The barrier to entry into electric motoring keeps getting lower.
And, with fuel prices on the rise, the affordable end of the EV spectrum could become even more attractive for Aussie families looking to tighten their purse strings.
So let’s compare two of the best budget-friendly battery-powered small SUVs – the Chery E5 and the BYD Atto 3 – to see which comes out on top.
How much?
The Chery E5 (formerly known as the Chery Omoda E5) is available in two model grades – the entry-level Urban that costs $36,990 plus on-road costs, and the flagship Ultimate that commands a $4000 premium.
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Similarly, BYD offers just two versions of the Atto 3: the entry-level Essential that costs $39,990 plus on-roads and the range-topping Premium that costs $44,990 plus ORCs. An updated version of the Atto 3 is coming later this year.
Until then, whichever level you’re looking at today, the Chery is the more affordable option here. And from here on, we’ll compare both fully loaded model grades.
What do you get?
As new challenger brands for the established players, both Chery and BYD deliver a lot for the relatively small outlay required to get into these two small electric SUVs.
The flagship variants of each model come with a host of standard equipment, including:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights and tail-lights
- Power tailgate
- Panoramic sunroof
- Synthetic leather trim
- Electrically adjustable front seats
- Heated front seats
- Wireless phone charger
- Smartphone mirroring
- Bluetooth connectivity
- DAB+ digital radio
- 8-speaker audio system
However, the Chery E5 goes a step further than the BYD Atto 3 in a few key areas. Where the BYD has just regular, single-zone air-conditioning, the E5 has dual-zone climate control, plus heated outboard rear seats and a heated steering wheel.
As for their digital displays, each takes a slightly different path. The Chery E5 has twin 12.3-inch screens linked together across the dashboard, whereas the BYD Atto 3 has a smaller 5.0-inch instrument cluster but a larger 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that can rotate between portrait and landscape orientations.
Are they safe?
Both of these vehicles have a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from 2022 when they were first tested, but they achieve their top safety gong in different ways.
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The Chery scores higher for child occupant protection (88 vs 84 per cent) and safety assist (83 vs 80 per cent), while the BYD scores higher for adult occupant protection (91 vs 87 per cent) and vulnerable road user protection (69 vs 68 per cent).
Both are equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced active and passive safety systems and driver aids, including:
- 7 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane keeping assistance
- Rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 360-degree cameras
What are they like inside?
Here’s where these cars diverge the most, not in terms of space and practicality but in design and appearance.
Both the Chery E5 and BYD Atto 3 are physically around the same size. The E5 measures 4424mm long, rides on a 2610mm wheelbase, is 1588mm wide and stands 1830mm tall.
The Atto 3, in comparison, is fractionally longer at 4455mm (and officially classed as a mid-size SUV, even though it’s much shorter than most of them), has slightly more space between the front and rear axles with a longer 2720mm wheelbase, and is wider (1875mm) but sits lower (1615mm).
Both provide seating for five with good headroom, plus decent cargo capacity. Chery claims the E5 has 300 litres of boot space (measured up to the cargo cover), while BYD says the Atto 3 has 440L – which is presumably measured to the roof.
However, because the Atto 3 is built on a dedicated EV platform while the E5 is adapted from conventional architecture, rear-seat occupants will find slightly more space, a flatter floor, and easier access in the BYD than they will in the Chery.
Practicalities aside though, the E5’s interior design is far more palatable and classier than the Atto 3’s weird swoops, toothy grilles, clumsy door handles and odd banjo-string door pockets. It’s an interior that polarises and you’ll either love or loathe it.
The Chery’s overall aesthetic is more conservative and easier to live with.
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What’s under the bonnet?
There’s not a lot to separate these two when it comes to their mechanical makeup.
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Both have a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor under the bonnet that drives the front wheels through a single-speed reduction gearbox, and is powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
The Chery E5 produces 155kW of power and 288Nm of torque, and its battery has 58.9kWh of useable capacity. The maximum charge rate is 6.6kW via a single-phase AC domestic power outlet, 9.9-10.3kW on three-phase power (both using the onboard 11kW/22kW AC charger), and 130kW via a DC fast-charger.
Chery claims the battery can be replenished from 10-80 per cent through its CCS2 connector in around 30 minutes, and that the E5 is capable of delivering a total driving range of up to 430km.
The BYD Atto 3, on the other hand, produces fractionally less power (150kW) but more torque (310Nm), and has a slightly bigger battery at 60.5kWh but lower charging rates of 7kW on AC power and 88kW on DC power.
BYD says the battery can be replenished between 30-80 per cent in around 30 minutes, and provides up to 420km of driving range – 10km less than the Chery.
Cost of ownership
BYD has pretty good aftersales provisions including a six-year, 150,000km warranty on the vehicle and an eight-year, 160,000km guarantee on the battery, plus free roadside assistance for the first 12 months.
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This can be extended each time the vehicle is serviced by a BYD dealer at recommended intervals of 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first). Service pricing varies between $165 for minor check-ups to $635 for major work, and costs a total of $2291 over the first seven years.
Chery offers more peace of mind with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the vehicle and eight years, unlimited kilometres for the battery. Similarly, it offers free roadside assistance for the first year of ownership, which can be extended to up to seven years each time the vehicle is serviced through the Chery network. Service intervals are the same as the BYD – 12 months or 20,000km.
Service costs vary between $149 for check-ups to $582 for a major service at 120,000km, and total $1586 over the first seven years.
CarExpert’s Pick: Chery E5
There’s very little that separates these two cars from a physical perspective.
Both of these small electric SUVs represent affordable and practical entry points into the EV world, offering spacious cabins packed with tech and conveniences, while also providing decent performance and a workable driving range.
But the Chery delivers all this for less, and so it comes out on top here.
Click the images for the full gallery
MORE: Explore BYD Atto 3 showroomMORE: Explore the Chery E5 showroom
