BYD Atto 2 review

Our opinion on the BYD Atto 2

If we were to sum up the BYD Atto 2 in one word, it would be ‘fine’. The compact electric SUV comes with lots of technology as standard, plus a competitive six-year warranty, there’s a decent amount of space inside and it’s OK to drive. However, there’s no unique selling point or the quirkiness of other BYD models that would allow the Atto 2 stand out more in this overcrowded segment. Certain rivals also offer more range, more space, a more polished driving experience, faster charging speeds or are simply available for less money. 

About the BYD Atto 2

It’s almost hard to believe that BYD launched in the UK less than two years ago, because the new Atto 2 is the seventh model the Chinese brand has brought to our shores, with at least half a dozen more still to come. 

The BYD Atto 2 is a compact electric SUV, so rivals include the value-focused Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera siblings, the fresh and funky Fiat Grande Panda and Renault 5, the more premium Volvo EX30 and Smart #1, plus the generally excellent Kia EV3 and Ford Puma Gen-E. 

It benefits from all of BYD’s latest EV know-how. For instance, underneath is the same e-Platform 3.0 that underpins the BYD Atto 3 family SUV and the BYD Dolphin hatchback, which the Atto 2 will bridge the gap between nicely. Meanwhile, the company’s ‘Blade Battery’ is integrated completely in the car’s chassis to improve interior packaging and boost body rigidity.

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A plug-in hybrid version of the Atto 2 is coming in 2026, but for now the small SUV is pure-electric, with two models to choose from. The entry-level Boost is powered by a 51.1kWh battery and a 174bhp front-mounted electric motor, which can deliver up to 214 miles of range. The Comfort version swaps in a larger 64.8kWh battery and a slightly more powerful 201bhp e-motor for up to 261 miles of range.

BYD Atto 2 prices and latest deals

Prices for the BYD Atto 2 start from just under £31,000, rising to nearly £35,000 for the longer-range Comfort model. That’s more than our reigning Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq, which is more spacious, more sophisticated and offers more range. The entry-level BYD is also a few thousand pounds more expensive than a top-of-the-range Renault 4. Prices 

• Boost (from £30,850)
• Comfort (from £34,950)

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, or there are models already in stock and you can save nearly £2,000 on them using us.

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BYD told us that Atto 2 was “built for city life” and “tailored to urban streets”, however, that’s not the impression we got when we tested the car. For one thing, there’s no one-pedal driving mode for the regenerative braking system, which other EVs such as the Renault 4 offer and is great for taking some of the stress out of stop-start city traffic. 

Whereas in the Atto 2, even when we activated the ‘high’ mode for our testing, the car just gradually slowed when we lifted off the accelerator, and only after a long time did it come to a steady crawl. 

However, that’s not our biggest pet peeve with the Atto 2. That would be what BYD calls the ‘brand’ indicator noise, because the chime sounds so similar to a seatbelt or open door warning, so much so we thought we’d left the boot open or something when we started our test drive. 

It quickly became genuinely annoying, but luckily you can switch to a more normal indicator sound in one of the car’s various settings menus, once you know where to look. 

Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

A single electric motor drives the front wheels in the Atto 2, with the entry-level Boost model we drove producing 174bhp and 290Nm of torque. It gets up to motorway speed easily, and BYD says 0-62mph takes a sprightly 7.9 seconds. There’s still plenty of oomph left at high speeds for relatively quick overtaking, although power delivery isn’t instantaneous like in other EVs.

Town driving, visibility and parking

The steering isn’t as light as we’d expect from a city-focused car, either, although it certainly isn’t heavy. Similarly, the Atto 2’s turning circle is reasonable for a compact SUV, but not as remarkable as the Elroq’s, especially considering that the Skoda is a bigger car.

Visibility is good at least, thanks to large side windows, a decent-sized rear windscreen and short bonnet. Plus there’s a dedicated button to access the 360-degree camera, which could come in handy in tight car parks or side streets.

Country road driving and handling

Unsurprisingly, the Atto 2 isn’t an exciting car to drive on twistier roads and it leans over when you chuck it into corners. That said, the brake pedal feels natural and predictable, smoothly blending between the regenerative braking system and physical discs – which some EVs still struggle with – the steering is also predictable.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

The Atto 2 is not a good motorway cruiser because of the sheer amount of wind and road noise plus vibrations that make their way into the cabin. The ride is soft and very wallowy, which isn’t necessarily bad considering the poor state of the UK’s motorways, but the car never settles down. Rivals feel considerably more stable, and more refined, too.

We found the driver-monitoring system to be a real nuisance, because it seemed to reprimand us even for the briefest of glances at the map to check our route. The lane-keep assist was similarly annoying, and more than once we had to fight with it as the car veered too close to another lane.

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The BYD Atto 2 offers up to 261 miles of range, or supposedly more than 300 miles if you’re only driving in town. That tops the Renault 4, Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Alfa Romeo Junior, which all have a range of around 250 miles, while the Ford Puma Gen-E can cover just over 230 miles at most on a single charge. 

However, the Volvo EX30 boasts nearly 300 miles of range, and the ‘Extended Range’ version costs about the same as the equivalent Atto 2 Comfort. The long-range variants of the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3 cost slightly more, but offer up to 360 and 375 miles of range, respectively. 

We averaged 3.3 miles per kilowatt-hour when we drove the Atto 2 Boost across a mixture of roads in cold, very rainy conditions. That equates to a real-world range of around 168 miles, or nearly 50 miles shorter than the car’s official claimed range. 

It may have helped that the Atto 2 is fitted as standard with a heat pump, which is uncommon for this class of EV, and BYD claims it can extend the driving range by up to around 20 per cent in the winter months.

The Atto 2 lags behind rivals when it comes to charging speed, with the Boost model topping out at 82kW, and as a result, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes nearly 40 minutes. That’s disappointing, because its Vauxhall, Renault and Citroen rivals all reach 100kW, and the Kia and Skoda can hit even faster speeds. 

Thankfully, the Comfort model can reach a much more impressive 155kW. As a result, even with the larger battery, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes as little as 25 minutes.

Insurance groups

The Atto 2 falls into insurance group 30 or 32 (out of 50), depending on which version you go for. Key rivals will be cheaper to insure, for instance, the Renault 4 falls into insurance group 27, while the Ford Puma Gen-E sits in group 18. 

Tax

Electric cars now attract the same £195 annual rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or ‘road tax’ as any other cars on the road. Meanwhile the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax rate for EVs is currently three per cent, compared with a Kia Niro Hybrid, which attracts a 26 per cent tax rate. 

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Compared with the beefy Citroen C3 Aircross, the funky Renault 4 or the futuristic Kia EV3, the BYD Atto 2 looks rather plain and nondescript. The humdrum design will hurt the newcomer’s chances of catching potential customer’s eyes when there’s a sea of small electric SUVs now on the market.

The design borrows some elements from other BYD models, such as the flowing LED headlights and black bar with silver trim at the front, plus the full-width light bar at the rear that connects the complex, intertwined ‘Chinese knot’ tail-lights. 

When it comes to standard equipment, every BYD Atto 2 features:

• 17-inch alloy wheels 
• A 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen
• 8.8-inch digital instrument panel
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charging pad 
• Panoramic glass roof
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel 

Other than the bigger battery and more powerful e-motor, upgrading to the Comfort model only adds rear privacy glass, ambient interior lighting and a rear armrest with cup-holders. 

There are four colours with both Boost and Comfort models: Time Grey, which is standard, while Hiking Green, Skiing White and Obsidian Black all cost £750. Buyers also opt for either a black or beige interior colour scheme. Every Atto 2 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior and dashboard design

BYD’s Atto 3 and Dolphin have unique and quirky interiors that aren’t without flaws, but undeniably feel different to those of their rivals. The Atto 2, on the other hand, has a more conservative, rather bland interior to match the exterior. The almost all-black colour scheme doesn’t help. 

The Atto 2 doesn’t feel particularly spacious up front, largely because of the relatively tall and wide centre console. It does however provide storage space underneath, plus a small selection of physical buttons for key functions such as the drive-mode selector and regen braking mode. 

Materials and build quality

You don’t have to search very hard to find cheap-feeling plastics, especially when examining the centre console. There are some squidgy materials such as those across the dashboard, however, on the doors it feels like there’s just a very thin layer of those materials covering up more hard plastic. Nevertheless, build quality is solid.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Both of the screens in the Atto 2 are sharp and responsive, although the small, thin font and the sheer amount of information on the driver’s display can make it hard to read at a glance. Thankfully, the 12.8-inch touchscreen is easier to use because of large on-screen buttons and toggle switches, although it doesn’t get very bright, which can make it difficult to read as well. 

Drivers can also organise the shortcut buttons along the bottom of the display, depending on what your most used functions are and how close you want them to be. You can also pick out which functions are available on the drop-down menu, which is just like a smartphone’s.

The Atto 2 doesn’t have any physical climate controls, but the cabin temperature and fan speed are displayed at the bottom of the touchscreen. Plus you can adjust the cabin temperature by placing three fingers anywhere on the screen and dragging them up or down. Going left or right, meanwhile, changes the fan speed. 

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The Atto 2 might not offer the fastest charging speeds in its class, but at least there will be no squabbling about who can charge their phone in this car. It comes with a 15W wireless charging pad in the centre console, as well as a super-fast 60W USB-C port and an older-style USB-A port, plus two more USB sockets in the rear. 

The Atto 2 also offers Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging capabilities, like you get in a Hyundai Ioniq 5. It means you can use its large main battery to power electronic devices such as a coffee machine and even a vacuum cleaner, according to BYD, via a 3.3kW socket.

Dimensions and size

Compared with the BYD Atto 3 family, 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 Kia EV3 and the Ford Puma Gen-E, but both manage to offer considerably more luggage capacity, especially the Ford. 

Seats & passenger space

There’s enough legroom for six-foot-tall adults in the back of the Atto 2 and space under the front seats where they can tuck their feet. The tall roofline also provides a generous amount of headroom, but the cabin doesn’t feel wide enough to comfortably seat three adults. Kids should be more than happy, and there are also two sets of Isofix child-seat mounting points. We noticed during our testing that the Atto 2’s door bins are particularly small, and can’t accommodate larger water bottles.

Boot space

The entry-level Boost model has a 400-litre boot, which is smaller than other electric SUVs, including the more compact Renault 4, however BYD says the higher-spec Comfort version gets a more competitive 450 litres of space. 

Either way, the Atto 2 offers more luggage capacity than a VW Golf hatchback. Therefore, it should be sufficient for a lot of people, including small families. There is a sizable load lip, but the height-adjustable boot floor takes care of that and helps when you need to haul longer items. Luggage space expands up to 1,370 litres when you fold down the rear seats, plus there’s room under the boot floor for storing the charging cables. 

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The BYD Atto 2 doesn’t have a Euro NCAP crash safety rating just yet, but we’re confident it will receive the industry body’s maximum five-star score, seeing as all of the brand’s other models have managed this – even the larger Atto 3, which was heavily criticised for how some of its driver-assistance tech behaves. 

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-keep 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.

However, none of BYD’s models managed to make it onto our latest list of the best cars to own, which is based on feedback from our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. BYD as a brand finished second to last in our best car manufacturer rankings, only ahead of MG in 31st place.

• Best buy: BYD Atto 2 Comfort

If we had to choose, we’d spend the extra cash and upgrade to the Atto 2 Comfort. The entry-level Boost model already provides a generous amount of equipment and comes loaded with technology, however, the higher-spec version boasts a longer 261-mile range, much faster charging speeds and even a bigger boot. Whether those improvements are worth the £4k extra, or the nearly £35k price tag, is another question. 

Alternatives

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

Whereas the Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera, which focus more on value-for-money, both start from less than £23k. Other contenders include the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3, which are more pricey, but also more practical, offer more 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.