The BYD Atto 3 just scored a 5 star Euro NCAP rating today. Howevever, it is not all hunky dory as there still some adjustments required to avoid serious injuries in some areas.
The passenger compartment of the ATTO 3 remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers demonstrated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. BYD showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the ATTO 3 would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate, for the dummies in the driver and rear passenger seats. In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored maximum points.
However, in the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was rated as weak, based measured values of rib compression. Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the farside) was found to be adequate. The ATTO 3 has a counter-measure to mitigate against occupant to occupant injuries in such impacts. The system performed well in Euro NCAP’s test, with good protection of occupants’ heads. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The ATTO 3 has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash. The car also has a system which applies the brakes after an impact to avoid secondary collisions.
In both the frontal offset test and the side barrier impact, protection of all critical body areas was good for both child dummies, and the ATTO 3 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the restraint types for which the ATTO 3 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated.
The protection provided by the bonnet to pedestrians’ heads was predominantly good or adequate, with some poor areas on the stiffwindscreen pillars. The bumper offered good protection to pedestrians’ legs but protection of the pelvis region was almost entirely poor.The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system of the ATTO 3 can respond to vulnerable road users, as well as to other vehicles. Thesystem performed well in tests of its response to pedestrians and cyclists, with collisions avoided in most scenarios.
The ATTO 3’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its reaction to other vehicles. A seatbelt remindersystem is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats but the car has no system to detect driver fatigue. The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane, and also intervenes in some more critical situations. The speed assistance system detects the local speed limit and the driver can choose to allow the maximum speed of the car to be automatically set by the system.
