Can this affordable, electric Chinese SUV tempt you away from its European alternatives?

As a small, practical, affordable and well-equipped SUV, the Atto 2 is going to shoot BYD right up to the top of a lot of peoples’ lists for new car choices. It’s the latest in a series of rather compelling cars including the BYD Seal and Dolphin, and the small SUV has the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 and Smart #1 firmly in its sights.

However, the Atto 2 is far from exciting to look at, even in the rather fetching tone of pastel green our test car came painted in. You get a sleek-enough front end with slender headlights joining up to a blanked-off ‘grille’, while the roofline has more than a whiff of Smart about it. It’s not an ugly car by any means, just a bit generic.

Where most BYD models have funky interiors, the Atto 2 is the least interesting cabin we’ve seen from the brand yet. Again, it’s not ugly, but aside from the rotating 12.9-inch infotainment screen and standard-fit panoramic sunroof, there’s little in the way of eye-catching features.

What it lacks in style, however, it makes up for in substance, as the Atto 2 has plenty of room inside – and lots of storage cubbies, too. There’s a big shelf of sorts underneath the centre console, with two USB-C ports tucked away, a pair of cupholders and a well-sized glovebox, too.

The driving position is a bit high, and you can’t lower yourself all that much, but otherwise the seats are fairly comfortable and there’s plenty of space in the back for three adults, with ample legroom and headroom. The 450-litre boot is well-shaped and you get a useful bit of underfloor storage for the charging cables as well as two deep storage bins at the sides.

Material quality is a mixed bag, with the trimmed surfaces in a sleek leatherette, but the plastics are all rather hard and scratchy. The infotainment system is very responsive and features crisp graphics, but there are a few too many menus to navigate – and the driver assistance tech bongs at you far too much.

Entry-level Boost models offer a 214-mile range, while the more expensive Comfort version (which isn’t on sale in the UK yet) has a claimed 267-mile range. We achieved 3.3mi/kWh in our tests, which equates to an unremarkable 168 miles to a charge – but if you mainly drive in town, you’ll likely see higher efficiency..

Around town the Atto 2 is a very stress-free car to drive, with steering that’s light enough to throw around but not totally devoid of feedback, a tight 10.5-metre turning circle and excellent all-round visibility from its large windows. It’s comfortable, too, faring well over large bumps. You do get shaken around a bit by rougher roads, though.

Long journeys aren’t very pleasant in the Atto 2, with noticeable wind noise around the side mirrors at a cruise, and the jittery sensation you get around town is amplified on bad sections of motorway. The steering, while direct, seems unsettled at high speeds, which combined with the soft suspension means the Atto 2 never feels that stable.

Country lanes are best taken at a moderate pace, because there’s plenty of body lean in corners and the Atto 2 shimmies around quick bends when you drive over a bump or into a pothole. But as a well-priced, comfortable and easy-to-live-with family SUV – especially around town – it’s certainly worth considering, though the Skoda Elroq or Volvo EX30 would make a better buy.

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