Image: BYD
Last month at the 2025 Brussels Motor Show in Europe, BYD unveiled the Atto 2, a small electric SUV tailored for cities. This model was showcased to be one of the most popular offerings from the brand in the European market.
Now, BYD has officially launched the compact electric SUV, which the company believes is targeting inner-city buyers.
In a post on X, BYD Europe account shared a video highlighting its key interior and exterior features with cityscapes in the background.
In right-hand-drive markets like the UK, which closely resembles Australia in some of BYD’s offerings, the Atto 2 will fit in between the Dolphin and Atto 3.
For comparison, the Atto 2 is slightly shorter than the Atto 3, coming in at 4,310 mm in length and pricing, which is yet to be revealed, is expected to be under the Atto 3 as well.
The Atto 3 in Australia now starts at under $40,000 before on-roads costs, so the Atto 2 could fall under $37,000 if it’s confirmed for our market.
Over in the UK, it would be offered with a 50 kWh battery pack as standard, delivering over 310 km of WLTP range.
This battery pack will power a 130 kW front-mounted motor that will drive the wheels and it sits on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, which also utilises Cell-to-Body (CTB) construction to provide extra structural integrity to the chassis.
Charging specs on the Atto 2 are also impressive compared to the Dolphin and Atto 3 offerings in Australia, particularly for AC charging. That’s thanks to the 11 kW on-board AC charger offered in the Atto 2 while only a 7 kW is offered on most BYD products sold in our market.
This might change with the upcoming launch of the Sealion 7 later this month which would be a good step up for those with access to 3-phase AC charging.
On the DC front, the Atto 2 can charge at up to 65 kW, charging the battery from 10-80% in around 37 minutes.
Like most other BYD vehicles, vehicle-to-load or V2L is on offer, with up to 3.3 kW of AC power available from the battery pack to power other devices.
The charge port is located on the right side of the vehicle, which is the same side as the current Atto 3 and Dolphin vehicles, making it familiar to current BYD customers.
Looking at the styling from the front, the Atto 2 has a more traditional look, reminiscent of some other compact SUVs in the market. It is part of BYD’s Dynasty series which it shares with the Atto 3, so there are resemblances to its bigger counterpart too.
Moving onto the rear, a light bar appears to extend from one end of the car to the other. It also has a rear window wiper, just as that found on the Atto 3.
A key difference on the Atto 2 is that, unlike the Atto 3, a rear-diffuser-like section is seen on the rear bumper, which could help with the efficiency of the vehicle.
On the inside, a screen behind the steering wheel is found, along with a minimal interior design that headlines the rotatable infotainment screen, as seen in other BYD models.
Over in the UK, a 12.8-inch screen is on offer, which is the same size as that found in the first generation of the Atto 3 vehicles in Australia.
The Atto 2 will be on sale in Europe from this month, with deliveries to the UK expected in Q3 of this year.
Given the model’s significance in the BYD line-up in Europe, it’s likely that Australia will also see this model introduced closer to the end of 2025, although that’s yet to be confirmed.
In the meantime, we will closely follow developments in Europe, particularly in the UK, which will get a version that is closest to what could head to other right-hand-drive markets like Australia and New Zealand.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
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Still waiting for a sensible Yaris sized EV, but I am happy the offerings are broadening in terms of segment.
For a minute there it looked like we were just going to get bigger and bigger cars, with commensurate longer and longer wait times at DC chargers.
Agree completely. Don't see reason for limiting small cars to inner city. I am sure they work if there is parking available in the inner city locations that don't have buses or trains, etc.
But why do we think they don't suit narrow country roads, regional areas within 200km of charge stations or regular destinations within 100km or so. Or are we worried a lumbering 9 seater weighing 2.5 tonnes driving down the middle of the road not seeing the oncoming reasonably sized ev.
Actually, the biggest growth market for EVs are the Outer Suburbs of Capital Cities....
.....which makes sense when you think about it, as that is where the biggest savings are to be made (on the daily commute into the city).
What should be mandatory is Charging points in City Car Parks (preferably run off of Solar Panels above their top deck).
Agree about the monsters..........
.........who in Australia needs (or wants) a 9-seat vehicle?
Agreed. I drove Brisbane-Canberra for fun one vacation, it was no issue. Car had near enough 900kms of highway range yet I stopped regularly, every 150-200 kms or so, for a 20 minute pit stop. if there were chargers at that location, no reason a similarly sized EV can't do that trip.
I was recently in China and they have a massive range of sizes and brands from tiny four-seaters for around Aud $8000, to SUVs for $40000, the BYD Seagull is around Aud $15000 and about the size of a Yaris. not sure why the aren't on sale in Australia yet. Hopefully, they are coming soon.
That's about 250km on the highway. Just won't cut it in Oz. May work as a town car. Also FWD (spinning wheels in rain), and failure-prone lead acid 12V battery.
Available in the UK and other RHD countries, in no way means coming to Australia.
Manufacturers that supply BEV's that would be ideal in Australia, to the UK, prohibit supply of the vehicles to Australia.
Examples:
MG5 station wagon (Australians are unfit to have station wagons) - SAIC
Citroen e-Berlingo 5 and 7 seater vans, Peugeot e-Rifter 5 and 7 seater vans - Stellantis
BYD T3 vans (Australia is an uninhabited desert island, so, only 100 vans allowed) and the 5 and 7 seater M3 versions (https://carhamro.com/cars/new/byd-m3/overview) (Australia does not have enough people to fill a 7 seater van, let alone, a 5 seater van) - BYD
And, of course, the Geely Radar/Riddara RD6 ute ("it's coming - it's coming - it's coming -no, it's not - Australians do not deserve it...)
So, it is about time that the BEV manufacturers stop treating Australians with contempt.
I tend to agree that the Chinese car makers seem to have adopted Paul Keating's view that we are "the arse end of the world" and not deserving of their prime offerings.
Not just chinese - stellantis is european (unless they have sold that to the chinese, also)...
So smaller and presumably nimbler? What's the internal space and the storage? What ICE model is it equivalent to? or perhaps a fuller comparison - maybe a table comparing with Dolphin and Atto 3.
Oh, and does anyone really use sun roofs? Not a positive for me.
SUV with a moon roof? Use it for spotlighting - put some spotlights on the roof, and go pig hunting at night, standing up with the roof open, shooting feral pigs...
It might be 'compact' at 4.3 metres long but it's still quite 'fat' at 1.8 metres wide. Too wide for me, I'm afraid!
I really want an EV without all the mood lighting, sun roof, etc. Just give a good sedan with decent range at a good price.
Not a SUV! Just another hatchback. Not suitable for off-roading as no increase in ground clearance. I call it a NUV!