The new BYD Atto 8 is a large seven-seat electric SUV that will serve as the Chinese firm's flagship and rival the Kia EV9 and Skoda Peaq.
Unveiled at the Paris motor show, the new model will top the brand’s SUV range, which also includes the Atto 2 and 3, the Sealion 5 and the Seal U. It will become the largest EV offered in the UK by BYD, and its first to feature more than five seats.
The Atto 8 also becomes the firm’s first European model to benefit from its second-generation 115kWh Blade battery, which allows for BYD’s ultra-rapid Flash charging. This means the Atto 8 can go from 10-70% capacity in five minutes when using one of the firm’s proprietary chargers. Brimming it from 10-97% takes an additional four minutes.
The Atto 8 will be available with two different powertrains, both using the same battery pack. The Design RWD model has a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 455bhp and 270lb ft, can do 0-62mph in eight seconds and has a WLTP range of 405 miles.
The other option, the Excellence AWD, has an electric motor on each axle to produce 764bhp and 571lb ft. The 0-62mph sprint takes 4.6sec, while the WLTP range falls to 374 miles.
At 5040mm long, 1996mm wide and 1760mm tall, the Atto 8 has very similar dimensions to the EV9, but is larger than the Peaq.
Inside, the new model gets a panoramic glass roof, a 10.25in digital instrument panel, a 26in windscreen head-up display and a 15.6in central infotainment touchscreen with built-in Google functions.
With all three rows of seats in use, the Atto 8 has 270 litres of luggage capacity in the rear, along with a 136-litre front boot. For comparison, the EV9 has 333 litres of boot space with the third row of seats up, and either 90 litres (RWD) or 52 litres (AWD) in the front, while the Peaq has 299 litres in the rear and 37 litres in the front.
The Atto 8 is due to go on sale across Europe in the first quarter of 2027. No pricing has yet been announced.
