Having now matched global industry quality and engineering, Chinese car makers seem to have had an epiphany: they don’t need to copy western car designs, after all.
Not only are many coming up with their own ideas but, when it comes to the interior, they are also throwing the rule book out the window.
Whimsical design
Externally, the all-electric BYD Atto 3 holds fast to the established lexicon of automotive design. However, inside, there are screens that spin through 90 degrees, door pockets that use strings instead of plastic to keep everything in (which are tight enough to be strummed like a bass guitar) and huge cylindrical air vents with boldly coloured spindles that pivot like mini rudders.
Swoopy shapes, along with a multitude of textures and surfaces in the door and dash trim, dominate the fascia. The fact the dashboard has a conventionally rectangular but entirely practical glovebox almost feels disappointing.
From the vast central infotainment screen, I can swivel between vertical to horizontal at the press of a button on the steering wheel.
The term “gear lever” is apt for this car, as it eschews buttons and knobs for a properly substantive handle I pull back to engage drive. Plus, a hint of bling in the diamond-like crystal starter button.
When I open the rear doors, it takes a few moments before I can actually get in, as I'm distracted by the door release lever that glides along the outer circumference of the built-in rear speakers. It’s a delightful break from the norm and there is still ample space in the rear, comfortable seats, centre armrest cupholders and, of course, those disc-like air vents.
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Talking of orchestral manoeuvres in the door, there are those guitar strings to play here, too.
The Atto 3 also has a spacious boot with a rubberised floor mat to keep the underlying storage area clean. The false floor reveals additional space for storing charging cables and a tyre repair kit.
The cabin’s floor deserves a mention, too. As with most electric cars, the batteries are held within, but they are more densely packed here thanks to new BYD Blade technology, which lines up cells to give more efficiency and, hence, more range.
Serene performance
The Atto 3 offers up to 418km if equipped with a 60kW lithium-ion phosphate battery. The drive unit provides 150kW or 201bhp of power, which can propel this family crossover SUV from a standstill to 100kph in a fairly respectable 7.3 seconds, to a maximum speed of 160kph. Talking of seconds, the name Atto is derived from attosecond, one quintillionth of a second, which is the smallest measurable unit of time and is meant to suggest dynamism.
While my test route is insufficient to establish the verity of the claimed range, it barely depletes despite frequent bouts of the accelerator pedal being pinned to the floor. Flicking between the drive modes appears to make no difference, either. Usually in electric cars, you lose up to 10km if you switch from normal to sports mode.
The performance on the Atto 3 is appropriately restrained. This is not your typical, deploy full power and hold on for dear life EV. It accelerates and brakes about as well as the best conventional crossover, potentially conserving range by not resorting to the EV party trick of always deploying full torque.
There’s some contradiction here: futuristic interior, silent propulsion, but standard to drive. It doesn’t even feature the one-pedal system so beloved by EV makers, at least not to any prominence.
There is a mild vibration from the brake pedal while slowing, however, which might be indicative of a regen system at work, recovering energy and recharging those neatly stacked battery cells.
It’s serene save for some roaring from the road beneath, while the body control is remarkably composed. The ride is acceptably supple. With good visibility out the front and protruding fenders making it easy to place in corners, I find there's reasonable grip and minimal understeer.
Rear visibility is a little tight, but there are cameras on hand to help me. And, once safely parked, I celebrate with a ditty on the door guitar.
This is a remarkably solid entry to the EV SUV market.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
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