2023 BYD Atto 3 vs Cupra Formentor

What's the difference?

When I first saw a 'Build Your Dreams' car I wasn't sure I was looking at the model name or the car brand. I remember watching it pass me in the city and craning my neck to make sure I did, in fact, read the name correctly.

Having your car brand called 'Build Your Dreams' was always going to be a hard one to live up to, however, BYD has managed to defy a lot of expectations with the Atto 3 Extended Range.

Especially by giving it a longer driving range (hurrah) and competitive price tag. Both of which are important factors, especially given it's well-known rivals, the MG ZS EV Long Range and Nissan Leaf e+.

So what makes it stand out? I've been driving it for the last week with my family of three to find out.

Cupra is a new brand under the Volkswagen Group, designed to be a cool, sporty, and youth-focused alternative to the likes of VW and Skoda, as contemporary and disruptive as it comes, and the Formentor we’re testing here treads the delicate ground between the world of hatchbacks and SUVs. 

The VZe spec we’re specifically looking at for this review is even a hybrid with a plug - arguably a concept Australians are barely ready for.

It’s very much a symbol of what’s going on in the car industry at the moment. New names, shapes, and technologies are coming to shake the status quo, and permanently alter the kinds of cars Australians buy.

It’s all well and good to be on the front foot. But does the Formentor VZe make sense in an increasingly crowded marketplace? Read on to see what I found.