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By Jonathan Crouch

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

Ten Second Reviewword count: 43

BYD's Atto 2 DM-i was the modern market's first small Plug-in Hybrid - and a tempting alternative to the full-EV version of this small crossover. There's up to 56 miles of EV range, a focus on value and a fairly unique segment niche.

Backgroundword count: 152

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 Experienceword count: 351

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.

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