2026 Chery E5 vs BYD Atto 3: Spec battle

The barrier to entry into electric motoring keeps getting lower.

And, with fuel prices on the rise, the reasonably priced end of the EV spectrum could change into much more attractive for Aussie families trying to tighten their purse strings.

So let’s compare two of the perfect budget-friendly battery-powered small SUVs – the Chery E5 and the BYD Atto 3 – to see which comes out on top.

How much?

The Chery E5 (formerly generally known as the Chery Omoda E5) is out there in two model grades – the entry-level Urban that costs $36,990 plus on-road costs, and the flagship Ultimate that commands a $4000 premium.

Similarly, BYD offers just two versions of the Atto 3: the entry-level Essential that costs $39,990 plus on-roads and the range-topping Premium that costs $44,990 plus ORCs. An updated version of the Atto 3 is coming later this 12 months.

Until then, whichever level you’re taking a look at today, the Chery is the cheaper option here. And from here on, we’ll compare each fully loaded model grades.

What do you get?

As latest challenger brands for the established players, each Chery and BYD deliver loads for the relatively small outlay required to get into these two small electric SUVs.

The flagship variants of every model include a number of normal equipment, including:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights and tail-lights
• Power tailgate
• Panoramic sunroof
• Synthetic leather trim
• Electrically adjustable front seats
• Heated front seats
• Wireless phone charger
• Smartphone mirroring
• Bluetooth connectivity
• DAB+ digital radio
• 8-speaker audio system

Nonetheless, the Chery E5 goes a step further than the BYD Atto 3 in just a few key areas. Where the BYD has just regular, single-zone air-conditioning, the E5 has dual-zone climate control, plus heated outboard rear seats and a heated steering wheel.

As for his or her digital displays, each takes a rather different path. The Chery E5 has twin 12.3-inch screens linked together across the dashboard, whereas the BYD Atto 3 has a smaller 5.0-inch instrument cluster but a bigger 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that may rotate between portrait and landscape orientations.

Are they secure?

Each of those vehicles have a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from 2022 once they were first tested, but they achieve their top safety gong in alternative ways.

The Chery scores higher for child occupant protection (88 vs 84 per cent) and safety assist (83 vs 80 per cent), while the BYD scores higher for adult occupant protection (91 vs 87 per cent) and vulnerable road user protection (69 vs 68 per cent).

Each are equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced energetic and passive safety systems and driver aids, including:

• 7 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Forward collision warning
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keeping assistance
• Rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree cameras

What are they like inside?

Here’s where these cars diverge essentially the most, not by way of space and practicality but in design and appearance.

Each the Chery E5 and BYD Atto 3 are physically around the identical size. The E5 measures 4424mm long, rides on a 2610mm wheelbase, is 1588mm wide and stands 1830mm tall. 

The Atto 3, as compared, is fractionally longer at 4455mm (and officially classed as a mid-size SUV, despite the fact that it’s much shorter than most of them), has barely more room between the front and rear axles with an extended 2720mm wheelbase, and is wider (1875mm) but sits lower (1615mm).

Each provide seating for five with good headroom, plus decent cargo capability. Chery claims the E5 has 300 litres of boot space (measured as much as the cargo cover), while BYD says the Atto 3 has 440L – which is presumably measured to the roof.

Nonetheless, since the Atto 3 is built on a dedicated EV platform while the E5 is tailored from conventional architecture, rear-seat occupants will find barely more room, a flatter floor, and easier access within the BYD than they may within the Chery.

Practicalities aside though, the E5’s interior design is much more palatable and classier than the Atto 3’s weird swoops, toothy grilles, clumsy door handles and odd banjo-string door pockets. It’s an interior that polarises and also you’ll either love or detest it.

The Chery’s overall aesthetic is more conservative and easier to live with.

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s not loads to separate these two relating to their mechanical makeup.

Each have a everlasting magnet synchronous electric motor under the bonnet that drives the front wheels through a single-speed reduction gearbox, and is powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

The Chery E5 produces 155kW of power and 288Nm of torque, and its battery has 58.9kWh of useable capability. The utmost charge rate is 6.6kW via a single-phase AC domestic power outlet, 9.9-10.3kW on three-phase power (each using the onboard 11kW/22kW AC charger), and 130kW via a DC fast-charger.

Chery claims the battery will be replenished from 10-80 per cent through its CCS2 connector in around half-hour, and that the E5 is able to delivering a complete driving range of as much as 430km.

The BYD Atto 3, alternatively, produces fractionally less power (150kW) but more torque (310Nm), and has a rather larger battery at 60.5kWh but lower charging rates of 7kW on AC power and 88kW on DC power. 

BYD says the battery will be replenished between 30-80 per cent in around half-hour, and provides as much as 420km of driving range – 10km lower than the Chery.

Cost of ownership

BYD has pretty good aftersales provisions including a six-year, 150,000km warranty on the vehicle and an eight-year, 160,000km guarantee on the battery, plus free roadside assistance for the primary 12 months.

This will be prolonged every time the vehicle is serviced by a BYD dealer at advisable intervals of 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first). Service pricing varies between $165 for minor check-ups to $635 for major work, and costs a complete of $2291 over the primary seven years.

Chery offers more peace of mind with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the vehicle and eight years, unlimited kilometres for the battery. Similarly, it offers free roadside assistance for the primary 12 months of ownership, which will be prolonged to as much as seven years every time the vehicle is serviced through the Chery network. Service intervals are the identical because the BYD – 12 months or 20,000km.

Service costs vary between $149 for check-ups to $582 for a significant service at 120,000km, and total $1586 over the primary seven years.

CarExpert’s Pick: Chery E5

There’s little or no that separates these two cars from a physical perspective.

Each of those small electric SUVs represent reasonably priced and practical entry points into the EV world, offering spacious cabins full of tech and conveniences, while also providing decent performance and a workable driving range.

However the Chery delivers all this for less, and so it comes out on top here.

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