Motoring expert Ellis Hyde has raised concerns about the increasing power of modern family cars, arguing that many models now produce levels of performance previously reserved for supercars, without the necessary upgrades to suspension and brakes. Writing in Auto Express, Hyde highlighted the BYD Atto 3 EVO as a prime example: a family SUV that jumped from 200bhp to 443bhp while retaining the same suspension and brakes as the base 303bhp version.
Power Without Preparation
Hyde warned that the combination of high power and unchanged underpinnings could lead to safety issues. He stated: “The BYD Atto 3 EVO is a perfect example of this, because the fairly ordinary SUV that previously produced just 200bhp was recently given a whacking great 443bhp, plus 560Nm of torque….yet the suspension and brakes on this flagship car are the same as those on the base 303bhp version, which doesn’t inspire much confidence.”
He also noted that drivers unfamiliar with such power could easily exceed speed limits unintentionally. “With these cars being so fast, drivers who have never had access to so much firepower can easily find themselves going way beyond the speed limit without even trying,” Hyde added. “A 400bhp+ family car sounds like a fun idea, plus it’s great the first time you launch it. But you might not feel quite so clever after your third speeding ticket.”
Broader Concerns About Car Size and Safety
Hyde’s comments come amid wider debate about the direction of car design, including the trend of ‘carspreading’ where vehicles grow larger over time. Hannah Budnitz, a researcher at the transport studies unit of the University of Oxford, told the Guardian that poorly marked parking spaces exacerbate problems caused by bigger cars. She said: “In many places, parking bays are marked and are not being re-marked gradually in the way the scenario suggests, meaning that larger vehicles can end up taking up two spaces by default – or overflowing into space for other road users.”
While car safety has improved dramatically since the Victorian era, with modern vehicles cocooning occupants in metal, plastic, and composites, the growing size and power of family cars raise new questions. Cars have grown by several centimetres each year, reducing available road space.
Expert View: A Nuanced Issue
Christopher Sharp, a Reach Plc car reviewer, agreed with Hyde but emphasised nuance. He argued that if manufacturers give family cars over 400bhp, they must ensure tyres and suspension can handle it. “400bhp+ sounds great on paper and might give an accelerative boost, but if the tyres and suspension aren’t up to it, that’s a problem,” Sharp said. He noted that British roads, increasingly in poor condition, demand extra caution, especially on tight, twisting back roads. “In those situations, caution is advisable; a 400bhp+ SUV solves nothing. It’s not a case of banning cars with too much power, just a case of manufacturers considering whether it’s strictly necessary.”
