BYD Atto 2BYDSlotting beneath the Atto 3 is the BYD Atto 2, a small SUV aimed squarely at the Peugeot 2008, Jeep Avenger, and Toyota C‑HR+. It's designed to be the brand's gateway model: affordable, efficient and easy to live with.Despite its compact footprint, the Atto 2 arrives with plenty riding on it. BYD wants this to be the car that makes the brand feel familiar rather than foreign, and on first impressions, it's closer to that goal than anything it has launched so far.BYD Atto 2 interior and designThe Atto 2 is one of BYD's more restrained designs. The front end is clean, the proportions are tidy, and the slightly boxier shape gives it a purposeful stance without trying too hard. This will do fine for some, while others might find it a bit bland, myself included.AdvertisementAdvertisementInside, BYD has toned down the playful colours and textures seen in the Dolphin and Seal. My loaner had a beige interior — an option I'd certainly consider if I were somehow choosing an Atto 2 over a Skoda Elroq or Renault 4 E-Tech — which lifts the standard black interior.BYD Atto 2Again, there's not much to its interior; there are a few buttons here and there, but most things are buried deep within BYD's crisp infotainment system.Quality is solid for the segment. You'll find some harder plastics lower down, but nothing out of step with rivals. The driving position is upright, visibility is excellent, and the whole car feels easy to place — very much designed with urban driving in mind.Rear space is fine for adults, though the raised floor from the battery pack does steal a bit of knee‑room. It's not a deal‑breaker, just one of those things you notice once you're actually sitting there. The boot, at least, is a good size and a sensible shape — more useful than the Atto 2's fairly plain styling would have you believe.BYD Atto 2 driving experienceThe plug-in hybrid gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine, mated to an electric motor and an 18kWh battery. When everything's working together, it produces 209bhp and BYD claims it'll hit 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds. That's plenty for the daily commute.AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, even with sport mode engaged, I found the Atto 2 to be sluggish at low speeds. After mashing the accelerator, the engine often took a good few seconds to engage — which could be the difference between a good overtake and a sloppy one.Likewise, the steering wanders around a bit and you're often left guessing what the front wheels are doing.Then there's the suspension, which wallows and jitters over most roads. Large bumps, hilariously, throw occupants around the cabin along with any loose items. If your children get car sick, you won't be laughing for long.Finally, there are the noises. I usually listen to chill-out music when I'm driving — the kind with soft ambient whooshes and gentle pings — so when the Atto 2 started adding its own sound effects, I assumed it was just vibing along with me.AdvertisementAdvertisementI switched off lane‑keep assist, the speed nags, the driver‑attention pings — basically every warning the car could throw at me. Yet it kept chiming away at random: "What do you want, Atto 2?!"For three days I thought the car was haunted, or at least deeply committed to contributing its own sound effects. Eventually I discovered the truth: it was the indicator. BYD has replaced the normal click with a chime — the same tone as all its other over‑eager alerts — so every time I signalled, the car proudly announced it like a notification I didn't ask for.BYD Atto 2 rangeBYD claims an electric-only range of around 50–60 miles depending on spec — enough for most daily commutes without touching the petrol engine. Once the battery is depleted, the hybrid system keeps efficiency high, with real-world fuel economy expected to be strong.BYD Atto 2Charging the battery took a couple of hours via my Easee One 7.4kW wallbox, and used 15.1kWh of electricity. The Atto 2 also sipped power from the petrol engine. While I charged the battery during the week, I didn't top it up for every trip. Still, by the end of the week, it managed a respectable 54.5 mpg, with some runs returning between 50.4 and 60 mpg.BYD Atto 2 verdictThe Atto 2 DM‑i feels like a car with good intentions but uneven execution. On paper, it's exactly what many buyers want: a small, affordable plug‑in hybrid with a genuinely useful electric range, strong real‑world economy and a cabin that's easy to live with. And to its credit, the Atto 2 delivers on some of those fundamentals. It's efficient, visibility is excellent, and the interior — while plain — is solidly put together.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the driving experience lets it down. The DM‑i system is smooth when it's in its rhythm, yet the hesitation under hard acceleration is frustrating, especially when you need instant response. The steering never quite settles, the suspension feels under‑developed, and the cabin is filled with odd, inconsistent noises that make the car feel less refined than its rivals. Even simple things, like the indicator chime, end up grating.The Atto 2's efficiency is impressive — 50–60mpg without obsessively charging is nothing to sniff at — and for some buyers that alone will be enough. But in a segment filled with polished, well‑rounded alternatives, the BYD Atto 2 struggles to rise above "good on paper" and into "easy recommendation".This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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