BYD Atto 2 review – well-equipped, good-to-drive, but bland small SUV

Verdict – is the BYD Atto 2 a good car?

The BYD Atto 2 is great to drive and comes well equipped for the price. It will be surprisingly practical if you’re coming from a hatchback model into this small SUV, though it’s not quite as big as some other rivals are if you shop around. The cabin design isn’t quite as interesting as in some of BYD’s other models, which could make it blur into the background alongside competitors. Range figures are good, but slow charging speeds feel a bit behind by today’s standards.

BYD Atto 2 models, specs and alternatives

BYD may have been a completely unknown brand in the UK a few years ago, but the company has been taking the UK by storm with a swathe of new models in recent times – now it’s taking on the small-SUV market with its latest car, the BYD Atto 2.

The Atto 2 is an EV that sits below the Atto 3 and above the Dolphin in the brand’s lineup. Mainstream rivals include the Vauxhall Frontera and Jeep Avenger, but with European brands starting to release aggressively low-priced versions of their EVs, BYD will have its work cut out if the Atto 2 is to be a success.

Top 10 best small electric cars 2025

As you’d expect, the Atto 2 looks a lot like the Atto 3 at the front in terms of styling, though it’s much shorter than that car and features intertwined lighting elements at the back, much like the rear lights of the Dolphin hatchback.

The BYD Atto 2 is expected to start from ‘under £30,000’, which means merely making it cheap isn’t the strategy here. We suspect BYD will focus on value for money, instead, hoping to sway buyers with a high level of standard kit for the price. 

BYD says the Atto 2 won’t come to the UK in entry-level Active specification, so the cheapest model you’ll be able to buy is the mid-range Boost version. That means all cars will come with features such as 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, tail-lights and running lights, a panoramic sunroof, BYD’s 12.8-inch rotating infotainment screen, plus heated front seats and steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and an uprated eight-speaker sound system.

35

As with other BYD models’ trim structures, the brand says the Atto 2 will get a higher-spec trim named Comfort later down the line. This version will get faster wireless smartphone charging, rear privacy glass and upgraded USB-C ports in the back, but the main draw to the Comfort will be a larger battery for a longer range figure of around 260 miles, and a more potent electric motor, with exact details yet to be confirmed.

From launch, BYD says you can expect up to approximately 210 miles of range from the Atto 2 Boost. That’s about on-par with the aforementioned competitors, though those cars are also available with hybrid tech if you’re not quite ready to go electric-only, whereas the BYD Atto 2 is solely an EV.

35

The BYD Atto 2 launches in just one Boost specification which gets a 50kWh battery, though a 60kWh battery will arrive later down the line for Comfort cars. Range from the smaller battery is respectable, and on-par with that of most rivals. While Comfort isn’t available from launch, BYD has given a prospective figure of up to around 260 miles on a charge for this model, so it’s worth holding out if you want the ability to go further between charges.

The Atto 2 can charge at speeds of 65kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up of the 45kWh battery at a public charging station could take 37 minutes. That’s not quite as fast as some rivals – the Vauxhall Frontera can charge at up to 100kW speeds. 11kW AC home wallbox charging is possible, which will take around five and a half hours.

What will the BYD Atto 2 cost to insure?

BYD Atto 2 insurance groups are yet to be confirmed, but the brand’s smaller Dolphin model sits between groups 23 and 33, while the larger Atto 3 starts from group 40 out of 50 – we’d imagine the Atto 2 will sit somewhere between them.

35

Driving the BYD Atto 2 around the busy streets of Madrid, we found its motor to be a little slow to respond and slightly jerky in all the stop-start traffic. We weren’t particularly impressed with the regenerative braking tech because it felt rather weak – even in its strongest setting it’s not powerful enough to enable one-pedal driving and it took a long time to slow us down.

The driving position gives a good view of the road because there’s a short bonnet ahead of you, inspiring confidence when placing the Atto 2. One thing we don’t like about the Atto 2 and its other BYD siblings are the intrusive driver monitoring safety systems. Even the briefest glances as the map had it bonging to remind us to keep our eyes on the road, and deactivating this was hard to do and buried in an illogical submenu compared with the other safety features.

Is it good to drive in town?

BYD says the focus in the Atto 2 is to deliver a driving experience ‘built for city life’ and ‘tailored to urban streets’, but we found the weight of the steering could have been a bit lighter for these scenarios. The turning circle isn’t quite as tight as that of a Skoda Elroq, which is surprising given that the Skoda is bigger. Otherwise, visibility is good thanks to the large side windows and rear windscreen, making manoeuvres less daunting.

Is it good to drive on long journeys?

Despite BYD’s focus on urban driving, the Atto 2 feels very capable on the motorway. The 7.9-second 0-62mph time feels nippy enough to get up to speed, and there’s lots of oomph left when you need to overtake, too. At speed the Atto 2 feels planted and stable, while refinement is good – there’s only some faint motor whine and wind noise from the side mirrors.

Is it good to drive on B-roads?

The BYD Atto 2 is surprisingly good to drive on twistier country roads. The brakes feel easy to judge and natural to use, with the transition between regenerative braking and mechanical brakes almost seamless. The Atto 2 feels stable through the corners with very little body roll, while the steering is predictable and well weighted for this application.

Carbuyer notes

“The Atto 2’s spongy ride absorbs bumps well, although we’ll have to wait to see how it fares on Britain’s more pockmarked roads, rather than silky Spanish tarmac.” Ellis Hyde, News reporter.

35

BYD sees itself as a tech company first and foremost, and it’s sought to make that apparent on the Atto 2’s interior – an area it hopes will be the crux that encourages buyers to go for the small SUV over rivals. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as out-there in terms of design as that of the BYD Dolphin or Atto 3, and is more bland as a result.

While build quality is generally good, it was easy to find areas finished in cheap plastics – the dashboard at least gets finished with soft-touch materials.

The Chinese brand is keen to point out the nifty tech that allows owners to access the car via NFC smartphone technology, as well as by a traditional key or keycard. Download BYD’s app and you can even precondition the cabin or preheat the seats before you arrive – that may not be something unique to the Atto 2, but it’s still a novel feature on a small SUV at a competitive price.

We don’t know how much this will sway buyers, but the Atto 2 even supports a karaoke function developed alongside a karaoke software brand called Stingray, and you can even add a microphone as an optional extra – don’t worry, we’re sure this won’t be accessible while on the move. The Atto 2 could be the ideal car for the secret pop star that wants to practice “My Heart Will Go On” on the driveway after a long day at work before walking through the front door.

Is the BYD Atto 2’s infotainment and navigation system easy to use?

35

As with many of BYD’s other cars, the BYD Atto 2 gets the brand’s rotating infotainment screen, so you can use it in either portrait or landscape orientation. The touchscreen is 12.8 inches in size, so it’s larger than the unit you get in the Vauxhall Frontera, for example.

We found the infotainment screen and 8.8-inch driver’s display crisp to look at and responsive to use, although the sheer amount of information shown on the driver’s display means it’s not quite as easy to use at a glance as we’d like.

While many systems which incorporate the climate controls into virtual controls can be fiddly to use, we love the fact that you can control the climate control temperature by placing three fingers onscreen at any point and dragging up or down, while swiping three fingers left or right decreases or increases the fan speed.

Is the BYD Atto 2 well equipped?

Rather than merely making the BYD Atto 2 cheap, the brand has gone for value for money instead. As a result, the Atto 2 feels well equipped, and you get premium features such as heated seats and a panoramic roof which would cost extra on rival models. BYD has also skipped the entry-level Active trim that you get in other markets in the UK, so the range starts with mid-spec Boost over here.

35

The BYD Atto 2 provides plenty of rear-seat legroom for tall adults, while space under the front seats is plentiful, allowing for some foot space. The roofline is tall, so headroom is also generous, but the Atto 2 doesn’t feel quite wide enough to seat three adults comfortably. Kids should be happy enough, though, and there are two ISOFIX points in the rear, making it easier to fit child seats.

There are various storage cubbies in the cabin, but we found these to be a little small – we weren’t quite able to fit a large water bottle in the door bins.

Does the BYD Atto 2 have a big boot?

35

If you compare the BYD Atto 2 to the wider small-SUV market, it has a fairly middling amount of boot space, with the Vauxhall Frontera as a more practical option. Compared with upmarket small electric SUVs, though, such as the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30, the BYD Atto 2 comes out on top in terms of boot capacity. Fold down the seats and you free up 1,340 litres of boot space, which will come in handy for small flatpack furniture, for example.

35

BYD is still a young brand in the UK, so it’s a bit hard to make a judgment on reliability. The company isn’t new to making cars, though, with BYD actually now the world’s largest producer of EVs. We have yet to hear any reliability horror stories involving BYD, and the company vouches for itself with a very competitive warranty.

How safe is the BYD Atto 2?

The BYD Atto 2 is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, but it does come with a comprehensive suite of safety assist technology that should make it pretty safe.

As standard, the Atto 2 gets autonomous emergency braking technology, lane departure alert, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control.

What is the warranty on the BYD Atto 2?

BYD offers a very competitive warranty which should put your mind at rest if you’re nervous about taking on a car from a brand you’ve not tried before. All BYDs are covered for up to six years or, very specifically, 93,120 miles. It’s worth noting that other Chinese brands offer longer cover – for example, MG’s warranty lasts for up to seven years, although mileage is capped at 80,000. Kia famously covers its cars for seven years or 100,000 miles, while Hyundai’s warranty mileage is unlimited and lasts for five years.

Should you buy a BYD Atto 2?

The BYD Atto 2 is a great option as an electric small SUV that comes loaded with features and will be usefully more practical than a conventional hatchback, even if some rival SUVs offer a bigger boot.

It’s a little let down by a slow charging speed and the range could be better to stand out amongst the crowd, but the Atto 2 is definitely worth your consideration if you’re in the market for a small electric SUV that ticks lots of boxes.

BYD Atto 2 alternatives

The BYD Atto 2 enters into a busy market of small SUVs and goes up against other electric models such as the Vauxhall Frontera, Skoda Elroq, Smart #1, Volvo EX30 and others. The BYD Atto 2 may not be as cheap as some rivals but hopes to make the case for itself with a generous amount of equipment for the price.

• Vauxhall Frontera
• Citroen e-C3 Aircross
• Skoda Elroq
• Smart #1
• Volvo EX30
• BMW X1
• Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Kia Niro EV
• Hyundai Kona Electric

How we tested the BYD Atto 2

We tested the BYD Atto 2 in February 2025 in Madrid, Spain in dry, mild weather conditions.