Buying an EV these days is not an easy task as many people think. Especially with the rise of Chinese EV manufacturers that deliver some of the cheapest models in the industry.
One of these manufacturers is BYD. BYD offers the BYD Song Plus and the BYD Atto 3. These are two of the most popular EVs in China. In this article, we will compare them in many key aspects. Such as the specs, price, powertrains, battery, interior, exterior design, and more.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Specs
First, let’s take a look at the specs of these two models. For this, we created a small table where we compare these two models in some of the key aspects.
| Model | BYD Song Plus | BYD Atto 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Variant | Champion Edition | Active |
| Price | $25,970 | $19,430 |
| Battery (kWh) | 71 kWh | 50 kWh |
| Drive | FWD | FWD |
| WLTP Range (km) | 505 km | 430 km |
| Power Output (kW) | 163 kW | 150 kW |
| Acceleration (0-100 km/h) | 8.5 seconds | 7.3 seconds |
| Plug Types (AC/DC) | Type 2 & CCS2 | Type 2 & CCS2 |
| Max Charge Rate (AC/DC) | 6.6/90 | 11/89 |
| Cargo Space (liters) | 450 liters | 440 liters |
| Frunk Cargo Space | No | No |
| Length (mm) | 4,705 mm | 4,455 mm |
| Width (mm) | 1,890 mm | 1,875 mm |
| Height (mm) | 1,680 mm | 1,615 mm |
| Running Clearance | 157 mm | 175 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,765 mm | 2,720 mm |
| Tow Rating | 0 kg | 0 kg |
| V2L | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 8 years/150,000km | 8 years/160,000 km |
| Battery Warranty | 8 years/160,000 km | 8 years/160,000 km |
| Loyalty Program | Yes | Yes |
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Price
Price is a really important aspect when it comes to a certain product. And unfortunately not all of us have a lot to spend. So, if you are working with a limiting budget, both of these models are really good purchases.
The BYD Song Plus starts at $25,970 in China, while the BYD Atto 3 starts at $19,430. And as you can see, both of these models are affordable.
However, the better option for you is probably the BYD Atto 3 if you are working with a very limited budget.
The BYD Atto 3 delivers a lot for this price and even manages to match some more expensive models in this segment with its performance and features.
Even for a fully loaded BYD Atto 3, you will have to spend up to $23,320. Which is still quite a good deal. On the other hand, if you want to get a fully loaded BYD Song Plus, you will have to spend up to $30,850.
The price for the BYD Song Plus is so much steeper since this is a more premium model that implements a lot of features and luxury.
So, overall, if you are working with a limited budget, go for the BYD Atto 3, while if you have a larger budget, check out the BYD Song Plus.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Design and Interior
The exterior and interior designs are probably the deciding factor besides the price when it comes to buying a certain model. The looks are the thing that sells cars. So, how do these two models perform in this area?
Both of these vehicles follow the modern trends when it comes to the design. By this, we mean they implement sleek styling on the front end as many other EVs.
What is good about both the Song Plus and the Atto 3 is that these two models are not overly futuristic.
These models are basically your typical conventional SUV but with a slightly tweaked front end where the grille is removed. Since who needs grilles when you drive an EV?
And this is what we love about BYD, they are not trying extremely hard with their designs and offer something crazy. BYD offers models that will attract the buyers who are driving a car with an internal combustion engine.
So, these two models complement each other in terms of the design, with the BYD Song Plus being the larger of the two. The Song Plus is for those who need more space for comfort and more room for cargo in the rear.
When it comes to the interior, we can honestly say that the interior in the BYD Song Plus is the better out of the two.
With this model, you have larger screens, more quality materials. And overall, the cabin is a really nice place to be in.
The Atto 3 is also pretty good for that price point. But the Song Plus is in a different league for this model. That’s why we recommend the BYD Song Plus in this category!
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Power and Performance
Power and performance is also a highly important factor when it comes to buying a new EV. Everyone is expecting fast acceleration and an incredible throttle response. But is that the case with the BYD Song Plus and the BYD Atto 3?
Well, these models are no performance machines, we can tell you that. These models are more oriented towards driver and passenger comfort.
In other words, these two models are made for cruising in the city and on the highway.
The BYD Song Plus is the more powerful model. The Song Plus has a single electric motor at the front axle and this motor creates about 135 kW or 181 horsepower and 280 N-m of torque.
While the BYD Atto 3 is also having a single electric motor. This model creates 150 kW or 201 hp and 310 N-m of torque.
As you can see, the BYD Atto 3 is more torquey and delivers a better kick. So, the BYD Atto 3 has a better acceleration of 7.5 seconds, while the BYD Song Plus has an acceleration of 8.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h.
Overall, these are no high-performance machines and you cannot expect them to behave as such. If you want more power, you need to get a different model, like the BYD Tang with dual motors and AWD. This model accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in only 4.4 seconds.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Battery and Range
Battery and range is also very important when shopping for an EV. You need to have a proper range in order not to struggle in the long term. Range anxiety is a problem that many EV owners face and you need to be prepared in order to avoid it. The only way you can do it is to get an EV with the range that you need.
So, how do these two models perform? Well, they are actually quite good for their class. Remember that these are two models that do not compete with each other in terms of sales.
The BYD Atto 3 was conceived as a city cruiser, perfect for those who live in the suburbs and don’t travel a lot. So, with this model, you get a range of 430 km. Which is a solid number.
With the long range version of the BYD Atto 3, you get 510 km of range. Also, a pretty solid number.
With the BYD Song Plus, you get a standard range of 505 km and this range is for all of the models. Which means that you don’t have a long range version, at least not yet.
Overall, both of these models are pretty similar in their performance in terms of range. It really depends on which model you like more.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Autopilot and Other Tech
One of the things that people associate EVs with is the autopilot. This is a term that Tesla popularized for their models that are self driving. But is it really an autopilot?
Well, not quite, the vast number of EVs out there implement only Level 2 autonomy. There are simply too many hardware and software limitations for mass introduction of higher levels of autonomy in EVs and any other cars in general.
The main feature why this is called autopilot is the adaptive cruise control. This is a special system that allows you to have autonomy on the highway. The car can read the road and adjust its speed by itself.
Both of these BYD models have this feature and this feature is part of a larger system known as ADAS. ADAS stands for Advanced Driving Assistance System.
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This system implements a lot of cameras, sensors, and lidars that monitor the vehicle’s surroundings and make instant decisions.
Besides the adaptive cruise control, this system will give you blind spot monitoring, collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane departure alert, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert, and parking assist.
Overall, pretty useful features, both of these models have them. It really depends on your budget and how much money you have to spend on these upgrades in order to unlock all of them.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Size and Body
Vehicle size is really important for you to determine if a car is good for you as a future purchase. A car has to be practical and meet all of your demands in order for you to buy it. So, how do these two models perform?
Well, they are both pretty good. But the BYD Song Plus is a bit better performer because this model implements a lot more space inside of the cabin.
The BYD Song Plus is a larger vehicle that has more comfortable seats and overall more space.
This will allow the driver and passengers not to struggle with headroom and legroom. Which will allow the passengers to drive in maximum comfort.
The BYD Atto 3 is a bit more limited in this area since this model is a class below the BYD Song Plus. So, if you decide to buy the Atto 3, you will need to make small compromises.
When it comes to the boot space, the BYD Atto 3 has a boot size of 440 liters, while the BYD Song Plus has a boot space of 450 liters.
If you decide to fold down the rear seats, you will get up to 1338 liters of cargo space with the BYD Atto 3 and up to 1655 liters with the BYD Song Plus.
So, you see that the BYD Song Plus is a more practical model than the BYD Atto 3 and if practicality is your top concern, you should go ahead and get the BYD Song Plus.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Safety
When it comes to vehicle shopping, safety should be one of your top concerns. A car needs to have all the essential safety features because in some situations it can save your life.
Luckily for you, both of these models are really good in terms of safety. As we noted previously, these two models are equipped with a powerful ADAS system.
This system has many safety features that improve the overall safety of the vehicle and protect the passengers. These features are able to mitigate many of the potential threats that you will come across while driving on the roads.
These two models were also rigorously crash tested by many reputable institutions when it comes to safety.
These models were tested by the Euro NCAP, where they both scored 5/5 stars overall. Specifically the Song Plus is sold in Europe as the Seal-U, so if you are looking to learn more about the safety testing, you can look it up under this name.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Warranties
Warranty is another highly important aspect that you need to take into consideration. Namely because these cars are very expensive and having a good warranty coverage is really important when it comes to buying one of these models.
Luckily for you, BYD offers good coverage for their models. Specifically for the battery, you get up to 8 years or 160,000 km battery warranty by BYD.
When it comes to the overall vehicle warranty, you also get up to 8 years or 160,000 km. Which is another bonus. So, we can say that both of these models perform equally in this aspect.
BYD Song Plus vs BYD Atto 3: Additional Considerations
When it comes to the BYD Song Plus and the BYD Atto 3, there are not many important considerations that you need to take. Both of these models are quite good but different in size, so you should beware of this when buying one of these models.
Final Thoughts
Overall, both the BYD Song Plus and the BYD Atto 3 are excellent deals for the money. But the BYD Song Plus is definitely the better option.
We are saying this because this model implements more cabin space and has better practicality. On top of that the cabin is filled with luxury materials and you have that premium vibe when entering the cabin.
The BYD Song Plus is on a whole different level compared to the BYD Atto 3. In this case, we would recommend the BYD Atto 3 if you are working with a limited budget.
