KUALA LUMPUR: Big things are afoot for BYD in Malaysia following announcements made during the recent media appreciation night.
First is the introduction of the limited 2026 BYD Atto 3 Performance variant which sits above the present Ultra and Premium options - with the Ultra serving as an accessible entry point, the Premium to balance range and stronger rear-wheel drive performance, and the Performance delivering on its namesake.
This was then followed by the confirmation that BYD has officially cancelled development plans for its Tanjung Malim local assembly (CKD) plant.
No details were given as to what would happen to the land or on BYD's decision to cancel the project altogether despite already pouring investments into its development.
BYD does however ensure that it remains committed to serving its customers in Malaysia and it continues to hold the nation as an important market.
To that end BYD says it would soon announce its local assembly partner to reaffirm these values in addition to disclosing future plans for the company's local operations at a later date.
In regards to stock, the company says it has sufficient available units for all existing models on sale to weather the interim between now and when its CKD operations goes up and running.
Because of this, BYD said they have no plans for the time being to import stock from neighbouring countries to make up for any perceived shortfalls that to them are yet to be a concern.
Doing so also allows them to maintain the prices of all their current models on sale at least with the existing stock.
2026 BYD Atto 3 Performance
Designed for stronger output and greater traction capabilities the all-wheel drive (AWD) Performance variant's combined system delivers 330kW of power and 560Nm of torque which allows it to achieve a 0-100kph sprint in 4.0 seconds.
It carries a 74.88 kWh Blade Battery that supports up to 220kW of DC fast charging and offers a 530 km NEDC driving range.
Present Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features are carried over from the Premium variant, which covers the likes of Intelligent Speed Limit Control (ISLC), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA) and Front Cross Traffic Brake (FCTB).
The Performance variant also introduces a Windscreen Head-Up Display (W-HUD) and, for the first time in the Atto 3 line-up, a vehicle refrigerator with cooling and heating functions.
It is priced at RM149,800 and comes in either Ski White, Atlantis Grey, Harbour Grey or Cosmos Black colour.
The existing Ultra and Premium variants continue to be listed at RM125,800 and RM138,800, respectively. They also share all the same colour options with the Performance variant with the exception of the new Gemilang Blue colour that is exclusive to the Premium.
Only 69 units of the Performance variant, a figure that coincides with Malaysia's 69th Merdeka celebrations, will be available for purchase.
BYD Malaysia managing director (MD) Jacob Ma said the Atto 3 itself has played an important role in making electric mobility more accessible to Malaysian drivers, and the Performance variant takes that proposition further.
"It brings a new level of performance and driving excitement to a model Malaysians already know and trust with greater power, all-wheel drive (AWD), advanced battery technology and intelligent features,” said Ma.
BYD Sime Motors MD Adeline Lew followed up on Ma's statement by highlighting the strong reception of the Atto 3 model since its introduction in December 2022.
"There are more than 13,000 Atto 3 units now on Malaysian roads which is a clear reflection of the model’s strong appeal and BYD’s growing momentum in the local electric mobility market.
"We are building on that success while prioritizing customers’ ownership journey with the 2026 Performance variant. We ensure customers are cared for at every stage of ownership with the current support of BYD’s expanding network of 44 sales and marketing outlets, 28 service centres and 12 body and paint facilities, together with the launch of the BYD Certified Pre-Owned Programme,” she added.
The new variant is available for viewing and booking at authorised BYD showrooms starting today. Customers are also invited to come to nearest BYD showroom from Sept 11-13 to experience the new variant up close and secure their booking should they choose to do so.
As part of its introduction, BYD is offering an exclusive launch package in the form of two options that is worth up to RM10,000.
Option A includes a wall charger with standard installation in addition to an overtrade worth up to RM6,000.
Option B covers a 6-year standard service package and an overtrade worth up to RM5,000. Both options are subjected to terms and conditions.
These options are accompanied by the model's standard warranty coverage that includes: 6-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty, 8-year or 160,000 km high-voltage Blade Battery warranty, and 8-year or 160,000 km drive unit warranty.
A Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) adapter and Type 2 charging cable with 3-pin plug come as complimentary accessories.
