BYD has shown the third-generation Yuan Plus at Auto China 2026, previewing the next version of the Atto 3 sold in many export markets, including Malaysia.
The new SUV is larger, rear-drive and much more powerful than the current China-market Yuan Plus. It measures 4,665mm long, 1,895mm wide and 1,675mm tall, with a 2,770mm wheelbase. Compared with the outgoing model, it is 210mm longer, 20mm wider and 60mm taller, while the wheelbase grows by 50mm.
That should give BYD more room to play with inside, although export specifications have not been confirmed.
The powertrain has also been overhauled. Chinese filings list two rear-mounted motor outputs, at 200kW and 240kW. The stronger version makes about 326hp, a big jump for a car that many buyers still see as BYD’s sensible family EV.
Battery options are listed at 57.545kWh and 68.547kWh, with claimed CLTC ranges of 540km and 630km respectively. As usual, those figures are overly optimistic than the more relevant WLTP numbers.
Charging is where BYD has improved a lot. With suitable high-power equipment, the flash-charging system is said to take the battery from 10% to 70% in about five minutes, or from 10% to 97% in around nine minutes. Real-world results will depend on charger output, heat, battery condition and how the export version is specified.
The new Yuan Plus also gets BYD’s LiDAR-based DiPilot 300 driver assistance system, continuous damping control, semi-hidden door handles, a 101-litre frunk, a head-up display, a large floating central screen and dual wireless phone chargers.
The Atto 3 has been one of its best-known global EVs, but newer Chinese rivals are arriving quickly.
BYD now has a more serious follow-up in hand: bigger, quicker and far faster to charge. When Malaysia gets it is still anyone’s guess.
