BYD Atto 2 — Potentially a Big Hit in Europe!
BYD is far and away the leader in world plugin vehicle sales, and it may now be the leader in world BEV sales — it beat Tesla in that regard in the 4th quarter, but lost to Tesla across the full year. Naturally, BYD’s core market has been China, where it absolutely cleans up! However, to continue its growth, Build Your Dreams is focusing more and more on export markets.
One of the big dogs BYD has been rolling out in foreign markets is the Atto 3, and it’s already quite popular in Australia and parts of Europe, as well as reaching many other markets in Asia and South America. But the Atto 3 will soon have a partner in crime that could be an even bigger seller — the Atto 2.
The Atto 2 was just recently unveiled in China. In China, the Atto 3 is sold as the Yuan Plus, and the Atto 2 will be sold as the Yuan Up. (Or, it’s probably better said that the Yuan Plus is sold as the Atto 3 abroad and the Yuan Up will be sold as the Atto 2, but you get it.)
“The new Atto 2 is said to be based on BYD’s third-gen electric car platform ‘e-platform 3.0’. In China, the EV will be sold as the ‘Yuan Up’ and will measure 4,310 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width and 1,675 mm in height,” Team-BHP writes. “While the carmaker is yet to officially unveil the details of its upcoming EV, regulatory filings reveal that the BYD Atto 2 will come with a single electric motor at the front, producing either 94 BHP or 174 BHP. The EV will be powered by its own Blade battery with either 32 kWH or 45.1 kWh capacity offering 300 km and 400 km of range, respectively.” That’s 186 and 249 miles for those of us who can’t use normal metrics. And that’s based on China’s CLTC test cycle, of course.
For our European readers, the Atto 2 is expected to come to market in 2025, and I presume that’s also the case for Australia. Australia’s WhichCar writes, “As we reported in January, BYD’s local distributor EVDirect has made clear it will launch two models in 2024 – and those are already expected to be the BYD plug-in hybrid ute and a larger SUV, likely the Seal U.” So, yeah, 2025 is more likely for the Atto 2 in Australia as well.
The hope and expectation in the UK is that the BYD Atto 2 could come in at £30,000, “undercutting potential rivals like the MINI Aceman, Jeep Avenger and Volvo EX30, putting in the crosshairs of the forthcoming Vauxhall Frontera EV,” as Auto Express writes. “The interior design is far more conventional than the refreshingly wacky cabin of the Atto 3. At its heart is a floating touchscreen that likely boasts the some rotating party trick as the Atto 3 and Seal’s displays, while behind the steering wheel is a sizable digital driver’s display. The centre console gets a set of grab handles, inspired by 4×4 SUVs like the Ford Bronco, although the crystal gear selector is a more BMW-inspired design feature.”
“As well as the baby Jeep, it will compete with the new Mini Aceman and upcoming Smart #5 SUV — the latter also set to be unveiled in 2024 ahead of a European launch early next year. Another model targeted by the Atto 2 is the Volkswagen ID 2X – a compact SUV planned for global sale in 2026 as a replacement for today’s combustion-engined T-Cross,” Autocar adds.
The Atto 2/Yuan Up should, without a doubt, be a huge hit. BYD continues to sprint forward with its takeover of the automotive world!
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