2026 BYD Atto 2 Premium Review

The top-spec 2026 BYD Atto 2 is priced $35,990 before on-roads, which gets you a five-seat, five door small SUV with synthetic leather trim, a sunroof, LED lighting all round, 18-inch rims with decent rubber, a fancy 12.8-inch rotating multimedia screen (which the base model doesn’t get).

There’s a full suite of ADAS driver safety aids including a 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone mirroring, inductive phone charging, heated and vented front powered seats, automatic wipers, multiple drive modes and more.

A single electric motor (130kW/290Nm) on the front axle is fed by a 51kWh lithium-ion (LFP) Blade battery of BYD’s own design, which nets a claimed 345km of range on the WLTP cycle. The Atto 2 can accept up to 82kW of DC charging, resulting in a 10-80 per cent charge time of around 38 minutes, according to BYD. A 7kW AC charger, such as a wallbox charger you might get installed at home, can give you a 0-100 per cent fill in around eight hours.

Rivals to the Atto 2 include the Leapmotor B10, Chery E5, MG S5 EV and Geely’s EX5.

BYD backs its cars with a six-year/150,000km vehicle warranty, with eight years and 160,000km offered on the Blade battery array.

It’s one thing to say a car is good for the price, and quite another to say it’s good full stop. We’re happy to report that the 2026 BYD Atto 2 falls into the latter category.

Exterior design is solid and functional without straying into unattractive territory, with LED light arrays front and rear, a bluff nose and a faux sporty rear end with diffusers and spoilers.

Inside is a similar story, though style takes an upward tick with the shapely front seats setting the tone. Blacks and greys are the order of the day, lifted by contrasting raised stitching and subtle brushed finishes in key places – and a distinct lack of shiny piano-black surfaces, which is a win in my book.

There’s plenty of room for my 187cm frame to get comfortable behind the wheel, with generous headroom despite the presence of a cassette-style sunroof. The large central touchscreen is within easy reach, and there’s a basic semblance of hard buttons on the centre console and steering wheel, meaning you don’t have to drill through countless infotainment menus just to defog the windscreen.

Ergonomics are generally pretty good and because the left steering wheel stalk adapts both wiper and basic headlight functionality, while the gear stalk lives on the right side, it frees up the centre console for storage and device charging.

Rear seat room is surprisingly generous for an SUV of this size, with a flat floor and high roofline providing a decent amount of space even for my six foot-plus frame.

A simple touch of a start/stop button gets things under way, and the Atto 2 is – like most EVs – a doddle to drive in city traffic thanks to its instant response. The accelerator pedal is a particular standout, with a perfectly modulated tip-in action that all but eliminates the dreaded EV surge.

We didn’t drive long enough to test the range claim, but a figure of around 16kWh/100km over 145km is pretty decent economy. Brake regeneration is adjustable, but only via the big screen, and is quite aggressive in its top setting.

It steers well, stops with aplomb and does the job it needs to do in a fuss-free, uncomplicated way.

It’s a shame that the Premium model-grade doesn’t score the same 150kW/310Nm electric motor and bigger 64.8kWh battery combination that’s offered in other markets. The extra power and torque would certainly help on freeway sections, where the Atto 2 would take a little more effort than expected to reach the posted speed limit.

Kudos to BYD for its ADAS calibrations, which were generally unobtrusive. Switching systems off isn’t the work of a moment, but nothing really stood out enough to require it to be silenced in double-quick time.

We did experience a few glitches with the wireless Apple CarPlay system, though, which persisted after rebooting both the phone and the car.

And while the spec level is excellent, the lack of a powered tailgate stood out, as was the use of a single vent for the rear seat passengers. And sadly, no space saver spare wheel could be found under the boot floor; just a can of sealant which is a hope-and-pray fix at the best of times.

As a second car for a busy family – particularly with a solar panel-equipped house – or even as a primary ride for downsizers who like the idea of electric motivation in a ‘regular’ package, the Atto 2 is a well-specified, well-priced alternative from a company that’s here to make its mark on the Australian automotive landscape.

BYD Atto 2 Premium at a glance:
Price: $35,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 130kW/290Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 51kWh lithium iron phosphate
Range: 345km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 16.2kWh/100km (as tested)
Safety rating: Not tested

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