Electric vehicles may not be the answer to sustainability in transportation at least in India, but it cannot be denied that they are fun and…economical, compared to the cost of running conventional fossil fuelled vehicles. This includes maintenance costs – an electric vehicle is likely to have much reduced servicing costs because of the absence of an internal combustion engine, gearbox etc. I am not a big believer in electric cars myself – I prefer the noise of an internal combustion engine and the ability to manually control gearshifts…but one ride in the Atto 3, and I am a believer.
The design of the Atto 3 is quite nice and very aerodynamic looking. Looks are subjective, but the Atto 3 conveys the message with its LED DRLs, LED headlights, tail lights and almost every other light whether inside or outside. The wheels look good too – again, aerodynamically designed to reduce the whole co-efficient of drag of the vehicle to a mere 0.29, which makes it slippery as hell.
Also read: Tata introduces Acti.ev new architecture for EVs, unveils Punch.ev
Design detail on the inside is crazy – this SUV is surely more spacecraft than car! I will start with the doors. The tweeters on all doors have ambient colour rings and house the internal latch – a design that is remarkable. The door pads have three strings fitted and you can actually strum them like a guitar! Next, let us take a look at the aircon vents. Designed like dumb bells, they have a unique shape of their own and come with large clickable rings for controlling or shutting off the air flow. Loved the stuff! Being a seriously tech driven vehicle, the centre piece of course is the large 12.8-inch rotating pad, that can be turned vertical or kept horizontal through a touch interface. This pad is central to controlling a lot of the vehicle’s functions including its entertainment system. The interface is quite slick and the pad is quite responsive. Of course, you do get Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto, but surprisingly, it is still wired. Sound quality is quite pleasing to the ear and that large screen makes viewing information a breeze. I also liked the fact that the volume and some other controls on the steering wheel is rotary, which gives a nice feel. The aircon is also controlled through this pad and it has a deft feature – the airflow reduces if a phone call comes in. Thoughtful touches like this abound in the Atto 3. There is also wireless charging, but the USB-A, C and the 12-volt charging socket are located in the lower part of the console, which can take some doing to reach to. The rear also gets a USB-A and USB-C socket.
In terms of safety the Atto 3 is rated 5-star by NCAP. 7 airbags are standard, along with all kinds of other active and passive safety features. Performance is where the Atto 3 really shines. There are a myriad of personalisation options to chose from, and you can toggle between Eco, Comfort or Sports mode for driving. The latter ensures you touch 0-100kmph from rest in just 7.3 seconds. In Eco mode, a driving range of greater than 500 kilometres is distinctly possible on a 100 per cent charge. You can change steering settings and many other driving dynamics as well. Performance is just ballistic – just tap on the accelerator at any speed and the car surges forward – a tap on the brakes and they swiftly haul the car down. Braking performance is superlative too.
Overall, the Atto 3 is a very remarkable electric vehicle. Its combination of looks, finish, performance are second to none. This is one vehicle that I would not mind adding to my personal garage and at INR 33.9 lakhs ex-showroom, it is indeed an endearing proposition. By the way, did I mention that you get a NFC key as well?