BYD’s latest model is on the cusp of landing in Australia, and it could be one of the brand’s cheapest models sold to date.
A variant small has been approved for Australian sale, joining the fully-electric model already available.
There is no official news on price, but we can expect it to sit under the $31,990 (before on-road costs) starting price of the cheapest version.
This would make it the cheapest plug-in hybrid in Australia, beating the and SHS.
The fully-electric Atto 2 continues to be one of the best-selling EVs in Australia since it launched late last year.
This latest move will see the Atto 2 move into competition with some of the big players of the small SUV segment.
Segment leaders, the and adopt and plug-less set-ups, giving this new Atto 2 a point of difference.
It is similarly sized to those rivals, but has potential to be offered at a cheaper price point.
The Atto 2 was spotted undergoing in Sydney in late May as it edges closer to showrooms.
The car will be available with a choice of two 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and electric motor set-ups, producing 122kW or 156kW.
This means the base Atto 2 EV boasts more than its PHEV sibling (130kW), with the top-grade PHEV becoming the most powerful Atto 2 in the range.
Australia is yet to officially confirm the Atto 2 PHEV’s arrival Down Under, but it is rare for a car to be approved for sale, then fail to make it into showrooms.
There are scarce other details on the car at this stage, with more information likely to be revealed closer to the car’s impending launch.
In the United Kingdom, the Atto 2 PHEV has a total of nearly 1000km, with an electric-only range of 89km from its 18kWh