2026 BYD Atto 2 Review

Since arriving on local shores in 2022, BYD has undoubtedly made its mark on the Australian car market. 

A little over three years since selling their first car in Australia, and BYD is one of the best-selling manufacturers in the country. As of October 2025, it ranks eighth in year-to-date sales figures.

However, the brand has made yet another substantial splash, with the 2026 BYD Atto 2 claiming the title of the cheapest electric SUV on sale in Australia. But can the Atto 2 offer more than a small price tag, and how does it stack up to its electric SUV rivals?  

How much does the 2026 BYD Atto 2 Cost?

Prices for the 2026 BYD Atto 2 start at $31,990 before on-road costs for the entry-level Dynamic variant, rising to $35,990 before on-roads for the Premium model.
This pricing makes the BYD Atto 2 the cheapest electric SUV currently on sale in the Australian market.
It’s cheaper than its immediate rivals, which include the Leapmotor B10 and the Chery E5, each priced from $38,990 drive-away. 

However, it’s also competitively priced compared to internal-combustion-powered small SUV offerings. The Atto 2 undercuts the starting price of the Mazda CX-30 ($34,060 before on-roads), the Hyundai Kona ($32,950), and the Mitsubishi ASX ($37,740), as well as the hybrid Toyota Corolla Cross ($37,440). 

The Atto 2 has comprehensively lowered the barrier to entry for an electric SUV and thus, represents exceptional value for money. 

2026 BYD Atto 2 Pricing Before On-Road Costs Australia

• Dynamic: $31,990
• Premium: $35,990 

Modern with a Trendy Edge

The 2026 BYD Atto 2 is perhaps not as striking as its Atto 1 stablemate, or as sleek as its bigger Sealion 7 brother. But visually, the Atto 2 has its own distinct character. 

It successfully blends sleek, modern electric vehicle styling cues with the stockiness befitting a trendy compact SUV. 

Most of its lines have a slight curve, but the Atto 2 is squared off in the right places, helping it achieve the aforementioned balancing act. 

Styling elements such as the lack of a front grille, the sleek DRL lighting signature, the floating roofline and the rear light bar bookended by a figure-of-eight design, drive home its modernity, while the black plastic side skits, wheel arches and bumpers, and its compressed but slightly raised proportions give it an SUV edge. 

Doesn’t Feel Cheap

Despite being a fairly inexpensive vehicle, the BYD Atto 2’s front row quality doesn’t feel compromised. The synthetic leather has a premium feel, the plastics feel pleasant to the touch, and there don’t seem to be any obvious build-quality issues.

The seats – which are heated, ventilated, and power-adjustable in the Premium model – are plush and well-bolstered, and while under-thigh support isn’t exceptional, the experience is fairly comfortable. 

Forward visibility is also strong, with thin A-pillars and a respectable view ahead of the wing mirrors provided by a small side window. 

There is an irregular pentagonal design motif featured throughout the cabin, most evident on the air vents, door handles, and pull handles; the latter featuring integrated lighting, a snazzy design touch. 

When it comes to the infotainment screen – which can rotate in each variant –  the entry-level Dynamic model gets a 10.1-inch screen while the higher-spec Premium is equipped with a 12.8-inch unit. 

The system is pretty easy to get your head around, with navigation to key menus made simple by the easily-accessible home, settings, and app icons. As you’d expect, both are compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

While there are no physical air conditioning controls, the bar at the bottom of the screen includes temperature and fan speed controls, which I found easy to adjust on the move. It takes a couple of extra taps to reach other settings, such as air recycling and the auto feature, as these are contained within the specific air conditioning menu, but these controls certainly aren’t a great hardship to use.  

Storage options are strong in the front seat of the Atto 2, with a deep centre console armrest, the cleared-out space beneath the centre console, and the empty space next to the wireless phone charger. 

Speaking of which, only the Premium model gets the wireless phone charger, but in the front row, you’ll still find a USB-A and a USB-C port as standard. 

Overall, the front row of the BYD Atto 2 feels much more expensive than its price tag would suggest, especially with added equipment in the Premium model grade. 

Plush and Spacious

Like the front row, in the BYD Atto 2, the seats are soft and plush but perhaps slightly lacking in under-thigh support, so you’ll probably have to stretch your legs out to get properly comfortable. 

Not that stretching out is a problem, of course. Behind my own driving position (5’11”), I found that there was plenty of knee room and decent headroom. 

As is the case with electric cars, there’s no transmission tunnel to intrude on space in the back of the Atto 2, meaning that middle-seat passengers don’t miss out on comfort. 

When it comes to amenities, you’ll find a USB-A and a USB-C port, a centre-folding armrest with cupholders, but only a single rear air vent. 

It’s in the Mix

The BYD Atto 2 has 380 litres of boot space with the rear seats up and 1,320 litres with the second row down. 

When it comes to outright boot space, the Atto 2 boasts a higher claimed luggage capacity than the Chery E5 (300 litres with the rear seats up, 1,079 litres with the rear seats folded) but not quite as much as the Leapmotor B10 (490 litres behind the second row, 1,475 litres with the rear seats folded). 

In the Atto 2’s boot, you’ll find strong underfloor storage, handy for storing charging cables. 

However, the Atto 2 does not have frunk storage, whereas the Chery E5 Urban has a 19-litre space in its entry-level Urban trim (although the frunk is deleted in favour of a heat pump in the Ultimate model), and there's 25 litres of storage in the front of the Leapmotor B10. 

The Atto 2 does not come with a spare wheel of any sort, and is instead offered with a tyre repair kit. While this is also the case for the Leapmotor B10, the Chery E5 comes with a full-size spare. 

Overall, despite the lack of a frunk, the BYD Atto 2 still boasts strong practicality compared to its immediate electric rivals. 

Out-Torques Rivals

Both variants of the 2026 BYD Atto 2 are powered by a front electric motor, producing 130kW and 290Nm, sourcing electricity from a 51.13kWh blade battery. This allows it to accelerate from 0-00km/h in 7.9 seconds.

Compared to its immediate rivals, it has more torque than both the Chery E5 and the Leapmotor B10, which produce 288Nm and 240Nm, respectively. However, it’s slightly down on power, with the Chery generating 155kW while the Leapmotor B10 puts out 160kW. 

The Atto 2 is a whisker quicker to 100km/h than the Leapmotor B10, which completes that dash in 8.0 seconds, but can’t quite match the E5’s 7.6-second run. 

Efficient but Range not Class Leading

The 2026 BYD Atto 2 is available with a single 51.13kWh blade battery option, good for a claimed driving range of 345km on the WLTP cycle. 

Immediate rivals, such as the Chery E5 and Leapmotor B10, each have a higher battery capacity of 58.9kWh and 56.2kWh, respectively. As a result, the Atto 2 can’t quite match their claimed range figures of the Chery E5 (430km WLTP with the standard battery) or the Leapmotor B10 (361km WLTP with the standard battery). 

The Atto 2 has a claimed energy consumption of 17.1kWh/100km. However, during my final motorway and urban street stint with the Atto 2, the trip computer posted 11.5kWh/100km for the previous 50km. During my day with the Atto 2, which also included some relaxed country road driving, the highest number I saw posted was 15.8kWh/100km. 

When it comes to charging, the Atto 2 supports 7kW AC charging and 82kW DC fast charging, the latter allowing 10 to 80 per cent charges to be completed in 38.6 minutes. 

There are also two different regenerative braking modes to choose from in the Atto 2: Standard and High. 

Fits the Brief

Around town, the BYD Atto 2 is comfortable and easy-going. Its soft ride soaks up the bumps and inconsistencies of Sydney’s urban environment, and while it won’t be to every driver’s taste, the Atto 2’s light steering tune does make low-speed maneuvering relatively easy. 

If you’ve grown accustomed to the immediately explosive throttle response of some electric offerings, you might notice the slight delay between planting your foot and receiving the Atto 2’s power in full. It's not a lengthy delay, but there’s certainly a slight gap. However, when it does respond, the electric motor delivers what it's got by the bucketful. 

On the motorway, there’s a bit of wind and tyre noise. However, while the cabin isn’t exactly silent at higher speeds, the noise isn’t deafening, and it isn’t so loud that it wouldn’t otherwise be drowned out by the speaker system. 

When it comes to safety and driver assistance systems, the interventions are appropriate and fairly non-intrusive. There are few untoward beeps and bongs, and the safety features perform as expected. 

Furthermore, the Intelligent Cruise Control system – which also integrates Lane Keeping –  works largely as expected, speeding up and slowing down appropriately based on the traffic and keeping ithe Atto 2 centered in its lane (only requiring manual intervention when lane markings get patchy), and while the gaps it leaves to the vehicles in front are arguably too long – even with the cruise control distance set to its shortest possible setting – it operates appropriately.

I didn’t really get to evaluate the Atto 2’s handling capabilities in full, save for a short, leisurely stint on slow-speed but still quite twisty country backroads while trying to find a suitable photo spot. While I was far from pushing the Atto 2, it didn’t really throw up any meaningful handling deficiencies, certainly none that its intended users are likely to experience daily. 

When it comes to regenerative braking, there are two modes to choose from: Standard and High. Running in Standard, the Atto 2 will coast freely off-throttle. In High, the regenerative braking is noticeable but not particularly powerful. It certainly isn’t capable of one-pedal driving. 

The Atto 2 also has Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes to choose from, though I struggled to find any meaningful differences between them. 

While the Atto 2 is unlikely to satisfy those with a taste for dynamic driving, in the environments where it’ll likely spend most of its life, it performs respectably. It successfully fills the role of a comfortable, electric daily driver, most adept at urban motoring. 

Kitted Out

The BYD Atto 2 is yet to be tested by ANCAP. However, it has an extremely strong list of standard safety equipment. 

Compared to the Premium model, the entry-level Dynamic only misses out on a 360-degree camera and front parking sensors. 

Standard safety features on the BYD Atto 2 include: 

• Airbags (front, front side, front and rear curtain)
• Rear-View Camera
• Rear Parking Sensors
• Seat Belt Reminders
• ISOFIX Points
• Electronic Stability Control
• Traction Control
• Anti-Lock Brakes
• Electric Parking Brake
• Brake Override System
• Electronic Brake Force Distribution
• Hill Descent Control
• Auto-Hold
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Departure Assist
• Emergency Lane Keep Assist
• Forward Collision Warning
• Intelligent Cruise Control 
• Rear Collision Warning 
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Intelligent Speed Limit Information 
• Intelligent Speed Limit Control
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Brake
• Blind Spot Detection
• Door Open Warning
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System 
• High Beam Assist
• Traffic Jam Assist

The Premium model grade adds: 

• 360-Degree Camera
• Front Parking Sensors

Good Warranty Package but Not Class Leading

The 2026 BYD Atto 2 is backed by a six-year, 150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. It also comes with 12 months of roadside assistance. 

Compared to its rivals, the Atto 2’s vehicle warranty matches the Leapmotor B10’s (six years/150,000km), but it can’t quite beat the Chery E5’s seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

As for the battery warranty, the Atto 2 matches the B10 (eight years/160,000km), but can’t beat the Chery E5’s eight-year, unlimited kilometre package.

As of the time of writing, BYD hasn’t announced servicing costs for the Atto 2. 

What do you get with the 2026 BYD Atto 2?

Standard equipment on the BYD Atto 2 Dynamic includes:

• Front Electric Motor: 130kW/290Nm
• 16-inch alloy wheel
• 8.8-inch Digital Instrument Cluster
• 10.1-inch Rotating Infotainment Touchscreen w/ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Heated, defrosting, and adjustable Exterior Mirrors (manually retractable)
• Soundproof front windscreen
• Electrically heating and defrosting Windscreen 
• Synthetic Leather Seats
• Manually Adjustable Seats (six-way driver, four-way passenger)
• 60/40 split fold rear seats
• Centre Console Storage Compartment
• Velour Carpet Floor Mats
• 4-Speaker sound system
• Voice Assistance
• USB-C ports (x1 front, x1 rear)
• USB-A ports (x1 front, x1 rear)
• Over-the-Air Updates
• Vehicle-to-Load Functionality and Discharge Adaptor
• LED headlights, daytime running lights, Rear Light Bar, High-Mounted Brake Light
• Keyless Entry and Start
• NFC Key Card
• Digital Key 
• Tyre Repair Kit

The Premium Variant adds or replaces: 

• 17-inch Alloy Wheels
• 12.8-inch Rotating Infotainment Touchscreen
• Electrically Retractable Door Mirrors 
• Auto-Dimming Interior Mirror
• Heated, Ventilated, and Electrically Adjustable Front Seats (six-way driver, four-way passenger)
• Eight-Speaker Sound System
• Wireless Phone Charging

Final Thoughts

The 2026 BYD Atto 2 has made electric SUV ownership more accessible than ever before. But this hasn’t come at the expense of quality. It has a decent exterior design, a pleasant front row, reasonable practicality, a comfortable driving experience, and a strong list of safety features. 

However, it can’t quite match the claimed electric driving ranges of some of its immediate rivals, the light steering tune also won’t be to everyone’s taste, there aren’t many regen modes, and the seats could arguably use a little more under-thigh support. 

But ultimately, money talks, and when it comes to sheer value in its class, the Atto 2 is second to none. Combine that with the rest of its merits, and the 2026 BYD Atto 2 is a seriously compelling package.