Cost-effective sensation BYD Ato3..3 Fatal Disadvantages You Need to Know Before You Buy
Mar 31, 2025
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In the midst of these three fatal shortcomings, even if the subsidy is confirmed in April, it is expected that contract customers will hesitate to receive the actual vehicle.
The biggest drawback is that the Ato3 partial change model appeared in China in the middle of this month. Partially changed new cars are expected to be introduced in Korea in the fourth quarter at the earliest, considering the strict domestic certification. In this case, there are concerns that if the current Ato 3 is purchased, it could become an old model in less than a year.
L, who signed a pre-contract for Ato3 in January this year, said, "I'm worried that I'm buying an inventory car after hearing that the Ato3 partial change model was recently unveiled in China," adding, "I'm worried about whether I should cancel the contract just before this because the delivery is delayed due to the delay in subsidies."
The exterior design of the Ato3 partial change model has not changed much. There is just a big change in the front bumper. As the shape of the air intake disappeared, it changed to an electric car-like design.
On the
side, a new wheel design in two sizes of 17,18 inches is applied. The existing C-pillar dragon's scale pattern has been changed simply. The rear side has changed the interior design of the tail lamp and the stop lamp located in the bottom diffuser and spoiler has been changed.
Ato3 partial change model changed to column type gear shift
The interior has a large range of changes, just like a partial change. First of all, the streamlined line across the dashboard disappeared and changed to a straight line. The digital instrument panel in front of the steering wheel, which was pointed out as a disadvantage, was also upgraded to 8.8 inches, improving visibility.
The center monitor is 12.8 inches, the same as before. A 15.6-inch large screen display has been added to the upper trim.
What attracts attention is that column-type electronic gear has been applied in place of the transmission located in the existing center console.
Accordingly, a spare storage space has been prepared under the center console. The wireless charging pad has also been changed, and the top trim adds an automobile refrigerator to the center console.
In addition to
, BYD's new autonomous driving system, God's IC, is applied to the model exclusively for China. It is equipped with three cameras (maximum detection range of 350m), five radars, and 12 ultrasonic radars in front of it, putting a total of 29 sensors on the vehicle.
The powertrain is equipped with the same front-wheel motor with a maximum output of 150Kw as before. Local prices in China hardly rose to 115,800 yuan to 145,800 yuan (23.2 million won to 29.2 million won).
The second disadvantage is that the center display cannot be rotated vertically when using the Apple Car Play, which domestic consumers prefer as vehicle infotainment, on the Ato3.
UIs are not developed for Apple CarPlay, so it is impossible to switch vertical screens while driving.This makes the 90-degree rotation center display feature that Ato3 put forward as an advantage against competing vehicles useless.
The third is a fatal factor that causes inconvenience to driving. This is the visibility of the 5-inch LCD instrument panel in front of the steering wheel. The 5-inch instrument panel delivers key vehicle information such as speed, power, mileage, and driving mode.
The Ato 35-inch digital instrument panel is difficult to figure out due to its poor visibility
The problem is that the size of the LCD instrument panel is small and the clarity of the numbers is low, making it difficult to grasp information displaying various information while driving. It is not easy to distinguish, especially on bright days.
When ADAS was operated in the actual test drive, it was difficult to tell because the number showing the ADAS speed limit was written in small letters and green letters on a sky blue background. It was hard to see while driving.
Fortunately, the Ato3 partial change model that appeared in China this month improved these shortcomings and increased the clarity by growing it to 8.8 inches in size of the instrument panel. However, when purchasing the Ato 3 in Korea, it has a 5-inch digital instrument panel that is less clear.
It is unclear whether BYD Korea will increase the clarity of its 5-inch digital instrument panel with an OTA update in the future. Another problem is that subsidies for Ato3 electric vehicles are delayed than expected. The customer who signed the contract in January has already been on standby for more than two months.
A government official who asked not to be named said, "BYD, which became the world's No. 1 electric vehicle company last year, entered the Korean market more aggressively than expected, and government ministries related to subsidies seem to feel burdened," adding, "ByD is considering Korea as an outpost for overseas exports rather than selling a few units in Korea right now."
Editor Kim Tae-jin, tj.kim@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
