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The latest BYD medium-SUV destined for New Zealand will likely not be offered in Australia due to concerns it would overlap with existing models.
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This puts it firmly into the mid-size SUV segment, rather than just straddling the line between small and mid-size like the current Atto 3, and it's this specific issue putting a question mark over the new model for Australia.
“It's pretty obvious I think that just putting more, more and more models in that sort of segment is going to cannibalise,” says BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins.
“I just feel that we're at the stage now where we have 11 models in our line-up, and we're not just going to keep adding to it just for the sake of it.
“Where a model has got a role, and we can sell it in reasonable regard to the brand, and then we'll look at it.”
BYD Australia also fields the Sealion 5 and Sealion 6 in the mid-size SUV segment, though they are plug-in hybrids rather than all-electric.
The 2026 Yuan Plus, as it is called in China, has grown 210mm in length and 50mm in width, and will be sold as the Atto 5 in New Zealand later this year.
Chinese models will come with a choice between two battery sizes, 57.5kWh and 68.5kWh, with CLTC range ratings of 540km and 630km respectively.
This compares to the current Australian Atto 3 line-up of either a 49.92kWh battery for a 345km driving range rating or a 60.48kWh version rated for 420km, known as the Essential and Premium, and priced at $39,990 before on-road costs and $44,990 respectively.
Had the Atto 5 been considered for Australia, it could eat into the existing space occupied by the medium-SUV Sealion 7, which is offered with an 82.6kWh battery rated for 482km of range, available from $54,990 plus on-roads.
Further specifications for the Yuan Plus include BYD’s Flash charging capability, for 10 to 70 per cent charge time in as little as five minutes, and an advanced driver assistance suite including LiDAR autonomous highway driving.
Given Sealion 7’s relatively recent launch last year, it’s even more unlikely that the Atto 5 would replace the medium-SUV offering so soon.
In the same boat, the Atto 3 Evo is due in the second half of 2026, which sees the the first full overhaul to BYD Australia's first mainstream model.
Based on international information, the Atto 3 Evo will feature a switch from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive, increase battery size, and therefore boost driving range.
Power figures will also be increased, with the RWD variant seeing 230kW/380Nm from a single electric motor and the AWD outputting 330kW/560Nm from a motor on each axle.
A charging boost will up the max rate from 70kW/88kW (between the Essential and Premium grades) to 220kW for a 10 to 80 per cent DC charge time of as little as 25 minutes.
Dimensions appear to remain similar between the outgoing Atto 3 and the Evo, although boot space has been increased by 50 litres and external aesthetics have been refreshed.
The interior has also been refreshed slightly, with the infamous “guitar string” door cards remaining, though local specifications for screen size and infotainment have not been confirmed.
Pricing has not been confirmed for the model, and will likely attract a price rise – though Collins is keen to keep the pricing line-up for all models linear for a clear progression.
“We want to make sure that we have a grade line-up that enables people to get into an Atto 1 or an Atto 2 and then progress through our line-up to ultimately a Sealion 8 or a Shark 6.”
Further information on the new BYD Atto 3 Evo will be released closer to its Australian launch post-June.
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Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
