The Atto 2 DM-i Plug-in Hybrid is a shot in the arm for the small crossover segment. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Background

The world's biggest EV car maker BYD seems to have a new goal these days; to also be the world's biggest maker of PHEVs. We're losing track of the number of Plug-in Hybrids the brand has launched over the last few years - and perhaps the most significant of these was this Atto 2 DM-i. That's because at launch in Autumn 2025, it was the market's first really compact PHEV. Previously, the motor industry had decided that PHEV tech was too pricey to offer in compact cars. But BYD thinks it can make Plug-in Hybrid technology in a car of this size work, so decided to introduce its DM-i PHEV tech as an alternative to the usual full-EV drivetrain in its small Atto 2 crossover. That powerplant's since also appeared in the brand's more affordable Dolphin G supermini, but this Atto 2 packages it slightly more practically. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

If you think it's still quite unusual to find a Plug-in Hybrid drivetrain in a car as small as this, you'd be right. Prior to this Atto DM-i model's arrival, we hadn't seen a small PHEV launched on the market since the Renault Captur PHEV back in 2022. Thankfully, technology's moved on a long way since then and this Atto 2 DM-i can potentially go almost twice as far on battery power as one of those used to - up to 55 miles. The EV range figure we quoted applies to the top Atto 2 DM-i we tried, which is badged 'Boost', has the largest-available 18.0kWh battery and offers a total output of 212PS. BYD is also offering a smaller-7.8kWh battery 'Active' version for more suburban-based customers that offers 165PS and manages up to 24 miles on battery power. 0-62mph takes 9.1s in the Active and 7.5s in the Boost and both offer 300Nm of torque and reach a maximum of 112mph. There's a modest 750kg braked towing weight. This car's 'Super Hybrid with DM technology' set-up can operate in two distinct ways: EV, where the wheels are driven solely by the electric motor, and HEV, where the same principle applies most of the time but the engine's available if you need it. Normally, the engine doesn't drive the wheels but supplies charge to the battery and electric motor via an inverter, so the car keeps the driving response of a pure EV. In moments when additional power is required, HEV mode can switch from Series to Parallel, combining the potential of the petrol engine and the electric motor. Most of the time, you'll just leave the technology to do its own thing, but there are various ways you can interact with it if you wish. A lower centre console EV/HEV button allows you to switch manually between drive formats. And an 'Energy Management' part of the 'Energy' section of the centre screen allows you to save battery charge for later in your journey when you might need it - city driving at the end of a long trip for instance.

Design and Build

This PHEV model is differentiated from an ordinary Atto 2 EV by a revised front end, with a bigger grille supposed to improve cooling for the combustion engine. It's also 20mm longer, but other than that, the visual differences are slight. There's also different badging of course. And you can have a unique 'Midnight Blue' paint option. Otherwise, the DM-i looks like any other Atto 2. Trendiness here is limited to detail stuff; like the intertwined 'Chinese knot' tail lights, the 'floating' roof design and the flush door handles. Size-wise, it's just about second car family-sized - think Hyundai Kona or Kia EV3. The Atto 2 is 4,310mm long, 1,830mm wide and 1,675mm tall and sits on 16 or 17-inch wheels. Inside, the crystal gear selector of the Atto 2 EV is replaced by a gear selector column stalk. But otherwise, you really have to look closely to spot the Plug-in Hybrid Atto 2 differences. There's an EV/HEV button next to the starter switch. And there's a petrol range as well as a battery range read-out on the bottom left corner of the 8.8-inch LCD instrument screen - which displays either an HEV or an EV green designation along its top frame to show you what the drivetrain's doing. Plus there's a bespoke selectable 'Energy' section on the centre screen. That's about it. This is one of the Chinese brand's older cabin designs, which in this case is good because it means that the fascia still features the rotating central screen that BYD has dropped from its more recent models. As usual with Chinese cars, the instrument panel is narrow with over-small fonts that require you to take your eyes away from the road for too long to read them. All the main things you'll need of course are on the 12.8-inch central screen, which as usual with the brand showcases BYD's obsession with selectable wallpaper and background 'themes' (there are six). More importantly, this monitor has Google Automotive Services built in and is reasonably quick in operation, with 8GB of ram and 8-cores, ensuring minimal lag. It'll be easy for parents to lean in and strap up children at the back, thanks to the tall 1,675mm roof height and the fact that the rear doors open wide. Once inside, the 2,620mm wheelbase length frees up decent leg space for this class of car and the outer seats get more side support than is usual on a small hatch of this sort. Out back, there's a pretty class-competitive 425-litre boot. If you need more room, the 60:40 split-folding backrest flattens to reveal up to 1,335-litres of space.

Market and Model

BYD has priced this Plug-in Hybrid DM-i model at around the same level as the equivalent full-electric versions, which at the time of our test in Autumn 2026 meant a pricing span in the £27,000-£30,000 bracket. The lower figure is for the base 165PS 'Active' version with the smaller 7.8kWh battery and a 3.3kW On-Board Charger; the higher one for the plusher 212PS 'Boost' variant, which is the derivative you'd probably want with the longer-ranging 18.0kWh battery pack and a 6.6kW On-Board Charger. For reference, the alternative full-electric Atto 2 EV sits in the £30,000-£35,000 bracket. Even in base 'Active' form, this BYD comes with quite a lot. Specifically, 16-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, automatic LED headlights with Intelligent High Beam control, rain-sensing wipers, LED tail lights and rear parking sensors, plus keyless entry and an NFC Digital Key system so you can open and start the car via your 'phone. Drive stuff includes a suite of Driving Modes, Hill Descent Control and adaptive and intelligent cruise control. Inside with 'Active' spec, there's an 8.8-inch digital instrument screen, a reversing camera and rear USB-C ports. Media stuff is taken care of by a rotating 12.8-inch central infotainment monitor with Google Automotive Services built in; plus navigation, a 6-speaker audio system, wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto', 4G Internet access, cloud services and the company's 'BYD DiLink' suite of media systems, plus 'BYD Assistant' voice control AI-aided by a 'Google Assistant'.

Cost of Ownership

BYD quotes 'combined weighted' fuel consumption figures of 201.7 for the 'Active' and 470.8mpg for this 'Boost' variant. It also quotes a more realistic simpler 'combined' mpg figure for both versions of 55.4mpg - which is much closer to what you'll actually get in day-to-day use, even with the 'Eco' drive mode engaged and regenerative braking set to 'High'. And your Benefit-in-Kind taxation will be low thanks to a CO2 figure of 33g/km for the 'Active' (which means a BIK reading of 16%) or 13g/km for this 'Boost' version (which is BiK-rated at 10%). What about charging? Well unlike some more modern Plug-in Hybrids, you can't DC-charge this one at a public charger like you could with an EV. At home, you can't even get any benefit from using a three-phase AC 11kW wallbox; the Atto 2 DM-I is designed to be AC-charged using a humbler single-phase AC supply. And not a very fast AC supply in the case of the base 'Active' version, which has an On-Board Charger rated at only 3.3kW and needs 2.7 hours for a 15-100% charge of its 7.8kWh battery. This 'Boost' version has a gutsier 6.6kW On-Board Charger, so despite its much larger 18.0kWh battery, can accomplish a 15-100% charge nearly as quickly - in 3 hours. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a service centre. In the UK, BYD has established partnerships with key dealerships, and at the time of this review had over 150 stores across the nation, including a flagship showroom in Westfields Shopping Mall, West London, with plans to further increase this figure in the near future. Atto 2 residual values should be reasonable for a new-to-market brand - expect them to be similar to those of an Atto 2 EV, which manages 40-42% after 3 years and 36,000 miles. As usual with BYD, there's a warranty that lasts for six years or 150,000km (that's 93,206 miles). Servicing intervals are a lot more frequent than with the Atto 2 EV - this DM-i model requires garage visits twice as frequently, every 2 years or 20,000 miles.

Summary

Does the small crossover segment require a PHEV alternative? We've long said so and one of the positives about the Chinese invasion into our market is that this need has been re-addressed - and rather thoroughly here by BYD. Right here, right now, the DM-i is the Atto 2 variant we'd choose. And BYD is in the pleasant position of being able to market this car with few alternatives and almost no direct rivals. That can't continue, but while it does, this model is in our view, one that customers for small SUVs and crossovers shouldn't ignore.