BYD Atto 2 Review 2025

Breaking with its recently established tradition of naming its new models after aquatic mammals is this new compact electric SUV upon which you may decide to build your dreams — yes, it’s the BYD Atto 2. 

As its name suggests, the Atto 2 is smaller than the already established BYD Atto 3 yet larger than the BYD Dolphin, which does without a numerical suffix. When it comes to pricing, the Atto 2 is likely to become the range’s entry point in the low-£20,000s range.

This value-focus is largely by virtue of the BYD Atto 2’s battery pack ditching the more energy-dense — and expensive — lithium-ion technology, instead resorting to lithium iron phosphate (LFP). It’s less sensitive to temperature variations and its capacity degrades less over time, but also stores less energy for its capacity.

Two battery sizes will be offered with the BYD Atto 2 although only the smaller one’s provisional details have been revealed so far. Its capacity is 45.1kWh which results in a driving range of approximately 193 miles, yet it still packs 177PS of power delivered through its front wheels.

Among the plethora of small SUVs the Atto 2 will be vying for your attention with are the equally value-focused Citroen e-C3 Aircross and its close-cousin, the Vauxhall Frontera Electric.

More expensive than the BYD although offering fine value considering the equipment and driving range available is the Kia EV3, while the recently unleashed Ford Puma Gen-E is unlikely to be anything less than popular.

There’s little word from BYD at this point regarding the Atto 2’s trim levels or standard equipment, although it’s safe to assume the firm’s usual Active, Comfort and Design hierarchy will be employed here.

Of the kit we do know about, LED headlights are complemented by a full-width rear light bar while interior illumination is amplified — during the day, at least — by a panoramic glass roof.

BYD’s very keen to highlight the Atto 2’s practicality credentials in spite of it being modestly proportioned at 4310mm from bumper-to-bumper. Back seat passengers benefit from a completely flat floor, which could make its 1830mm width more useable by a trio of passengers on the split/folding rear bench.

With all five seats in use the boot space is quoted at 400 litres, expanding to 1340 litres of capacity when they’re folded over. Not at all bad, but those numbers are 60 litres and 260 litres, respectively, shy of the Vauxhall Frontera’s volumes, despite it being just 75mm longer overall.

Especially noteworthy among the BYD Atto 2’s credentials is what’s referred to as cell-to-body (CTB) construction. Without delving too deeply from a technical perspective, rather than the battery pack being slotted in between the car’s substructure, here its part of it.

Not only does this maximise the strength of the structure overall from a safety perspective, that enhanced rigidity may permit BYD’s engineers to better-hone the Atto 2’s comfort and handling credentials than they’ve managed with their earlier efforts.

Orders for the BYD Atto 2 are expected to open in spring 2025 with the first customer deliveries due in the summer.

Keep this page bookmarked as it will be updated with further news as well as our comprehensive BYD Atto 2 review.