BYD previews bigger, more powerful successor to Atto 1

BYD’s smallest electric hatchback is set for a substantial growth spurt, with sketches and Chinese regulatory filings revealing a larger, five-seat successor to the Seagull, sold in New Zealand as the Atto 1.

The new car gains 425mm in length, a more powerful motor and a roof-mounted lidar sensor for advanced driver assistance. However, BYD New Zealand has yet to confirm whether it will replace the current Atto 1 locally, or when it might arrive.

At 4205mm long, the newcomer moves much closer to the Dolphin in size (which is no longer sold in NZ), falling just 65mm short of its larger sibling. It measures 1810mm wide and 1570mm tall, with a 2650mm wheelbase that’s 150mm longer than the current Seagull’s.

That puts it roughly in the same size bracket as the Dongfeng Box and Geely EX2, while the addition of a fifth seat should broaden its appeal beyond the current four-seater.

More space and more power

The sketches were shared by Zhang Zhuo, general manager of BYD’s Ocean network sales division. He says the car adopts a new layout with more interior space.

Visually, the design features large, trident-shaped headlights, pronounced wheel arches and sharply creased bodywork. A lower window line and eight-spoke 16-inch wheels complete the look, while thin tail-lights stretch across the rear design.

Chinese filings indicate a single 95kW motor driving the front wheels, a useful increase over the current car’s 55kW and 65kW versions. Top speed is listed at 150km/h.

Battery options comprise 30kWh and 39.2kWh lithium iron phosphate packs supplied by BYD’s FinDreams division. Claimed range spans 320–420km under China’s CLTC test cycle.

Those figures shouldn’t be compared directly with the WLTP ratings typically used for New Zealand models. Confirmed WLTP figures have not been provided.

Interior spy photographs suggest a simplified dashboard dominated by a floating central touchscreen, with no separate instrument cluster visible. A column-mounted gear selector and two-spoke steering wheel also feature.

Bigger ambitions, uncertain naming

The roof-mounted lidar sensor supports BYD’s God’s Eye B driver-assistance system, which offers navigation-based assistance on urban roads and highways in China. Whether that hardware or its associated functions would reach a New Zealand version remains unclear.

There’s also some uncertainty about where the car will sit in BYD’s line-up.

Zhang previously referred to it as the Great Seagull, or Da Haiou, at the Chengdu motor show in August. That suggested a separate model between the existing Seagull and Dolphin, although his latest post describes it as the second-generation Seagull.

The reveal comes as the current Seagull faces tougher competition in China. Sales fell 66.5 per cent to 74,087 units through August, while the rival Geely EX2 was the country’s best-selling car that month.

In New Zealand, the Atto 1 remains BYD’s entry-level model, recording 20 registrations in August. With a larger cabin, another seat and more power, the new Seagull would bring a different proposition to that end of the range. Local pricing and availability are still to be announced.