BYD Atto 2 coming to Europe as Vauxhall Frontera rival
BYD has revealed details of the Atto 2, a new compact electric SUV coming to Europe in the next few weeks.
The BYD Atto 2 was unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show and is expected to challenge the Vauxhall Frontera and Renault 4 in at the cheaper end of the compact SUV segment, with sales starting in February.
At 4,310mm long, 1,830mm wide and 1,675mm tall, the Atto 2 is marginally bigger than the 4 but slightly smaller than the Frontera and almost identical in size to the Kia EV3. It’s also 14.5cm shorter and 4.5cm narrower than the family-focused Atto 3. BYD says the Atto 2 will offer ‘generous’ space for the segment, although the 400-litre boot is slightly shy of the capacity offered by key rivals.
Based on the same e-Platform 3.0 as the Atto 3, the BYD Atto 2 will initially come with a single powertrain featuring a 174bhp front-mounted motor and a 45.1kWh LFP battery. This should return a WLTP-rated range of 194 miles. In the coming months a larger battery will boost the range to well over 200 miles, although exact details are still to be confirmed.
For the first time, BYD is using cell-to-body construction in the Atto 2. Designed to save weight and space, this integrates the battery completely into the vehicle chassis, with the top cover of the pack acting as the floor for the passenger compartment.
Full specifications are still under wraps but we do know that the BYD Atto 2 features full LED headlights, a panoramic roof and BYD’s party piece rotating touchscreen as featured in the Seal, Atto 3 and Dolphin. Interior images also show a large digital instrument display and a near-buttonless cabin with cut-diamond effect drive selector and dual wireless phone chargers.
In keeping with BYD’s usual approach, it’s likely that trim levels will be aligned with battery sizes, meaning a single specification from launch before a second trim grade is added with the introduction of the larger battery.
No pricing details have been announced but, given its potential rivals and the pricing of the mechanically similarly Dolphin, we’d expect the Atto 2 to start somewhere around £25,000.
