► BYD continues its hybrid push
► Bland Atto 2 gains clever new PHEV
► Expected to be UK’s cheapest plug-in hybrid
Chinese car makers have had mixed so far results when entering the UK, but one that has most definitely stuck is BYD. Launched in the UK in 2023, it’s already overtaken Tesla here with its sales, and it’s now one of the firm’s biggest market outside of China, and gaining huge influence as a result.
But while BYD launched with electric cars, what has really helped it gain momentum are its hybrids. Principally the Seal U SUV, which is now by far its best-seller in the UK. As a result, a wave of non-EVs are now in the pipeline, and next up is the Atto 2. Launched earlier this year as a rather average electric model, it’s now gaining BYD’s DM-I (dual mode) plug-in hybrid powertrain, and it’s expected to be by far the most popular derivative as a result, so does it stand a fighting chance?
At a glance
Pros: Expected to be outstandingly cheap, smooth hybrid powertrain, spacious rear seats
Cons: Disconnected steering feel, unsettled ride quality, uninspiring specs on entry-level model
What’s new?
The Atto 2 is BYD’s smallest SUV so far in Europe and, as already mentioned, it launched in the UK in September as a pure-EV, albeit with bland looks and fairly weak specs. (N.B a longer-range EV model has recently been introduced to help things).
But as hybrids are the flavour of the month in the small SUV segment, it makes a lot of sense for the Atto 2 to benefit from this sort of powertrain, especially given the success of the Seal U. It’s also a plug-in hybrid, which is rare to find in a small crossover of this type – the only other models in this class before have been the Renault Captur E-Tech and truly flawed Jeep Renegade.
Engine aside, it’s fundamentally the same car as the EV, albeit with a few visual changes – it gets a new grille, additional detailing on the grille and it’s also 2cm longer. But the key talking point will be the price. Currently the Chery Tiggo 7 is the UK’s cheapest plug-in hybrid at £29,995, but BYD has hinted that the Atto 2 should cost from around £25,000, which will represent outstanding value for money.
What are the specs?
There are two different hybrid powertrains depending on which trim you go for. Both use a 1.5-litre petrol engine as their base, but are tuned differently and have a big difference in battery size. Entry-level Active models get a rather weak-sounding PHEV setup, using a tiny 7.8kWh battery that enables just 25 claimed electric miles to a charge. Power stands at 164bhp and the 221lb ft torque figure is the same across both models, with 0-62mph taking 9.1 seconds here.
Though we haven’t driven this Active model yet, on the specs alone we strongly recommend choosing the Boost model instead. Its power is increased to 209bhp, dropping the 0-62mph figure to 7.5 seconds. But the fundamental difference is its larger 18kWh battery, which gives a claimed 56-mile EV range. Considering this is expected to be the UK’s cheapest plug-in hybrid, it’s a very impressive figure. V2L functionality, enabling you to use the car’s power to charge external electrical equipment, is also included with the top-spec Boost model.
Though plug-in hybrid economy figures always need to be taken with a big pinch of salt, BYD claims a 156mpg figure and 55mpg even with a flat battery. We’re quite surprised the claimed CO2 figure isn’t lower than 41g/km.
How does it drive?
Let’s start with the positives of the Atto 2 and the main one is its excellent hybrid powertrain, which for the most part feels a lot like an EV. The twin electric motors help with this, as does the fact the petrol engine mainly serves the purpose of powering the motors and battery, rather than the wheels. Also, unlike most PHEVs, most of the power also comes from the motors, rather than the engine.
It’s smooth, albeit the accelerator pedal has a vague feel to it, and generally is remarkably quiet. It’s only if you plant your foot down that the engine rather vocally makes itself known, and takes a while to fire into life, but in normal driving it gives an excellent impression of being an EV.
The other driving attributes are where it starts to fall away, though. Considering it rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, and with plenty of sidewall, the ride quality is poor. The whole car shakes over speed bumps and is quite fidgety on the motorway. Bearing in mind that this is on smoother Spanish roads, it doesn’t bode well for how it will cope in the UK. The electric version, though still not great in this department, is an improvement – you can thank the softer setup to cope with its extra weight for this.
It’s also not particularly refined at speed, with a lot of wind and road noise heard on the motorway, exaggerated further by the quietness of the powertrain. But the Atto 2’s biggest weakness is its steering, with no feeling whatsoever through the wheel, and plenty of body lean, which doesn’t help with this feeling. Add into it some rather intrusive driver assistance features (albeit an improvement on early BYDs) and it’s all quite disappointing to drive.
What’s it like inside?
If BYD does indeed start selling the hybrid Atto 2 for the £25,000 figure it hopes to, the Atto 2’s interior isn’t bad for the price. There’s a large touchscreen included, and it’s the first BYD to feature Google integration (quite impressive considering Google is largely censored in China), which improves features such as navigation. It’s also lost BYD’s previous gimmicky party trick, the rotating touchscreen. Customers hardly ever changed the orientation of it apparently so it was a waste of money. I’d love to say I’m shocked.
The quality is acceptable for the price, there’s soft-touch fake leather (it looks better in white) and it all looks smart, but it’s all a bit superficial. The exterior door handles feel cheap, the rear seats rattle the car when they fold and the fake hard-plastic stitching is just unpleasant.
But the Atto 2 claws back points for its impressive rear seat space. Even taller adults will be able to sit in the back in comfort and headroom isn’t an issue with the panoramic roof, you can thank the boxy roofline for that. The boot is marginally smaller than the electric Atto 2’s, but clever packaging of the battery under the floor of the passenger area means that it’s almost as large.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
Two versions of the Atto 2 will be available when it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2026 – Active and Boost.
Active is quite compromised by its small battery and weak electric range, but standard equipment is otherwise still excellent, with a 12.8-inch touchscreen, rear parking camera, adaptive cruise control and metallic paint all included.
Along with the Boost model’s much better hybrid powertrain, it adds a 360-degre camera, electric and heated front seats and a panoramic roof. If BYD can sell it for £28,000 it wil be quite the achievement.
It’s worth a reminder that plug-in hybrids are generally very expensive and have so far only appealed to company car drivers because of their lower taxation. BYD is hoping to open them up to retail buyers with keen pricing, as it’s already doing with the Seal U. When you consider the cheapest Volkswagen Golf e-Hybrid, for example, starts from £36,500, it stands a very good chance of doing so.
Verdict
Providing the final price is as close to the £25,000 figure (or £28,000 for the version you want) we’ve been indicated, the Atto 2 is remarkable value for a plug-in hybrid crossover, and especially one with such an EV-like powertrain, and generous electric range. Plenty of rear space and a long list of equipment will further ensure it ends up on many shopping lists, as will the fact it undercuts the EV by a few thousand pounds.
Yet it’s ultimately a car that stacks up on paper far better than it does in the real world. Powertrain aside, the driving experience is disappointing – it doesn’t handle well, nor is it comfortable – and it doesn’t take long for the interior quality to unravel. And though I shouldn’t really judge a car on its styling, my goodness it’s bland and ugly.
If you insist on an Atto 2, the longer-range electric model is the pick of the line-up, but otherwise we’d recommend a Renault 4 if you want an electric car, or a Toyota Yaris Cross if you want to go down the hybrid route.