car is our tip.

Other things to know. Some of the lost energy in the battery can be regenerated via the Kona’s brakes, and you can vary the amount of regeneration – from mild to aggressive – via the paddle-shifters on the steering wheel.

In its mildest mode, deceleration once off the accelerator is, as the name suggests, quite mild. Medium ramps up regeneration but still needs you to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

But in its most aggressive setting, and with some getting used to, you can in theory never touch the brake pedal. Instead, the regeneration is aggressive enough to ensure the Kona EV comes to a complete stop without using the brake pedal, all while feeding electrons and precious range back into the battery pack. 

It’s not a huge amount, and eventually the battery will be depleted to levels where charging is a good idea. However, as an example, my commute from Drive HQ to home is around 9km of inner-city driving, and using the regenerative function in its most aggressive setting, I could complete the trip using around 6km of indicated range. Every little bit counts, right?

Things to know about charging. The Kona Electric Standard Range features a Type 2 AC socket suitable for most public charging destinations. It takes around 48 minutes, according to Hyundai, to reach 80 per cent charge from zero at a 50kW DC public charger. That’s weekly grocery shop time.

Using a Hyundai-supplied 7.7kW wall charger installed at your home takes about four hours from 0–80 per cent, while using a conventional home socket blows charging out to 13 hours. Keep it topped up, nightly, is our tip.

Things to know about the driving experience. Once you get past the quietude (there is no engine noise, obviously) and the rush of acceleration, the Kona EV drives just like a regular small SUV.

It’s zippy around town, accomplished out on the highway (although cruising at 110km/h does chew through range), and thanks to local suspension tuning it remains comfortable and cossetting inside. The Kona EV’s sweet spot is in an urban environment, where harvested energy can be fed back into the batteries and its agile nature, despite its 1535kg kerb weight (only marginally heavier by around 30kg than a petrol Kona N Line Premium), makes for a pleasant and quiet driving experience. 

Quick off the mark, a breeze to manoeuvre, and with a commendable ride quality that soaks up the detritus of our modern urban roads with ease, all ensures the Kona is a pleasure to drive.

A mainstay versus a challenger always makes for an interesting assessment. On paper the BYD delivers a compelling proposition in the way of price, features and warranty. Having said that, we've put this newcomer up against a Hyundai, which is a brand we've had 30 years to learn to trust in Australia.

The first thing you will no doubt be drawn to is the price tag of the BYD – $10,000 cheaper than the Kona. That's significant.

It's also packed with a generous amount of features, some of which the Kona misses out on. These include a panoramic sunroof, front and passenger heated seats, power adjustable front seats, electric power assisted steering system, multi-colour gradient ambient lighting, keyless entry & keyless start and a power tailgate. That's a lot of standard niceties that you don't always get in a small SUV in this price range.

Both have decent storage, however, the BYD wins the battle of the boots. It also trumps the Kona with its warranty – six years standard and eight for its battery, while the Kona sits at five for both.

In the way of safety features, both are more or less matched with just the one feature (high beam assist) fitted to the BYD that you won't find in the Kona. However, we are yet to see an ANCAP rating from the brand.

It's worth mentioning that, while BYD doesn't come equipped with Apple CarPlay, the update is slated for this quarter.

Running costs favour the Kona with a much cheaper insurance quote, while servicing costs also run higher for the BYD.

The Kona gets a tick on the road for its effortless and agile ride around town, and while we've spent some time behind the wheel, we'll have to wait until we get our hands on the right-hand drive example of the BYD for a true indication.

What we are also eager to assess is the build quality of the BYD as Hyundai's are renowned for being well-built and well-engineered machines.

So, on paper the BYD looks to be the better choice – a new brand to Australia and an affordable EV. This is certainly a badge we can get excited about.

But the proof will be in the pudding!