BYD Atto 2 takes on the world with 194 miles of range
The new BYD Atto 2 has landed, a small value-focused electric car aimed at the Jeep Avenger, Volvo EX30 and Mini Aceman.
Already sold in its native China as the Yuan Up, the Atto 2 will hit European streets in February with a range of 312km (194 miles) and a price starting from below 30,000 euros or £30,000.
The new front-wheel-drive electric SUV is based on BYD’s new third-generation electric car platform – the e-Platform 3.0, as it is known – and will fill the gap between the brand’s Dolphin hatchback and Atto 3 crossover.
Hitting a crowded sector, BYD hopes its exterior and interior styling will resonate with customers to distract them from a myriad of longer-legged rivals, for example the Kia EV3 and its range of 598km (372 miles), which is almost double that of the BYD.
It will also compete with other Chinese crossovers sold in Europe, such as the Smart #1. A future model targeted by the Atto 2 is the Volkswagen ID 2X - a compact SUV planned for global sale in 2026 as a replacement for today’s combustion-engined T-Cross.
It measures 4310mm long, 1830mm wide and 1675mm tall - making it slightly smaller than the Atto 3, which is sold as the Yuan Plus in China, and just 10mm longer than the Peugeot e-2008.
The Atto 2 will receive a front-mounted electric motor with 94bhp – a specification similar to the base-level BYD Dolphin hatchback.
It is powered by the Chinese carmaker's own lithium-iron-phosphate Blade battery, with a capacity of 45.1kWh.
In the future the Atto 2 will be offered with an optional larger battery, likely to deliver a roughly 400km (250 miles) of range with a more powerful 174bhp electric motor.
The kerb weight for the new BYD model is put at between 1430kg and 1540kg, depending on the electric motor and battery specification.
Beyond the passenger compartment, the ATTO 2’s boot measures 400 litres. This capacity can be increased to 1,340 litres when the split folding rear seat is lowered.
Final details, such as pricing, remain under wraps as BYD for the next couple of weeks.
