China to launch its ‘Tesla’ car make in South Africa. Image: @BYD
New Chinese car maker to launch in South Africa
A new Chinese car model will soon be launched in South Africa. The electronic vehicle (EV) is named BYD short for ‘Build Your Dreams’.
China to launch its ‘Tesla’ car make in South Africa. Image: @BYD
The Chinese electric car (EV) maker BYD – short for Build Your Dreams – is officially entering the South African market in 2023.
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New Chinese electric car in SA
According to MyBroadband, the car first model bound for South Africa is BYD’s battery-powered crossover SUV – the Atto 3 – which is scheduled to reach the local market in the next two months
The Atto is the second Chinese EV planned for South Africa in 2023, following the recently-unveiled GWM Ora, which will likely be BYD’s biggest competitor.
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GWM announced that the Ora would launch at a starting price of R716,900, and while BYD has yet to announce the official Atto 3 car pricing for South Africa, it’s expected to come in under R800,000.
The Atto 3 car is already on sale in several markets outside China — including Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Singapore.
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Features
According to TopAuto, standout features inside the Atto 3 car consist of the following:
- A 5-inch digital driver’s display;
- climate control car;
- Multi-colour ambient lighting;
- A panoramic sunroof;
- A multifunction steering wheel and heated and electric front seats;
- A 12.8-inch “rotating” touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite navigation, and online music streaming through apps such as Spotify;
- Adaptive LED lights
- keyless entry and start car
- A one-touch tailgate and 360-view cameras
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Additionally, the EV car will sport drive assist features such as front and rear parking sensors, hill-descent control, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warnings, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, and front and rear collision warnings.
