MG ZS EV 2022 vs BYD Atto 3: biggest strengths and weaknesses of Australia’s cheapest electric cars

The MG ZS EV 2022 and BYD Atto 3 are currently Australia’s most affordable electric cars being similarly priced in the mid to high 40K’s driveaway.

However, they have some very different strengths and weaknesses that I’m going to point out to you.

Advertised Range

BYD Atto 3 wins here as Australians have 2 model variants to choose from: extended range 420km WLTP or standard range 345km WLTP.

MG ZS EV also has 2 model variants but both have the same 320km WLTP range. The Excite and Essence differ in their safety and luxury inclusions.

Warranty

MG wins here with a simple long warranty backed by a nationwide network of dealers. There are 7 years / unlimited km for the battery and 7 years / unlimited km for the car.

To be honest BYD’s warranty for the Atto 3 doesn’t inspire confidence. There’s a petition on Change.org Better Warranty for BYD Atto 3 in Australia which explains the situation:

“EvDirect, the official distributor of BYD, initially announced a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty for BYD Atto 3. However, just before customers got their hands on their vehicles, EvDirect scrapped the old conditions and put new warranty information on their website to the dismay of many order holders. The new warranty is radically different.

EvDirect has cut the warranty to six years and 150,000km, with complicated exceptions that reduce the coverage on many essential parts.

BYD fine print indicates many parts of the vehicle – including the infotainment system, shock absorbers and tyre pressure monitoring system – are not covered by the six-year warranty, and are instead given merely three to four years of coverage, depending on the respective component. Some other items are covered for only six months to a year.

It’s important to note that this stingy warranty is only being offered to customers in Australia. BYD NZ, for example, offers 6 years bumper to bumper warranty. BYD Hong Kong too offers 6 years. Australia alone is receiving this piecemeal deal.”

Tires

The ZS EV has Michelin Primacy tyres which have a good reputation with buyers and car reviewers.

MG wins here as the Atto 3 has Atlas Batman A51 tyres which I’ve never heard of and several Aussie reviewers as well as buyers say they are substandard and should be replaced ASAP.

Interior Design

This is a personal decision so there’s no clear cut winner.

The MG ZS EV 2022 has a fairly standard interior that won’t surprise or excite anyone.

Whereas the BYD Atto 3 has a somewhat eccentric interior design (overseas left hand drive version pictured) that might put some people off or interest people who want their car to be different from the rest.

Car Design and Reliability

The Atto 3 is designed new from the ground up as an electric car. In theory, this is better but since it’s quite new the long term reliability is unknown.

In comparison, the MG ZS EV 2022 is the 2nd generation of ZS EV and both generations are based on the existing MG ZS petrol car. On one hand, this can be seen as an old design but on the other hand, it’s a proven design that has had the initial design issues fixed already.

So which is better?

This isn’t clear cut.

The Atto 3 has a longer range and a new design with a creative interior.

The ZS EV 2022 has a better warranty, a more traditional interior and better included tyres.

If you’re going to buy one of these the main question is how risky your personality is.

If you’re willing to roll the dice and hope BYD’s shorter warranty covered parts last long after the warranty expires then go for it.

Personally, I’m a risk averse buyer when it comes to spending tens of thousands of dollars and would choose the ZS EV.