Lower-cost Chinese-made electric cars are coming into the Australian market but are they worth considering?
BYD Atto 3 electric car.
Early Chinese-manufactured vehicles introduced into the Australian market were generally of a low build quality and in some cases suffered premature component failures.
But is this reputation justified now that the Chinese car industry is manufacturing more than 21 million vehicles a year, with a growing number being sold here?
A lot of global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers – including Tesla, Polestar, Volvo and even BMW – are producing vehicles in China to help lower production costs.
These companies have strict quality assurance guidelines and would be highly motivated to avoid tarnishing their brands by offering inferior quality products on the market.
As such, Chinese automotive manufacturing has progressed to producing quality products that rival the standard of vehicles manufactured in other regions.
Vehicles coming out of China these days are generally well built, have good fit and finish along with premium trims.
At a recent static preview of several Chinese-made EVs we were pleasantly surprised at how good the fit and finish of these vehicles appeared to be, along with their strong value for money.
One vehicle that stood out was the recently introduced BYD (Build Your Dreams) Atto 3, a small hatchback-sized EV that has similar exterior dimensions to the well-known Toyota Corolla but the interior size of the larger Toyota RAV4.
Prices for the battery-electric Atto 3 start at $48,011 for the standard range, and go up to $51,011 for the long-range, before on-road costs and any State or Federal Government rebates.
Prices have increased since the Atto 3’s launch but it’s well equipped and still represents good value for money.
The Atto 3 also has the bonus of being a dedicated EV platform, meaning its interior is roomier than a Corolla.
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In fact, the Atto 3’s 2,720mm wheelbase and 1,650mm height compare favourably with the RAV4’s 2,690mm and 1,685mm dimensions.
Inside the Atto 3’s funky cabin are seven airbags (front, front side, full-length curtain and driver's passenger side airbag), leather-trimmed seats with six-way power adjustment for the driver and four-way for the front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, 440 litres of boot space, panoramic sunroof, eight-speaker Dirac audio system, 12.8-inch rotating infotainment touch screen with DAB and Bluetooth, five-inch digital instrument panel, wireless phone charging, and an automatic tailgate.
The Atto 3 is also impressively specified on the safety front with features including lane departure warning, active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking with front and rear collision warning, ABS and traction control.
It achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022 with a 91% Adult Occupant Protection rating, an 84% Child Occupant Protection rating, 69% Vulnerable Road User Protection rating and an 80% Safety Assist rating.
In summary, vehicles coming out of China today are superior to vehicles of the past and are competitive in terms of build, fit and quality, with vehicles from other Asian manufacturers.
So, if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, do your due diligence but don’t automatically rule out Chinese-made options.
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