BYD Atto 2 review

UK pricing is still being finalised, but we do know that at launch just one specification will be available to order here in the form of the Atto 2 Boost. Considering this particular variant will cost €31,990 in Europe, it’s likely to start from under £30,000 on our side of the Channel. That would position the BYD in between the Vauxhall/Citroen and the more futuristic-looking Kia.

BYD is promising a generous kit list, particularly in regard to tech, as it will include a 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen, an 8.8-inch digital instrument panel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, panoramic glass roof, heated front seats and steering wheel, a 360-degree camera set-up and more than a dozen driver assistance systems, such as blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control.

The Atto 2 also benefits from all of BYD’s latest EV know-how. For instance, underneath is the same e-Platform 3.0 that underpins the aforementioned Atto 3 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.

Euro-spec cars get a 45.1kWh battery and 194 miles of range. In the UK, however, the Atto 2 Boost will come with a bigger 50.1kWh battery that we expect will provide up to 210 miles. Later this year, the Atto 2 Comfort will arrive with an even larger battery and up to 261 miles of range.

Although the BYD Atto 2 is supposedly “built for city life” and “tailored to urban streets”, we didn’t get this impression while driving the car on the busy roads of Madrid. For starters, there’s no one-pedal driving mode for the regenerative braking system, which even in the ‘high’ setting takes a long time to bring the car to just a crawl. Then when you try to pull away from the traffic lights, the throttle response feels slow, and at times jerky.