China's car regulators summoned senior industry executives last week for an urgent reprimand over what they called the “wild competition” between automakers, which they say is damaging brand quality. Beijing says the aggressive price war, in which manufacturers cut retail prices, sometimes below production cost, is “irrational” and weakens the industry. Officials said they intend to enforce the market and push companies away from price cuts and toward “competition on value creation.”
Against that backdrop, the refreshed BYD ATTO 3, which has just arrived in Israel, is a striking example of how Chinese carmakers keep lowering prices while improving products. The first-generation model had 204 hp and a modest battery with up to 420 km of range. In 2023, its best year in Israel, it sold more than 15,000 units and carried a list price of 168,000 to 176,000 shekels. The 2026 ATTO 3 tested here now costs about 165,000 shekels, yet comes with dual-motor all-wheel drive, 449 hp combined, a larger battery, richer equipment, and up to 470 km of claimed range. Even the entry-level version, also improved, is about 16,000 shekels cheaper than the original generation.
Visually, the EVO version looks very similar to the outgoing car, with only modest exterior changes such as new wheels, wider tires, a redesigned rear bumper, and a more sporty rear intake above the back window. Inside, the layout is familiar, but the center screen is larger and no longer rotates, the old center console shifter has been replaced by a steering-column lever, and the instrument display is new and bigger. Cabin space remains broadly unchanged, but the trunk has grown to 490 liters and the car now adds about 100 liters of front storage. Materials, assembly quality, sound insulation, and driver aids have all improved, and the voice assistant now understands Hebrew reasonably well and integrates fully with Google services, including Gemini.
The dual-motor version can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds, but the power delivery remains controlled rather than wild. In real summer driving, with the air conditioner running and occasional hard acceleration, range is closer to about 350 km than the official 470 km. Charging is much faster than before, reaching up to 220 kW on compatible public chargers. BYD also stiffened the suspension and rear end, which improves cornering stability and high-speed cruising, but makes the ride firmer over broken city streets. The reviewer says the ATTO 3 is a practical, well-equipped family crossover, and one of the strongest value propositions for buyers who want performance. The piece also notes two rivals, the Voyah Courage 4x4 at 190,000 shekels and the Zeekr X Krypton at 210,000 shekels.
