BYD Atto 1 vs Kia Seltos

What's the difference?

The BYD Atto 1 has already earned its place in history as the cheapest new EV ever sold in Australia. And the good news is that, on the strength of bigger-battery Premium version, it rarely puts a foot wrong as a city car, exceeding performance, efficiency, refinement and comfort expectations. The Atto 1 really delivers around town.

But the baby BYD’s price is too close to larger EVs with better range, while extended exposure reveals issues with seat comfort, touchscreen access/distraction, ADAS interference and nervous steering feel at speed. Australian road tuning is required to rectify these.

Still, as a cheap urban EV runabout, the Atto 1 Premium still (just) stands alone. A glimpse into the future, someday, all city cars will likely follow in the bold BYD’s footsteps.

Kia’s updated Seltos is more expensive than the previous version but it's better as well.

The entry grade no longer has hubcaps and gets alloy wheels, all grades have directional air vents in the second row, the jerky dual-clutch auto is gone and an excellent regular eight-speed auto has arrived, plus there’s more safety tech and modern displays screens.

What hasn’t changed is the Seltos’s size. It’s a big, small SUV, that’s easy to park in tight spaces but roomy inside even for tall, awkward humans like me. 

The sweet spot in the range is the Sport+ with the 1.6-litre engine, if only it had the LED headlights that only come on the GT-Line.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Fun fact. Designer Wolfgang Egger was responsible for the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 156 of 1997 among others, as well as some Audis and Lamborghinis later on. You can definitely see the latter’s influence in the Atto 1’s angular face.

Based on the Dolphin architecture and badged the Dolphin Surf elsewhere (as well as Seagull but that name wouldn’t fly here), the BYD’s boxy proportions are pure supermini and is about the size of the previous-generation Honda Jazz.

However, the designers have added some crossover cues to the styling, including plastic cladding around the wheel arches, to give it a pseudo SUV look.

Inside, though, the Atto 1 is unashamedly hatchback in layout and appearance, with a contemporary, minimalist dash, big central touchscreen with precious few buttons and loads of storage.

In other words, a typical modern small car from China.

This updated Seltos has had a few styling tweaks, too. The grille is taller and  there’s a new headlight design which on the GT-Line is stunning with its LED running lights.

The rear of the Seltos has been restyled as well, with a new tail-light design and again on the GT-Line there’s an LED strip which runs between them.

The Seltos is pretty big for a small SUV. At 4.4m long it’s bigger than a Hyundai Kona and a Honda HR-V and about the same size as a Nissan Qashqai and Corolla Cross.

What’s good about that is you’re getting more space inside with a package that’s still smallish on the outside.

If you think the Seltos’ look is familiar, then I agree. The Honda HR-V and Haval Jolion have very similar tail-light designs and the profile follows many of the same styling cues of the Toyota Corolla Cross.

To my eyes, though, I think the Seltos is the more refined looking of its peers with a more modern and interesting interior.

Speaking of which, keep in mind that the top-of-the-range GT-Line’s cabin is far more fancy than the interior of the entry grade S. The GT-line’s large double digital displays are impressive and the buttons around the shifter for seat heating and ventilation are replaced with blank plastic panels in the S. 

Hard plastic armrests were another of my gripes about the previous entry grade Seltos, too.

Still all cabins have a premium look even if the feel isn’t luxurious throughout on all grades. 

The BYD’s boxiness sure pays dividends accessing the Atto 1's interior, aided by tall doors, a high roof and lofty seating.

Initial impressions are very positive.

Lots of space, a decent driving position (in the Premium at least; the Essential has rake-only steering adjustment), grippy little wheel and a solid look and feel impart a sense of quality. This does not seem built down to a price.

The elevated centre console/fixed armrest provides ample storage below and easy reach of USB ports, sturdy cupholders above and a raised smartphone rest that doubles as a charger (again, only on Premium), allowing for quick downward glances without having to touch the device. Helpful.

Further points are won due to the very clean and minimalist dash presentation, with an electronic instrument display ahead of the driver (not a given nowadays thanks to Tesla’s minimalism-gone-mad influence), offering all the information you need in a concise and notably colourful manner.

That 10.1-inch central touchscreen, meanwhile, is probably one of the better examples from China, possessing superficially logical operation, clear markings and a row of fast-access icons for climate, audio, vehicle function, home screen and other controls.

However, the more time you spend in the Atto 1, the more the cabin doesn’t stand up that well under scrutiny.

The shapely tombstone-style front seats, which look a million dollars, are comfortable on short journeys but disappoint during longer drives, revealing a lack of sufficient back and thigh support.

There are no regenerative braking paddle shifters for single-pedal driving, just an on/off tile requiring a distracting and time-consuming touchscreen-menu deep-dive.

In fact, most functions demand at least one or two eyes-off-the-road-ahead prods of the screen, which is annoying and potentially hazardous.

Using the climate control is a good (bad) example.

Infernally fiddly screen slide controllers that are hard to pin-point with a hovering finger while the car is moving, let alone modulate, leads to temperature-selection fury. And those vinyl seats are clammy regardless of humidity levels and their perforations don’t help. Setting the desired climate environment is an utter faff.

And why must BYD’s synthetic leather smell so pungent? The off-gas odour can be nauseating for some on warmer days.

Worse still, even a glance towards the touchscreen sets off the distraction nannies. Frustrating. So is the intrusive lane-keep assist tech, unless you keep the car perfectly centred, with its constant nudging of the wheel while it nags away. More like Aggro 1.

Inevitably, turning these and other ADAS warnings off requires several menu deep-dives, leading to more driver-distraction paranoia. It’s a circle of stupidity for tech that’s meant to protect. And every new drive defaults to ‘on’. It's an infuriating mess.

Meanwhile, the Atto 1’s (two-person-only, remember) rear seat area also starts off promisingly, with easy entry/egress, adequate space (even for long legs and big feet) and a backrest and cushion combo offering sufficient comfort and support.

Amenities include useful door storage, overhead grab handles and map pockets, while the back of the centre console provides a cubby area just wide enough hold a bottle or larger keep-cup. That’s necessary because there is no folding armrest or subsequent cupholders back there, nor reading lights or USB ports.

And while the upward sweep of the window line means the rear can seem dark, the shape of the front seats allows some vision around and even through them for rear occupants.

Further back, the boot area is larger than the BYD’s diminutive size suggests, at 308 litres with backrests erect and 1037L with them folded forward.

The deep floor hides an even deeper cavity that’s large enough for charger cables, laptops and other paraphernalia that should be out of sight. That almost negates the need for the AWOL luggage cover.

But there's also a tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel in there, and regular readers will know how incorrect that is. Every vehicle sold in Australia should come with one. Even city cars.

Loading/unloading is easy and there are hooks to secure things to, but clearing the high lip may be an effort for some.

And, though an EV, the is no extra storage to be found under the bonnet. The Atto 1 has no front boot, or froot.

Some small SUVs are seriously small, which might be fine for some, but if you’re hoping to also have enough space for passengers in the back seats, and a boot which can carry plenty of luggage then the Seltos is a good choice.

Even at 191cm tall I had more than enough room to sit behind my driving position with good headroom back there, too.

Cabin storage is also good with door pockets front and rear, and a deep centre console box. As for cupholders there are two up front on all grades, while the Sport+ and GT-Line get two more in the second row fold-down armrest.

Boot capacity depends on if you’ve requested a full-sized spare wheel or the space-saver spare. With the space-saver you’ll have more room at 469 litres, while the full-sized wheel under the boot floor will leave you with 433 litres. That’s still decent for the class.

The new Seltos has directional air vents for back seat passengers which is a win (motoring journalists had been complaining about the lack of them for years) and there are also two USB ports (Type-C) for the second row along with another two for those in the front, plus a 12V outlet.

The price of the Kia Seltos has increased by about $2000 across the range, but you are getting more in the way of features. Let me take you through the model line-up. 

There are four grades: the entry grade S, then the Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line. Those are all available with the 2.0-litre petrol engine and front-wheel drive.

The Sport+ and GT-Line can also be had with a more powerful engine which is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with all-wheel drive.

So, the list prices for the 2.0-litre engine start at $29,500 for the S, then step up to $32,700 for the Sport, $35,800 for the Sport+, and $41,500 for the GT-Line.

The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a more expensive proposition and in the Sport+ you’ll pay $39,300, and to pair it with the GT-Line grade you’ll need to hand over $44,900, before on-road costs.

Kia was also doing drive-away pricing at the launch of the new Seltos. So check with your dealership to ensure that the offer is still available.

Coming standard on the S grade for the first time are alloy wheels, they’re small at 16-inches but better than hubcaps, and there’s also roof rails.

Inside, there are cloth seats, an 8.0-inch media display, digital driver’s display, air-conditioning, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.

The Sport grade adds 17-inch alloy wheels, auto headlights, a 10.25-inch media screen and matching 10.25-inch driver display, digital radio, sat nav, climate control, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Sport+ has all the Sport’s features but brings a proximity key with push-button start, privacy glass, power driver’s seat, synthetic leather upholstery and extra safety tech which we’ll get to soon.

The top-of-the-range GT-Line has all the Sport+ features but adds a power front passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, sunroof and a power tailgate.

The GT-Line also comes with the option of two-tone body paint - that is a black roof with 'Clear White' or 'Pluton Blue' body colours. Be advised that this combination is not available with the sun roof.  

The value is good, but I don’t agree with Kia’s decision to keep the LED headlights for the GT-Line only and leaving all other grades stuck with dim Halogen headlights.

Being able to seem clearly on dark Australian country roads at night shouldn’t be a luxury. Toyota offers LED headlights across the Corolla Cross range from the entry grade up.

The Atto 1's electric motor is offered in two output choices. Either way, it can be found under the bonnet and driving the front wheels via a single-speed transmission.

The Essential scores a low-power version making 65kW and 175Nm of torque, which is enough for a 0-100km/h sprint time of a still-decent 11.1 seconds, while the Premium’s high-power unit ups those to 115kW and 220Nm respectively, shaving two seconds off in the process. Top speed is said to be 135km/h.

Note that, while the latter grade’s 43.2kWh battery adds 96kg overall compared to the smaller 30kWh model, it still enjoys a way-superior power-to-weight ratio of 82.7kW/tonne versus just 50.2kW/tonne.

The Seltos range has two engines to choose from: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 110kW/180Nm and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine producing even more grunt at 146kW/265Nm.

The 2.0-litre engine comes with a CVT which is a type of automatic transmission and the 1.6-litre engine has an eight-speed auto.

CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission and some people (me included) find the droning they cause the engine to make to be annoying. They also come with a feeling of less acceleration. 

The good news is the eight-speed auto that comes with the 1.6-litre is a great transmission with smooth shifts and a sporty nature that matches the punchy engine. 

This eight-speed auto is welcome because it also replaces the jerky dual-clutch transmission that had been paired with the 1.6-litre engine in the previous Seltos.   

All-wheel drive is only available with the 1.6-litre engine while front-wheel drive comes solely with the 2.0-litre.

So, if you’re after great acceleration and better traction then the 1.6-litre is the way to go. If you’re not after a sporty driving experience then the 2.0-litre engine will suit you, and it costs less.

The official consumption average for the Essential is 15.5kWh/100km and its 30kWh 'Blade' LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery offers a WLTP range of 220km.

The 43.2kW Premium bumps the energy use figure up to 16kWh/100km but offers 310km WLTP.

We came close to latter claim, with 263km of mixed driving and still showing about 10 per cent of range left, while the car’s consumption readout averaged 13.7kWh/100km overall. That rose to 16.5kWh/100km during a stint of harder, highway-heavy driving.

Charging times vary. With an 11kW AC capability on both grades, the Essential needs up to 16 hours and the Premium 22 hours plugged into a regular socket, and five and seven hours respectively using an optional 7.0kW Wallbox.

Meanwhile, switching to DC fast charging, the Essential’s 65kW capability means a 10-80 per cent top-up can be achieved in under 40 minutes, against the 85kW Premium’s 30 to 50-minute requirement.

The smaller engine actually uses more fuel, but not a great deal more. Kia says the 1.6-litre engine with all-wheel drive uses 7.4L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads. The 2.0-litre engine according to Kia will use half a litre less at 6.9L/100km.  

Both engines only need 'standard' 91 RON petrol, too - that’s the cheap one.

Where is the hybrid variant? Good question. The answer is, there isn’t one. And neither is one coming, I’ve asked. That’s disappointing considering the Corolla Cross comes with a hybrid version of each grade in its line-up.

It’s for this reason the Seltos range scores a lower mark for fuel efficiency.

Sadly, we cannot comment on how the 65kW/175Nm Essential drives, but with 77 per cent more power and 25 per cent more torque, the 115kW/220Nm Premium’s performance is one of its calling cards.

Lively off the mark, even in Eco, it thrives in inner urban environments, with instant throttle response for effortlessly zippy and smooth acceleration, as you’d expect of an EV.

And it just keeps on keeping on at speed, giving the Premium a terrific breadth of performance flexibility. We’re now very curious to see how the Essential goes.

Armed with light and alert steering, the Atto 1 can weave in and out of traffic gaps with confidence and precision, and is backed up by a super-tight turning circle to boot, so parking manoeuvres around town is a doddle.

BYD’s decision to set up the chassis for a soft, long-travel suspension is appreciated, since the Premium takes most bumps and humps in its stride, making this one of the comfier city cars around.

Road and tyre noises are omnipresent, but aren’t not too bad overall by supermini standards, while the Hankook 185/55R16 tyres deliver sufficient grip, even over some rain-soaked roads we endured.

Most of these Atto 1 attributes also translate well at freeway speeds, with the Premium offering ample muscle for overtaking, slick steering responses and a planted chassis feel.

But, once you hit some faster corners, the BYD’s reactive steering, lofty seating and cushy suspension conspire to create considerable body movement, especially through tighter bends, scrubbing the front wheels as it turns wide (understeer).

Yet, press on a bit harder, the Atto 1 can instantly change its attitude to oversteer, feeling darty as weight shifts from the rear, making the steering suddenly too sharp and the car too nervous, Even experienced drivers might hesitate to carry on. And this happened on dry roads.

Of course, the BYD is a city car so not designed for sports-car handling, but it does lack the confidence and control of a hard-driven Mazda 2 or Suzuki Swift. Strangely, it seems more SUV-like than supermini, dynamically.

Most owners won't care, but they will have to live with the infuriating ADAS tune, with inexplicably sudden braking when the adaptive cruise control is on, and lane-support systems that all-too-often tug and bleat endlessly like an agitated goat, becoming too distracting, and requiring far-too-fiddly touchscreen menu diving to silence, especially as they default back on with every restart.

The driver-attention warning is also in a semi-permanent state of nerves, squawking all-too-regularly unless the driver is sat perfectly still, and will easily escalate the danger level to “take-a-break” should you dare move about in your seat. Which would be regularly, due to the latter’s lack of enduring support. A literal and metaphorical pain.

Clearly, then, the Atto 1 can really do with some Australian road tuning and on a number of fronts at that. Until this happens, these are the dark clouds blighting the blue skies that this car’s otherwise sunny disposition delivers with every urban drive on a daily basis.

Or, in other words, stick to the urban jungle.

The Kia Seltos has two personalities. The laid back Seltos with a 2.0-litre engine and the enthusiastic sporty Seltos with the 1.6-litre engine.

Regardless of which Seltos you pick, the ride is comfortable, the handling is good, and the steering is excellent. 

Kia says it's worked to make the Seltos’s cabin more insulated from road noise, but having driven it on country roads for hours I think it could do with more sound dampening.

If you’re considering the Sport+ grade and are not sure if the $3500 premium for the 1.6-litre engine is worth it, my answer would be absolutely, if you can afford it.

That 1.6-litre turbo petrol is a great engine and the new eight-speed transmission is excellent. Even as a daily driver I think anybody would enjoy driving this version of the Seltos more, and for those who like sporty driving then it’s definitely the powerplant for you.

The Seltos has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but that’s from 2019. Still, the advanced safety tech is excellent. All grades come with AEB, blind spot warning, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

All grades also come with the rear occupant alert, which is great for sleep-deprived parents, and there’s also the safe exit feature which will let you and the kids know if a car or cyclist is approaching before you open the door and ruin everybody’s day.  

The Sport+ and GT-Line both come with AEB that works at intersections.

It’s good to see front and rear parking sensors standard across the range. 

Here’s where the BYD slips up a bit.

Yes, it comes with a better-than-industry-standard six-year warranty, but many rivals offer between seven and 10-year coverages, while the Atto 1’s mileage warranty is capped at 150,000km when most others include unlimited mileage. And roadside assistance is only for one year, as well.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km. Capped-price servicing is available, but no precise figures were available at the time of publishing.

Estimates are from under $200 for the first and third annual services, and from $500 and $650 for the second and fourth yearly visits, respectively. Please check with BYD for updated figures.

Currently there are about 105 BYD service outlets throughout Australia, with 30 more expected by the middle of 2026. This should address one of this brand's biggest concerns – sufficient after-sales care.

The Seltos is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. 

Servicing differs between the two engines.

A Seltos with a 1.6-litre engine needs to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000km and over seven years the average service cost comes to $497 per year.

A Seltos with the 2.0-litre engine needs to be serviced every 12 months or 15,000km and over seven years the average service costs comes to $434 per year.

Capped price servicing is good, but the prices can get higher than $600 for some visits.