The logo of BYD is seen at the Chinese carmaker's flagship Korean dealership in Yongsan, central Seoul, Jan. 22. Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung

BYD Korea is on a surprising track to break prevalent negativity against Chinese vehicles, achieving a landmark pre-order of some 1,000 Atto 3 electric SUVs in only a week after the brand's debut here.

At the carmaker's flagship dealership in Yongsan, central Seoul, dealers were busy promoting key upsides of the electric vehicle (EV) to dozens of customers visiting the store throughout the afternoon on Jan. 22.

Pedestrians walking past the dealership also displayed interest, stopping in their tracks to examine the unfamiliar white brand logo of the carmaker.

BYD Korea made its debut on Jan. 16, and started accepting pre-orders for the Shenzhen-headquartered EV maker's best-selling Atto 3 compact electric SUV on the same day.

Critics and industry insiders remain poles apart over whether the Chinese firm will be able to attain any meaningful sales performance largely due to negative awareness on products made in China.

The company, however, looks set to shatter the weak perceptions with its price competitiveness, as is shown by its stronger-than-expected initial sales.

"Pre-orders for the Atto 3 EV is widely forecast to top at least 1,000 sometime around Jan. 23," a dealer at the store said. "The vehicle's initial response is so heated that we receive a huge number of phone calls almost every moment during our opening hours."

BYD Korea's Atto 3 electric SUV is on display at its flagship Yongsan dealership in Seoul, Jan. 22. Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung

The pre-orders for 1,000 vehicles in such a short period of time is a praiseworthy outcome for the Chinese carmaker, as BYD sold some 2,200 vehicles in 2024 in the Japanese market. That figure was an increase of 54 percent from a year earlier.

Given the robust initial response here, there stands an ample possibility for BYD Korea to surpass its sales record in Japan.

A group of the Atto 3 vehicles in different colors were on display at the dealership. At first glance, the vehicle exterior was bigger than the expectation of this reporter. BYD Korea is set to diversify its vehicle lineup throughout this year with plans to draw initial popularity with the flagship EV whose accumulated sales worldwide surpass 1 million.

The interior of BYD's Atto 3 flagship electric vehicle / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung

The dealer also praised the vehicle's unmatched price competitiveness.

"The Atto 3 is equipped with the latest infotainment systems and offers a decent travel range of 321 kilometers on a single charge, but its price is at a very low level when compared with other EVs with similar specifications," the dealer said. "When customers experience the vehicle, I am confident they will be able to clear away any negative perceptions against Chinese vehicles."

BYD Korea is set to open a total of 15 exhibition centers in Seoul and major metropolitan cities nationwide. It will also operate 12 repair centers here.

The Chinese EV maker hopes to extend its winning streak with upcoming launches of two more models — the Seal electric sedan and the Sealion 7 mid-sized electric SUV — both of which will also be available for sale sometime this year.