BYD’s fastest-selling model, the BYD Seagull, will be going on sale in Indonesia as the BYD Atto 1, if a post in the BYD Indonesia Facebook group is anything to go by.
Known as the Dolphin Mini in South America, the Dolphin Surf in Europe, and of course, the Seagull in China, the Atto 1 is a compact electric vehicle (EV) hatchback that measures 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,500 mm. This size makes it comparable with other small hatchbacks such as the Perodua Myvi and the Proton Iriz.
The imminent launch of the Atto 1 in Indonesia could mark the Archipelago as the second right-hand-drive market, after the compact EV hatchback debuted in the UK earlier this year. It was previewed in the region during last year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, and BYD has expressed interest in bringing the model to Australia as well.
According to Kompas, the BYD Atto 1 will be offered in Indonesia in two variants with a starting price between IDR218 million to IDR233 million (approx. RM57k to RM61k).
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Details for the BYD Atto 1 in Indonesia is scarce, but based on the Seagull in its homeland, it will most likely come fitted with a single front-mounted electric motor producing 74 hp and 135 Nm of torque.
Two battery options are available: a 30.08 kWh pack with 305 km of CLTC range, and a 38.88 kWh pack offering up to 405 km. DC fast charging is also supported, allowing the battery to charge from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
While the Seagull stands as BYD’s entry-level EV, Malaysians will have to settle for the larger Dolphin as the brand’s entry-level offering, priced from RM103,910 here in Malaysia, for now at least.
Due to the government’s regulations that mandate imported EVs to a minimum price of RM100,000, budget “supermini” models such as the Seagull (or Atto 1) won’t make much financial sense here for BYD Malaysia as they currently do not operate any local assembly works. As such, the company would be focusing its efforts on slightly larger crossovers such as the Atto 2, which will be launching here this week.
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