BYD folk talk about speed a lot. Not the performance on offer from their cars, but the speed with which the company moves. In less than three years, BYD has launched six new cars in the UK, with this – the Atto 2 – the seventh just arriving in BYD showrooms. And, just as BYD promised, nearly all its models will be available as an all-electric or plug-in hybrid model, with the Atto 2 PHEV just announced and expected to go on sale next year.
So, BYD has made the rest of the car industry sit up and take notice, but buyers are a little slower on the uptake. They shouldn’t be – the Atto 2 is an excellent car that deserves attention, although the starting price of £30,850 does seem a little steep when you see what else is on the market.
With the likes of the all-electric Fiat Grande Panda, Vauxhall Frontera, the capacious Citroen e-C3 and even bigger e-C3 Aircross all offering family-friendly space and all the kit you really need with starting prices in the low £20,000s, the Atto 2 has to offer something exceptional to justify the higher price.
To a degree, it does. You get a step up in quality and a big kit upgrade, but it’s not as though the advanced battery tech will give you a big jump in range – the cheaper Boost model claims a maximum of 214 miles on a full charge, while the £34,950 will go 267 miles. In every other respect, the Atto 2 is a winner; it’s spacious, looks good (not unlike a Mercedes SUV to our eyes), is well made, drives nicely and has loads of high-tech kit on board.
How we tested
I’ve been driving the Atto 2 Boost model around the towns and lanes near my home in South Buckinghamshire on some of the bumpiest roads in the country. I’ve taken it into London, tried on-street and supermarket parking, had the family on board, charged it up numerous times and tested all the tech – including the fun revolving touchscreen.
BYD Atto 2: Price £30,850 to £34,950, BYD.com
Independent rating: 8/10
- Pros: Spacious, comfortable, lots of tech and well made
- Cons: More expensive than rivals
BYD Atto 2 specs
- Price range: £30,850 to £34,950
- Battery size: 51 and 65kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 267 miles
- Miles per kWh: TBC
- Maximum charging rate: 155kW
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
UK cars get a choice of two batteries: 51 or 65kWh. Given BYD’s claims about the high-tech nature of its blade batteries, its third-generation electric car platform and its advanced eight-in-one electrical architecture (which includes numerous efficiency-boosting features including a standard heat pump), we’re surprised the Atto 2 doesn’t have a longer range or charge faster – the smaller battery’s 214 miles may be enough for many buyers, but it’s nothing special, nor is its 85kW fastest charging speed. The 44kWh battery in the larger and cheaper Citroen e-C3 Aircross (and its sibling models from Fiat and Vauxhall) will run for a claimed 188 miles and charge faster at speeds of up to 100kW.
The bigger 65kWh battery is much better with a 267-mile range and charging speed of 155kW, but then the price rises to £34,950. For just over £1,000 more you can get the brilliant Kia EV3 that will go for 375 miles on a single charge.
On the road, the Atto 2 is one of the nicest family-friendly EVs I’ve driven with a very European feel to the way the car rides and handles. Even over the worst bumps, it’s never uncomfortable, yet the car feels connected and communicates what’s happening nicely on the road surface. Body control is better than on rivals, which means the car will feel less floaty over undulations and is less likely to have you leaning as you drive through corners – which means it’ll be less tiring on long journeys. It feels really mature and really premium.
There’s also a degree more performance than in some other small EVs, with a decent zero to 62mph time of 7.9 secs. That equates to decent throttle response for nipping in and out of town traffic.
Interior, practicality and boot space
For a car that’s just 4,310mm long – not much more than a supermini these days – there’s a huge amount of space inside the Atto 2. When we set up the front seat for me at nearly six-foot tall , there was still bags of kneeroom when I got out and sat in the back.
The benefit of BYD’s blade battery tech means that not only is the floor totally flat throughout the car, but the battery also sits lower, making the rear space seem far more spacious than usual. Headroom isn’t a problem, either, even with the standard panoramic sunroof. If we have one slight criticism it’s that the rear doors could open slightly wider – it’ll be fine for most people to get in and out, but wide opening doors are handy if you have to fit a child into their child seat in the back.
As well as that fancy sunroof, powered front seats that are heated and covered in vegan leather are standard on the Atto 2 Boost model that we’ll get in the UK.
In fact, the general feeling inside is of a little luxury car, not only with the level of standard equipment, but also with the quality of the materials – there are soft-touch materials everywhere and it all looks pretty premium, too.
When it comes to luggage space, the boot door opens up high and wide, revealing a 400-litre space with a two-level boot floor – easily big enough for a couple of chunky suitcases. Throw the rear seats forward and that space increases to 1,340.
Technology, stereo and infotainment
The impressive kit count continues when it comes to tech. It all focuses on the 12.8in touchscreen with a particular party piece. Simply say “Hi BYD, rotate screen” and it will spin round by 90 degrees so you can use it in landscape or portrait mode.
Remember us mentioning the speed that BYD works at? After listening to feedback from customers, the Atto 2 now features a customisable ‘dock’ at the bottom of the screen that allows you to select your most frequently-used functions to display all the time, whether that’s to switch off some of the nagging chimes (the female voice telling you to keep your eyes on the road is particularly annoying), heat the seats or steering wheel or select navigation. It even displays when you’ve got your own Apple CarPlay or Android Auto display on the screen – which is wireless, of course. Just be aware that you can’t rotate the screen when using your smartphone connection – it has to display in landscape mode.
One of our favourite features, though, is the ability to just tap the screen with three fingers to adjust the temperature or fan speed. Or you can just say “Hi BYD” and give the car a verbal instruction. The good news is that these usability upgrades will be filtered through to other BYD models, while over-the-air updates will keep improving things.
Other luxury features include a 360-degree camera to help when parking, fancy LED cabin lighting, wireless and cooled smartphone charging and an eight-speaker audio system that sounded pretty decent for a car at this price, with plenty of depth and separation to the sound.
There’s the usual array of driver assistance systems including handy adaptive cruise control, plus a full array of safety kit. As well as the big central touchscreen, there’s a clear digital display in front of the driver, although it’s rather crowded with info – it would be nice to have an option to reduce the amount of data it shows.
However, one thing that you will enjoy is the ability to use your phone as a key – usually the preserve of much more expensive cars. Using NFC (near field communication) tech, you just wave your phone near the door mirror and the car will unlock for you. You then just have to press the start button in the middle of the centre console.
Prices and running costs
For your £30,000 you get a car with excellent space, a nice drive, loads of kit and impressive quality. But you can have more space from the still excellent Citroen e-C3 Aircross and pay under £25,000 – and it’ll have a similar range, too.
BYD Atto 3 rivals
FAQs
How long does it take to charge?
On a fast charger, the Atto 2 Comfort with the bigger battery will go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes at a charging speed of 155kW.
How much does it cost – is it worth it?
The Atto 2 costs from £30,850 to £34,950 with 51 and 65kWh batteries. It’s a really premium looking and feeling car that drives nicely and with strong tech, but is pricey compared with rivals
Does BYD replace batteries for free?
The Atto 2’s battery is covered for eight years and 150,000 miles, while there’s a standard six-year warranty on the rest of the car.
Why trust us
Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we recommend, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic.
The verdict: BYD Atto 2
In most respects, the Atto 2 is a brilliant car that’s great to drive with responsive acceleration and a comfortable ride, excellent space for a compact car, a high-quality look and feel, and loads of high-tech kit on board. The sticking point is a price in the UK that is considerably higher than the latest bunch of family-friendly EVs from other car makers.
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