Chinese biggest EV maker BYD is introducing its most accessible SUV yet in Europe: the new ATTO 2.
Revealed to European public at the Brussels Motor Show, the ATTO 2 is designed for customers who want the raised ride height of an SUV but in an affordable package that is tailored to urban streets and parking arrangements. It fits between the Dolphin and the larger ATTO 3 in BYD’s expanding European line-up.
The BYD ATTO 2 measures 4,310mm long, 1,830mm wide and 1,675mm tall – so it’s 145mm shorter and 45mm slimmer than the ATTO 3. It has a relatively long wheelbase of 2,620mm, designed to boost cabin space and ensure short front and rear overhangs, improving approach and departure angles to help reinforce the SUV image.
The front of the vehicle features neatly integrated full-LED headlights and slim daytime-running lights, which work with the bright trim of the front grille to give the ATTO 2 a strong visual presence. The front bumper has sharp angles for a dynamic look, along with bright highlights low down and efficiency-boosting vertical air curtains at the outer edges.
The sides of the ATTO 2 have lower cladding, broken up by highlights, to help accentuate the height of the car while maintaining a look of agility, and a ‘floating’ roofline that’s punctuated by a distinctive body-coloured element that meets glass at the C-pillar. The surfacing incorporates strong curves that, when combined with the dynamic alloy-wheel design, give the car a sense of energy.
At the rear, a distinctive roof spoiler sits above a full-width light bar that joins ‘Chinese knot’ tail-lights that look like the number 8 and a Mobius Infinity Ring, signifying endless good luck. A convex rear bumper and further bright highlights on the lower cladding complete a sporty look.
The ATTO 2 comes in Climbing Grey paint as standard, with three shades – Hiking Green, Skiing White and Cosmos Black – available as options.
Inside the ATTO 2, the layout mixes sharp styling and premium materials with generous space and cleverly integrated technology. The front cabin design builds on the exterior treatment, with the fascia based on simple, clean lines.
The cabin features padded surfaces in all key areas, and integrated handles in the front and rear doors, as well as in the lower centre console – again, building on the car’s SUV image, and creating a sense of consistency.
The centre console contains a pair of cup-holders and an integrated arm rest, which opens up to reveal one of several storage areas. The drive selector itself has a sophisticated cut-diamond look, while the area surrounding it incorporates hard keys for some key functions, such as the windscreen demister, along with a volume knob for the sound system and a switch that flicks between the car’s driving modes.
The cabin ambiance is enhanced by a panoramic glass roof, which allows generous amounts of natural light for all occupants. Designed with EVs in mind, BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 has a completely flat floor, so the rear seats remain practical enough for family use.
Beyond the passenger compartment, the ATTO 2’s boot measures 400 litres – more than many conventionally powered C-segment family hatchbacks. And this capacity can be increased to 1,340 litres when the split folding rear seat is lowered.
The new ATTO 2 makes full use of BYD’s huge commitment to research and development, and harnesses the potential of the e-Platform 3.0 that sits at the heart of all of the company’s pure-electric vehicles. The car features a Blade Battery and, for the first time in a compact BYD model, it uses Cell-to-Body (CTB) construction. This process integrates the battery completely into the vehicle chassis, with the top cover of the pack acting as the floor for the passenger compartment. The CTB installation, which is unique to BYD and a first in the compact SUV segment, delivers improved packaging and exceptional levels of body rigidity.
The Blade Battery itself is designed to deliver class-leading safety, durability and performance. The technology is also incredibly space efficient, with cells installed directly instead of being fitted in multiple modules. This allows more cells to be squeezed into the same area than with a conventional battery construction.
In addition, the Blade Battery uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as a cathode material. LFP has higher levels of safety and durability compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries, while also being 100% free of cobalt and nickel.
LFP batteries are more resistant to extreme temperatures, less sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and can withstand more charge and discharge cycles with hardly any loss of capacity, making them particularly durable.
The Blade Battery construction also has an exceptional safety level, since it exceeds the requirements of the punishing Nail Penetration Test – a rigorous method of evaluating battery thermal runaway and simulating the consequences of a serious road accident.
Highlighting BYD’s expertise in battery development and manufacturing, the ATTO 2 will be offered with a choice of two sizes of Blade Battery. At launch the standard range edition will have a rated capacity of 45.1 kWh, delivering a WLTP (combined) range of 312 kilometres. Its front-mounted motor produces 130 kW.
In the coming months, a larger-battery version of the ATTO 2 will arrive, offering even greater range at the top of the line-up.
Full specifications on this model, along with details on the ATTO 2’s extensive standard-equipment lists and range structure, will be announced in the coming weeks, to coincide with the full European launch of the car in February.
