• Good room up front
• Unimpressive boot space
• Rear headroom isn’t brilliant

How much space is there?

Practicality impresses for the most part. Space up front is good, but headroom in the back has been affected by the standard-fit panoramic sunroof. The mounts for the sliding panel steal a couple of inches from those in the outer two seats, so you’ll have to hunch down if you’re more than six feet tall.

Legroom is good, though. Because it’s an EV, the Atto 3 has a completely flat floor, which means rear seat passengers can stretch out. There’s also enough space on the middle of the bench for a third passenger, and there’s a lot of kneeroom available even with a tall driver up front.

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Boot space and storage

The boot’s a decent size, too. It’s slightly smaller than the Kia Niro EV’s, offering 440 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,338 litres with the bench stowed. However, the space the Atto 3 gives away in the boot is passed on to those sitting in the back. So, it’s swings and roundabouts, really.

You also get a handy storage area under the boot board, which is useful for hiding the car’s charging cable – and it’s especially welcome considering you don’t get any storage space under the bonnet. You can also set the boot board to a higher position to eliminate the lip between the boot opening and the floor. We’re looking forward to finding out how the car’s cabin stands up to the abuse of family life.

Is it easy to park?

The Atto 3 doesn’t feel particularly large on the road, taking up a similar footprint than an Audi Q3 or Nissan Qashqai. The raised seating position is a positive, and the turning circle is agreeably tight, making it very manoeuvrable in town.

The Atto 3 is actually quite a bit larger than the A3, at 4,455mm long, 1,875mm wide (not including its door mirrors) and 1,615mm high. So, it’s quite wide but not particularly long, making it well sized for typical parking bays.

Rear parking sensors are standard on all models, while the optional 360-degree camera, and electrically folding door mirrors work well.

Safety

• Five-star rating from Euro NCAP
• Two Isofix points as standard
• Plenty of safety technology on offer

The Atto 3 scored the full five stars when it was tested by Euro NCAP at its European launch in 2022. The days of Chinese cars lagging behind on this score are long gone now, with an extensive suite of safety kit on offer – on all models.

That means you get automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring and traffic-sign recognition, which displays the speed limit. Adaptive cruise control is also offered, and it works very well indeed, holding a decent distance between you and the car in front, and not throwing up any surprises in daily driving.