Sharper attack on e-2008 and co.?
BYD has managed to significantly expand its electric model range in Europe in a relatively short time. But it is not yet active in every segment. For the Chinese market, BYD is preparing the arrival of an electric crossover that is even smaller than the Atto 3 and which could therefore become a greater threat to cars such as the Peugeot e-2008 in Europe.
Anyone who goes shopping for a BYD electric car in the Netherlands can choose from quite a few models. The BYD adventure started in the Netherlands with the large Han and the Tang, successively an electric sedan and an electric SUV. A smaller electric sedan (Seal), a smaller SUV (Atto 3), a hatchback (Dolphin) and a medium-sized SUV were later added: the Seal U. With its car length of over 4.45 meters, the BYD Atto 3 is considerably smaller than the Tang (4.87 meters), but still a size larger than cars like the Peugeot e-2008. BYD may launch a sharper attack on the e-2008 and the countless compact electric crossovers from the Stellantis brands to Europe.
BYD Yuan Up
AutoWeek has turned up the first photos and the first information of a new, smaller electric BYD in the database of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It’s called Yuan Up. Does the name ‘Yuan’ in combination with BYD mean anything to you? That is very possible. The BYD Atto 3 as you know it here is known as Yuan Plus in China. It is above the smaller crossover, simply called Yuan or Yuan Pro, which has been in operation since 2015 and which looks a bit like the Ford Ecosport. The BYD Yuan Up that you see in these photos is 4.31 meters long, 1.83 meters wide and 1.68 meters high. So it is about 14 centimeters shorter than an Atto 3 and just one centimeter as long as an e-2008. The new electric BYD has a wheelbase of 2.62 meters, the Atto 3 has 10 centimeters more between the front and rear axle. So he is really a size smaller.
The BYD Atto 3 is a model of BYD’s so-called Dynasty model series in China. Just like the Tang and the Han. Cars like the Seal and Dolphin belong to BYD’s Ocean series. The Seal U – although its name suggests otherwise – is in fact a member of the Dynasty family again. In Europe, BYD also sells a colorful mix of its two model lines. According to limited information, the BYD Yuan Up has a 95 hp or 177 hp electric motor. It weighs 1,430 to 1,520 kilos. With a little imagination, the Yuan Up could well be marketed in Europe as the Atto 2. If we speculate further, this BYD Seagull is an interesting candidate to be known as BYD ‘Atto 1’.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl