BYD Atto 2 review

Our opinion on the BYD Atto 2 

We found the BYD Atto 2 slightly underwhelming in its pure-electric form, though the Atto 2 DM-i claws back some points in its plug-in hybrid form.

The compact SUV comes with lots of technology and equipment as standard, plus it has a competitive six-year warranty. There’s a decent amount of space inside and both the EV and PHEV are reasonably adept on the road without being in any way memorable. 

There’s no unique selling point to the EV that would allow it to stand out in this busy segment. Rivals are able to offer more range, more space, a more polished driving experience, faster charging speeds or are simply available for less money. The DM-i will provide plug-in hybrid technology at a very attractive price point, however.

About the BYD Atto 2

BYD arrived in the UK just three years ago with the Atto 3 and since then we’ve seen the Chinese maker go on to expand its line-up to eight models, including all-electric and plug-in hybrid choices.

The new Atto 2 is a small SUV that’s based on the same electric running gear as the Atto 3 and Dolphin supermini. It slots into the BYD range between them, both in terms of size and price. Front-wheel drive is standard, and there are two battery sizes available, with a 51kWh pack in the Boost model and a 65kWh unit in the Comfort car. 

Like the BYD Atto 2 EV, the plug-in hybrid DM-i version comes with two trim levels. In this case it’s a less well-equipped Active and plusher Boost, rather than Boost and top spec Comfort that are offered on the EV.

BYD Atto 2 prices and latest deals

The all-electric Atto 2 in Boost guise is priced at around £31,000, while the Comfort is around £4,000 more. The plug-in hybrid Atto 2 DM-i joins the line up in 2026, and it should take the title of the UK’s cheapest PHEV starting from around £25,000 for the smaller-battery Active, and £28,000 for the Boost. 

You can now spec your ideal new BYD Atto 2 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service and choose the best offer from dealers around the UK.

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According to BYD’s own marketing material, the Atto 2 is designed for urban driving, and overall that seems to be where its strengths lie.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

Both the plug-in hybrid and electric BYD Atto 2 not only get two battery sizes, but two power outputs as well. 

The standard Atto 2 EV has an electric motor that makes 174bhp and 290Nm of torque, while the Comfort model has the power increased to 201bhp and 310Nm. Essentially BYD has turned up the wick to compensate for the extra 130kg the Comfort model carries, because while there’s more power, it has the same 0-62mph time.

In everyday use, having around 300Nm of torque available as soon as you press the throttle means that the Atto 2 is pretty responsive from a standstill. The front wheels can break traction if it’s slippery and you have some steering lock on, although the only indication you’ll have of this is the traction control light flashing and some noise from the tyres, because the remote steering doesn’t offer any clue as to what the front wheels are doing.

Because the plug-in hybrid model has fairly powerful electric motors that drive the front wheels, it feels pretty similar to the EV to drive. The Boost’s 209bhp total output comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder Atkinson petrol engine (like the Honda Civic’s) and it works in conjunction with a dual-motor (hence the ‘DM’ part of the name) layout – where one is responsible for generating power and the other sends drive straight to the wheels. The less powerful Active version of the DM-i plug-in hybrid has 164bhp - which results in a 9.1-second 0-62mph time.

None of the powertrains are really designed with performance in mind, but it’s good to have a bit of power on tap if you need it and they certainly don’t feel sluggish.

Town driving, visibility and parking

Overall, the Atto 2 is pleasant to drive around town. There’s a decent turning circle and at low speed especially the electric motor’s torque provides enough responsiveness, while the ride is comfortable and the cabin remains quiet at lower speeds.

There’s good visibility all round, while the standard-fit front and rear parking sensors and 360-degree camera system with multiple viewing angles cover all of your surroundings. There’s even a handy measurement indicator showing you the physical distance between the car and objects.

BYD has fitted energy recovery to the all-electric Atto 2, but when we tried it, we couldn’t feel much difference between the two settings. One is slightly stronger than the other, but neither is powerful enough to slow the car significantly, and certainly not enough for one-pedal driving. The plug-in hybrid also has two brake-regeneration settings: ‘Standard’ and ‘High’, but again they’re pretty weak. 

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Country road driving and handling 

The Atto 2 isn’t a car that you’d take for a drive just for the sake of it. It’s competent enough on country roads, but there’s very little involvement to be had. The steering simply points the car in the right direction without any feedback, while body roll is present courtesy of the soft suspension set-up. It’s not wallowy or wayward, but it doesn’t really encourage you to push the car any harder than necessary. At least the brakes are progressive – with so little regeneration offered by the electric motor, there’s no jerky transition between systems.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort 

The plug-in hybrid’s preference for EV-only running does create a refined environment. You have to mash the throttle hard into the floor to cause the petrol engine to wake up. When it does the sound of it trundling away under the bonnet isn’t particularly nice. 

We’ve found on both the EV and PHEV, that at higher speeds the Atto 2 suffers from wind and road noise that disturbs the car’s overall comfort, so we’d only recommend it if you do these sorts of journeys infrequently. The chassis is reasonably comfortable most of the time, although expansion joints can send thumps through the whole car.

Because of the placement of the battery in the DM-i and the energy recovery unit just in front of the rear axle the PHEV gets a more compact torsion beam suspension setup at the rear – the same as in the smaller-battery Atto 2 EV. This doesn’t help the overall ride comfort as the DM-i can fidget at high speeds compared to the more assured, bigger-battery Atto 2 EV which has multi-link suspension. 

"A sensor built into the A-pillar constantly monitors the driver’s eyes to ensure they’re looking ahead at the road. But on the car we tested, the system was hyper-sensitive, so any time you turned away while the car was moving – when looking at the touchscreen, to your right at a roundabout or to the nearside door mirror – a warning message and beep chimes in." - Dean Gibson, senior road test editor.

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The Boost version of the Atto 2 is so well equipped that we’d only recommend shelling out the extra £4,000 for the Comfort model if you really need the extra range that it offers. We expect a similar step in price between the plug-in hybrids - though having a petrol engine’s range on tap helps even the appeal for the two Atto 2 DM-i cars.

Electric range, battery life and charge time 

Official range figures are 214 miles for the 51.1kWh Boost model and 261 miles for the Comfort version with its larger 64.8kWh battery. When we tested the Boost model, we saw an estimated range of 214 miles from the trip computer, so the official figures appear to be pretty accurate, and should remain consistent courtesy of the standard-fit heat pump.

When we tested the Atto 2 against the Vauxhall Frontera in cold conditions and on similar roads, we saw an impressive return of four miles per kWh from the Comfort model, 1.2mi/kWh better than the Vauxhall could offer. It’s worth noting that the BYD’s efficiency figure still only equates to a range of 180 miles, though.

We got a decent level of efficiency in the Atto 2 DM-i as well. During our test drive of the bigger-battery Boost model in pure-EV mode, we found the electric range fell in line with the claimed WLTP figure of 55 miles. 

One minor quibble we have with the BYD EV is the different DC charging speeds that are offered on each model. The Comfort can be charged at a maximum rate of 155kW, so a 10-80 per cent charge can take 25 minutes from a powerful enough source, but the Boost model can only charge at 82kW, which is slower than most rivals. A charge from 10-80 per cent capacity takes 40 minutes in this model, which is disappointing when most rivals can charge to the same amount in around half an hour.

BYD doesn’t quote a time, but the maximum charging speed of the plug-in hybrid is 6.6kW - which halves to 3.3kW if you go for the smaller battery Active model.

Insurance groups 

The BYD line-up sits in group 30 and 32, which is around 15 groups higher than the Vauxhall Frontera, for example. However, when we received quotes from the AA, the Atto 2 had lower prices by around £200, proving that it pays to shop around to get the best quote.

Tax

As with all its EV rivals, the BYD faces road tax of £195, while Benefit-in-Kind company car tax is charged at three per cent. The BYD isn’t the cheapest small electric SUV, but you’re still looking at costs in the hundreds of pounds, compared with thousands for similarly-sized hybrid models.

While pricing hasn’t been announced yet, we know the BYD Atto 2 DM-i will cost well under the increased luxury car tax which will stand at £50,000 from April 2026. 

Depreciation

Residual values of 40-42 per cent for the EV are nothing to write home about, being among the poorest in the BYD line-up. However this is on a par with class rivals such as the Ford Puma Gen-E and better than they are for the Vauxhall Frontera. Depreciation data for the plug-in hybrid hasn’t been announced yet as we’re still waiting for prices - considering market trends however we expect the PHEV to hold on to its value better.

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Vehicle design is something that Chinese car makers are still trying to get the hang of, and overall the BYD Atto 2 fails to stand out. It’s an inoffensive design that has echoes of the Suzuki Vitara about it, while the rounded lines are a familiar cue shared with other BYD models.

Unless you spot the slightly larger air intakes at the front, the positioning of a fuel filler cap and get under the rear bumper to see the exhaust pipe, there’s no telling the PHEV and EV versions of the Atto 2 apart visually. 

The base Active and model comes with the following: 

• Rear-view camera
• Parking sensors
• Rain-sensing wipers 
• Adaptive cruise control
• LED headlights 
• Metallic paint 

Boost, which comes standard on the Atto 2 EV, adds the following: 

• 360-degree camera
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Panoramic roof
• Wireless smartphone charging 

The Atto 2 EV also gets a Comfort trim level at the top of its range that adds driver’s seat lumbar support, electrically folding door mirrors and rear tinted windows.

You can even make use of the Boost’s bigger battery with vehicle-to-load (V2L) tech, capable of powering external appliances. 

Interior and dashboard design

The cabin layout is plain and simple. It’s dominated by the large 12.8-inch touchscreen that can be rotated through 90 degrees for portrait or landscape orientation (in the EV only, the PHEV is fixed in landscape), while there are a few buttons on the dashboard below and on the steering wheel. Different grades of plastic and artificial leather are used inside, while silver trim inserts break things up. There are two colour options on offer, either black or beige, with the latter helping to brighten the cabin.

Materials and build quality

The materials used on board are as you’d expect from a car in this price range, with harder plastics in some places, such as the centre console and doors, but soft-touch materials in other areas. We really didn’t like the fake stitching on the rear doors - which was all the more obvious thanks to real stitching on the front doors. It all feels well screwed together, though, with no squeaks or rattles in the car we tested. 

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo 

The main screen is used for almost all functions, with just a strip of buttons beneath the phone trays, including a starter button that is a little lost in the middle.

The driver also has a secondary display that measures 8.8 inches across and features a lot of information. However, it all feels rather crammed in, with lots of information in a thin font that can be difficult to read when a light background is selected.

While the display can turn through 90 degrees, as with other BYD models, it feels more natural to keep it in a landscape format so it doesn’t obscure the windscreen.

There are large on-screen buttons that are easy to find while on the move, while a shortcut across the top of the display gives quick access to some functions. The shortcuts across the bottom can be personalised, although we’d like to see separate buttons for frequently used functions such as the screen heaters.

"Our car had a bit of an issue with misting, so we spent more time than we should having to scroll through the climate menus, but if there were physical climate controls we could have managed the situation more easily." - Dean Gibson, senior road test editor.

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A conventional small SUV shape means the tall and high-riding Atto 2 should be easy to get in and out of and offer a good view of your surroundings. 

Dimensions and size

Compared with the BYD Atto 3, which was the first car the brand sold in the UK and is more of a family SUV, the Atto 2 is 145mm shorter and 45mm narrower. That means it’s very similar in size to the Ford Puma Gen-E, but the Ford offers considerably more luggage capacity in five-seat mode. 

Despite having two different powertrains, there’s no difference in cabin space inside the EV compared to the plug-in hybrid.  

A wide range of wheel and seat adjustment means it’s easy to get comfortable at the wheel of the Atto 2, and on the whole the artificial leather seats offer decent support. One issue for some occupants could be the fixed headrests, which are integrated into the seats. They’re not adjustable and push your head forward, which might be uncomfortable for some passengers.

Storage up front is decent, with twin smartphone trays ahead of the twin cup-holders, one of which featuring wireless charging. Beneath the high centre console is another storage area, although the shallow sides mean that taller items might fall out. There are two USB-C connectors here with 60-watt charging, while a 12-volt socket is also present. One issue is with the door bins, which are small and awkward to access below the armrests.

If you’re more likely to be carrying passengers than luggage, then the Atto 2 might be more suitable than some of its rivals because legroom is fairly decent. The tall body also creates good headroom, while having two six-footers in the rear won’t be an issue. There are two sets of ISOFIX points in the back, but the bench isn’t wide enough to accommodate a centre armrest.

Back-seat passengers also benefit from two USB-C sockets, but there’s just a single air vent, and as with the front doors, the bins are on the small side.

Boot space 

There’s a 400-litre boot in five-seat mode, so the Atto 2 doesn’t have the best cargo capacity in the class – the Vauxhall Frontera and Citroen e-C3 Aircross have its number here – but it’s still a useful space. The floor has two levels so you can create some under-floor storage, while the load lip is lower than you’ll find in its Vauxhall or Citroen rivals. 

Those looking for a bit more room will be better served by the DM-i, which gets an extra 25 litres in the boot. 

"The back seats are reasonable for tall occupants, and the standard-fit panoramic glass roof helps to make the interior feel bright and airy. There’s no roller blind, though, so you have to rely on the tint and UV coatings to keep occupants cool." - Dean Gibson, senior road test editor.

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The BYD Atto 2 is based on the same platform as the Atto 3 and gets the same suite of safety features, so while it hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP, the Atto 3’s five-star rating should reflect well on the Atto 2. 

The Atto 2 comes with an extensive array of driver-assistance systems as standard, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot detection, a driver-monitoring system, lane-keeping assist, hill descent control, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. There’s also a 360-degree parking system, front and rear parking sensors and intelligent high-beam control. 

For added peace of mind, the Atto 2 comes with BYD’s impressive six-year/93,750-mile (150,000km) warranty, plus a separate eight-year/125,000-mile warranty for the battery pack. Warranty arrangements haven’t been confirmed for the upcoming Atto 2 DM-i model yet.

• Best buy: BYD Atto 2 Boost

We suspect the plug-in hybrid will be the Atto 2 to go for thanks to the low predicted price tag, but for now the EV represents a solid choice in the market. Unless you really need the extra range that the Comfort model offers (plus its extra kit in the shape of electric lumbar support, electric folding mirrors and rear privacy glass), then the Boost has all the equipment you’ll need for £4,000 less.

BYD Atto 2 alternatives 

The BYD Atto 2 has a lengthy list of rivals in the compact electric SUV segment, but it’s worth noting that many competitors are cheaper because they’re eligible for the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG). The BYD isn’t, hence prices starting from more than £30k.

In comparison, the Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera, which focus more on value-for-money, start from less than £23k. Other contenders include the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3, which are more pricey, but also more practical, offer greater range and feel more sophisticated. If it’s style that you want, there’s the Volvo EX30 or MINI Aceman, plus the incredibly funky Fiat Grande Panda and Renault 4. 

When the Atto 2 DM-i arrives it’ll only have the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid for company - though it’s expected to undercut the Chery by several thousand pounds. 

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