Written by Curtis Moldrich Published: 10 February 2025

Overview

You’re looking at the BYD Atto 2, a new compact EV designed to take the already competitive B-segment by storm. Pitched as a city-centric second car, it promises to combine strong, spritely dynamics with a tech offering that’s cutting-edge as standard. In this review you’ll find out if we think it’s one of the best electric cars you can buy today.

Although very different in size to the Sealion 7 it follows, the Atto 2 sticks with BYD’s established battery and platform technology. That means it uses safer lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) Blade batteries and comes with a heat pump as standard – worth around 10 to 20% more range in the winter months. The huge advantage that LFP batteries have is that they won’t ignite if the casing is punctured in the event of a major accident.

BYD’s workforce boasts around 120,000 engineers alone, but have they made a product that holds its own with the Fiat Grande Panda, Citroen e-C3, Renault 5 E-Tech and the other best small electric cars? To find out, we drove an Atto 2 around Madrid.

It’s worth pointing out that the car we drove was European-spec, which is slightly different to the UK market model. We’ll note the differences when they occur.

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What’s it like inside?

The interior of the Atto 2 continues a theme you’ll soon see around the rest of the car – it’s dull on the surface but packs in some neat features. Touchscreens aside, the Atto 2’s interior feels like a bit of a time warp: it’s very conservative.

However, it’s on this dull canvas that BYD deploys some truly innovative tech. There’s a 12.8-inch touchscreen in the middle for infotainment system, while the driver gets their own 8.8-inch cockpit display. Both are sharp, quick and focus on personalisation so it’s possible to quickly assemble your own shortcuts. And you’ll want to, given the Atto 2’s overzealous bings, bops and beeps.

What’s more, BYD has also introduced multi-touch gestures to the Atto 2, just like you might find on a top-of-the-range laptop. They control the A/C and are incredibly simple to use – swipe three fingers up to change the temperature and three across to adjust the fan speed. Unlike some touchscreen solutions this worked consistently for us and feels like a real innovation in the post-button world manufacturers are forcing us into.

Thankfully, the steering wheel does get its own buttons, and they’re nice and predictable to use too. Elsewhere you’ll find USB-C ports, wireless charging (for one phone) and plenty of storage. The car feels narrow, but legroom is good for front passengers and acceptable for those in the rear. The boot measures 400 litres, but that’s also fine for this market sector.

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BYD Atto 2 motors

The car we drove used 45.12kWh battery paired to a 130kW motor on the front axle. That means 148hp, a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and limited maximum speed of 99mph. Considering the buyers this car’s aimed at, this is more than enough acceleration to keep up with the flow.

In the UK we’re getting the same motor and a larger 50kWh battery as standard. As a result, performance figures will stay the same, but it’ll go for longer than the 194 miles of the European version. BYD hasn’t announced just how far that is, but it should make it more than competitive with its rivals.

Charging isn’t as good as we’d hope in the mid-level Active trim though, as the Atto 2 can only do 11kW AC and 65kW DC charging. That means getting from 10-to-80% battery capacity (the 45.12kWh one quoted here) takes 37 minutes. That could improve when we get the slightly upmarket Comfort trim though.

What’s it like to drive?

The Atto 2 isn’t a hot hatch by any means, but it has a well-sorted suspenstion set-up and enough zip to make driving in and out of town fun. It’s well damped, so fared well on the bumpy streets of Madrid, but still had enough rigidity to feel responsive on quicker roads and at junctions. Importantly has enough performance in hand to mean it’s not out of its depth out of the cite – so, it doesn’t get breathless at motorway speeds.

The steering feels precise and is more weighted than you’d expect for a car with such an urban focus. It’s keen on getting back to centre, though resistance lowers the more lock you put in. It’s a neat solution, and means you have control on faster winding roads and ease of use when you’re in tighter spots.

The brakes are equally good. BYD’s engineers have nailed the transition from motor regeneration to friction brakes, and the result is a left pedal that is both predictable and easy to modulate. Too often we drive EVs with inconsistent pedal feel – but this is not one of them.

Put it all together and the Atto 2 is surprisingly enjoyable to drive. It’s quick and nippy enough in town and has just enough power and manners to work out of the city limits.

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What models and trims are available?

There are no UK prices as yet, but here we’ll convert as a guide. In Europe the Atto 2 will come in three trims: a basic Active version for €29,990 (around £25,000), a Boost trim costing €31,990 (roughly £27,000) and a range-topping Comfort weighing in at €37,500 (just over £31,000). The UK won’t get the baseline Active trim, though.

Later, there’ll be a range-topping version Comfort version, which will cover more than 260 miles. Charging should be faster, too.

Click through to our verdict to see if we think you should consider buying a BYD Atto 2 when it hits UK shores early in 2025. You can find out more about how we test on Parkers via our dedicated explainer page.