Next-gen BYD Atto 1 launches in China with five seats and flash charging

Key takeaways

• Five seats, rear-wheel drive and a body 215mm longer than today’s Atto 1
• Up to 420km CLTC range and 10-70% charging in five minutes
• Australian launch unconfirmed, with the current Atto 1 Essential at $19,990 driveaway

BYD has launched the second-generation Seagull in China, the city car sold in Australia as the Atto 1. It went on sale on 20 October with five seats instead of four, rear-wheel drive and charging that adds 60% of battery in five minutes on higher-spec versions.

BYD Australia has not confirmed if or when the new model will arrive here. All prices and specifications below are for China.

Second-generation Seagull pricing in China

AUD figures are direct currency conversions at ¥1 = A$0.21, rounded to the nearest $100. They are not an indication of Australian pricing.

View BYD Atto 1 driveaway pricing and specifications →

A trade-in incentive takes ¥3,000 off every grade. The entry price is also ¥4,000 below the regular price of the outgoing Seagull in China.

How much bigger is the new Atto 1?

The new car measures 4,205mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,570mm tall, on a 2,650mm wheelbase. That makes it 425mm longer than the Chinese Seagull it replaces.

The Australian Atto 1 already uses a longer body than the Chinese car, but the new model is still 215mm longer than ours, with a 150mm longer wheelbase. That brings it close to the size of the Geely EX2 and BYD’s own Dolphin.

The extra length makes room for a fifth seat and a 94L front boot. With the rear seats folded, cargo space reaches 1,380L, compared with 1,078L in the current Australian car.

Next-gen BYD Atto 1 range and charging

The motor has moved from the front axle to the rear and drives the rear wheels, with 85kW or 95kW depending on version. Top speed is 150km/h, and a multi-link independent rear suspension replaces the torsion beam. The Atto 1 sold here is front-wheel drive, with 65kW in the Essential and 115kW in the Premium.

Buyers in China choose between two LFP Blade batteries: 30.1kWh for 320km of range or 39.2kWh for 420km. Those are CLTC figures, from China’s test cycle, which gives higher numbers than the WLTP standard used in Australia. The current Atto 1 is rated at 220km (30kWh) and 310km (43.2kWh) on WLTP.

Charging is the bigger change. Higher-spec versions support BYD’s Flash Charging, which takes the battery from 10% to 70% in five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes using BYD’s dedicated high-power chargers. The current Atto 1 Premium peaks at 85kW DC and takes around 30 minutes to go from 10% to 80%.

Key equipment

The cabin keeps a row of physical climate buttons below the screen, fixing one of the main complaints in our Atto 1 review, where the current car hides those controls in the touchscreen.

• 15.6-inch central touchscreen running DiLink 150, with no separate driver display
• Power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, plus massage for the driver
• 50W wireless phone charger, multi-colour ambient lighting and eight-speaker audio
• 16-inch wheels with 205/60 tyres
• Up to six airbags
• Optional roof-mounted LiDAR (a laser-scanning sensor) on higher grades, adding DiPilot 300 assisted driving on highways and city streets, plus automated parking

The current Atto 1 Essential remains on sale at $19,990 driveaway nationally until 15 December. Australian specifications for the new generation may differ from China’s, as they do for the current car, and BYD Australia has yet to announce timing.