Next BYD Atto 1 gets a front boot, rear-wheel drive and a massaging driver’s seat

BYD has shown the cabin of the second-generation Seagull, the car sold in New Zealand as the Atto 1, ahead of its sales start in China. The new hatchback gets a massaging driver’s seat, multi-colour ambient lighting and a 94-litre front boot, the last made possible by mounting its electric motor on the rear axle, CarNewsChina reports.

The dashboard is built around a large floating screen with a 3/7 split. The left-hand section works as the instrument display, showing speed, gear, range, energy consumption and drive modes, while the larger right-hand section handles navigation, music and other infotainment.

Both front seats are power-adjustable, and the driver’s seat has a massage function. Rear passengers get an adjustable air vent and two storage compartments hidden under the second-row seat, and BYD’s magnetic “magic” buttons are also available.

The rear-mounted motor frees up the space under the bonnet for the 94-litre front boot. Earlier reports, including ours, had the new car driving its front wheels. The main boot holds up to 1,380 litres with the rear seats folded.

As shown in the design sketches BYD released last month, the new car is 4,205mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,570mm tall on a 2,650mm wheelbase, making it 425mm longer than the current Atto 1.

Its single motor makes 95kW, and buyers in China will choose between 30kWh and 39.2kWh batteries for a claimed 320km to 420km on the CLTC cycle, which CarNewsChina puts at 262km to 344km on a WLTP basis. CarNewsChina expects the car to get BYD’s flash charging, which takes compatible models from 10 to 97% in nine minutes. A roof-mounted lidar sensor is optional as part of BYD’s DiPilot 300, or God’s Eye B, driver assistance system.

In China the new Seagull will take on the Geely EX2, the country’s current best-selling car, and CarNewsChina expects it to be priced under 100,000 yuan. Sales of the current Seagull there fell 66.5% to 74,087 from January to August, according to China EV DataTracker.

BYD New Zealand has not said whether or when the second-generation car will replace the Atto 1 here.