Doc’s Drive: BYD ATTO 2

I have always had a soft spot for affordable and value-for-money automobiles (battery electric vehicles or BEVs included and even more so). Of course, many will digress on this automotive preference: upscale neighbours, professional associates, sportscar club friends (fiends?), blood relatives and even some car companies’ bosses – grinning or smirking with puzzled or even subtly disdainful expressions. Or just painful silence, on their part.

Understandably, most if not all, have been indoctrinated over the past half a century to think that cheap equals nasty. Shopping for a good ‘base model’ – usually from the B-segment – can be quite a daunting but fun experience. Since the usual choices don’t usually tick all the right boxes. With the BYD ATTO 2, it looks like you can have the cake and eat it too… well, almost.

The ATTO 2 has ticked off the first box as a relevant offering, in the form of a modem yet attainable crossover SUV. BYD Malaysia has rightfully replaced the Dolphin by offering the ATTO 2 at RM100,000. Placed squarely at the floor price dictated by MITI for CBU BEVs and possibly into the future as a locally-assembled BEV sold in Malaysia.

As a B-segment crossover SUV, its dimensions are 4310 mm in length, 1830 mm wide and 1675 mm tall – riding on a compact wheelbase of 2620 mm. From the outside, this little but tall crossover looks deceptively bigger, somewhat like a B+ segment offering.

Don’t let that rather short wheelbase fool you, though. With a flat-floor plus smart packaging, the ATTO 2 offers a spacious rear legroom complemented by a rear bench which is thick, chunky and nicely angled to be supportive of the rear passengers’ thighs. Sitting three abreast at the back is still manageable, albeit at a squeeze. As expected of a B-segment vehicle, which characteristically lacks width.

With the never-ending race to make modern BEVs interiors minimalistic, bucking this mind-boggling trend is ATTO 2’s back-to-basics interior. Items like flickable air vents on its dashboard, door armrest mechanical switches, steering Left-Right stalks with physical buttons are simply functional, intuitive to use while offering good old tactile feedback.

Aircond controls are digitally rendered within the 12.8-inch touchscreen but logically stays as a locked taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

Another intuitive selectable driving safety function is the Lane Departure Warning/Assist which requires just a one-time setting to turn off – permanently. No frustrating, recurring default ‘ON’ annoyance when the car restarts for a new drive.

Over a weekend, I found the ATTO 2 to be a highly livable and practical city car. Generous headroom, soft surfaces on dashboard to door cards, with leatherette-lined seats and stitch-wrapped steering. It doesn’t feel like bargain-basement model at all.

With a claimed WLTP range of 350 kms from its 51.13 kWh Blade battery, I covered about 300 kms easily before needing a recharge – topping up from a level of about 10%.

The single DC front motor generates up to 130 kW (174 hp) with a maximum 290 Nm of torque delivering effortless and zippy acceleration, though not seamlessly progressive into the regeneration braking zone. Many times, you will still need to brake manually, even with the drive set in high braking regen mode.

Should you find yourself rushing headlong towards a speed hump, you may find that the brakes are not very biting and tend to fade. I wished there was more thumping brake servo assistance afforded here – in times of urgency and during more spirited drives.

It’s the same thing with the Seal 6 EV (my own car) and even a smidgen in the much bigger Seal Performance. Perhaps it’s the higher kerb weight of BEVs due to the heavy skateboard-like floor pan LFP Blade battery. Need super high motor-braking regen to compensate? Then again, our eyes will already be popping out of their orbits (skull sockets)!

Typical of most Chinese BEVs, the steering feels quite numb, but reasonably quick with a small turning circle of 10.5 metres, making it easier to park and execute tighter 3-points turns.

If there is one single thing that may nudge one into signing the dotted (Sales Order) line, it would be the absolute cushiness of the ATTO 2’s suspension. Much appreciable comfort – more so for rear passengers – with none of the wobbly, swaying and busy ride associated with the typical rear torsion beam set-ups.

It handles predictably well too – just don’t gun it all out like an ATTO 3 or Seal 6 – and all will be good. Just sit back, relax and simply enjoy this compact SUV’s calm, comfortable and soft riding nature.

Standstill to 100 km/h has a claimed time of 7.9 seconds and after that, you can keep accelerating to a governed top speed of 160 km/h.

Find out more about the BYD ATTO 2

Coming back to ticking selection boxes of an entry-level model, I am happy to report that the ATTO 2 is not a bare-bones entrant to BYD ownership. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) is still standard ie adaptive cruise control, AEB and other electronic safety nannies.

The display from the 360-degree surround view cameras is just as high definition as the pricier ATTO 3, Seal 6 and Seal Performance. If only it comes preloaded with blind spot-warning blinkers. C’mon! BYD Malaysia. This is another small box not ticked! Then again, I’m nit-picking here.

Also, as I have highlighted before, the ATTO 2’s fixed-headrest seat doesn’t contort your neck like in the older models. By the way, both front seats are ventilated and electrically-powered too.

Final words
Above all, the ATTO 2 presents a more contemporary look that’s fresher than the ageing Ocean series’ ATTO 3, which costs about RM25,000 more. At the promo price of RM88,000 at most BYD dealers, the ATTO 2 is an excellent choice as a first BEV. One that comes with a high-voltage battery included.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by MotaAuto.com.