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BYD ATTO 3 receives worst Euro NCAP rating, Mercedes i5 best

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Despite Mercedes’ i5 received the best score from Euro NCAP for driver-assistance functions, and BYD’s ATTO 3 receiving the worst score, the luxury brand is challenged to compete in the market against the cheap Chinese-funded electric vehicle maker as it moves into Europe.

Euro NCAP rated the ATTO 3’s Adaptive Cruise Control as “not recommended,” which Auto Express reports has never been awarded. Mercedes’ i5 received the top score with a “very good” rating. 

“The BYD ATTO 3 provides modest levels of driver engagement and vehicle assistance,” Euro NCAP says in its report. “However, it is in the area of safety backup and, specifically, the lack of action which is taken in case of an unresponsive driver, that the car performs poorly. Overall, the system is Not Recommended for highway assistance.” 

ATTO 3 uses camera inputs to detect speed limit signs, the report says. It adds that the speed limiter reacted to some temporary and/or conditional speed limits as though they were primary limits. 

“There is no speed adaptation for upcoming road features such as curves and junctions,” the report says. “The ATTO 3 responds to avoid a collision in some of the ACC test scenarios. The driver is supported through the S-Bend, but the car is kept fully in lane only at the lowest test speed.” 

The report says a lane change assist function is not provided. It also says that if the radar or camera is blocked, the car provides a warning but does not disengage. 

“In case of an unresponsive driver, the ATTO 3 disengages the lane centering function but keeps the adaptive cruise control active,” the report says. 

The ATTO 3 received a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP’s crash testing program in 2022. Euro NCAP said the current test doesn’t account for its in-depth assisted driving tests and only acknowledges whether the driver-assistance systems are present. 

While BYD was not recommended, the Mercedes-Benz i5 received top reviews from the EU tester. 

“The i5 monitors that the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel,” the report says. “The car’s direct driver monitoring system is used only to ensure the driver is not incapacitated. The system balances driver steering input with lane guidance, promoting co-operative driving.”

The report says the i5 combines map-based speed limit information with real-time camera inputs to manage fixed, variable, and temporary speed limit signs. 

“However, the system does not adapt speed for upcoming road features such as curves and junctions,” the report says. “The car responds to avoid or mitigate a collision in all of the test scenarios for automatic cruise control. The driver is supported through the S-Bend, staying within the lane at all test speeds.” 

The i5 has a lane change assist feature, the report says. It adds that if the radar or camera is blocked the i5 provides a warning and prevents system activation. 

“In the case of an unresponsive driver, the i5 performs a controlled stop within its lane,” the report says. 

BYD, the second top seller of EVs in the world, behind Tesla and other Chinese EVs, has caused global market concerns. BYD, and other Chinese OEMS, is able to cut the price of their vehicles because of Chinese government funding that supports EV manufacturing. 

Some luxury brands, such as Mercedes and Porsche, are seeing decreasing profits as BYD has moved into Europe, according to multiple media sources. 

“The clearest sign of their impact came on Friday when Mercedes reported its weakest profitability since the former cars-to-trucks conglomerate broke itself up in 2021 to become more nimble,” Fortune says in an Oct. 28 article.  “Porsche AG, the maker of the 911 sports car, said it’s weighing cost cuts and reviewing its model lineup after a demand slump in China caused earnings to plunge.”

Fortune writes that while the auto industry has been concerned by BYD’s cheap EVs, luxury brands have been thought to be safe because of their “heritage and high-end status.” 

“We don’t take the competition lightly,” Mercedes Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm told Fortune. “I don’t assume that the pressure will just go away tomorrow.”

While known as a cheaper EV option, BYD has established partnerships with upscale dealers such as Louwman Group in the Netherlands, which typically sells Mercedes and Lexus models, Fortune says. It says the OEM is partnering with Inchcape in the UK, a company that sells Land Rovers, Jaguars, and BMWs. 

The European Union is set to impose additional tariffs of up to 35.3% on EVs built in China next week, according to Reuters. It says that the EU and China are continuing to discuss the tariffs. 

The United States placed a 100% tariff rate on Chinese EVs in September. 

The tariff also puts a 25% on EV batteries, critical minerals, steel, aluminum, and ship-to-shore cranes, among other items, according to documents filed by the U.S. Trade Representative

Reuters reports BYD “slammed” EU-planned tariffs on Monday but also said it plans to make almost all of its vehicles in Europe. 

BYD Executive President Stella Li told Reuters the company plans to produce components in Europe and assemble battery packs at its European plants in Hungary and Turkey. It would only import the battery cell from China. 

The company is also still deciding whether to pass the cost of tariffs off to customers, Reuters said. 

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Photo courtesy of Robert Way/iStock

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