ROTTERDAM: BYD will launch its new Atto 2 compact SUV in Europe in February, the Chinese EV giant said on Friday, adding to competition in Europe's electric car market.
The Atto 2, which complements the larger Atto 3 released in 2022, is the group's most accessible SUV yet and will compete in the B-SUV segment, said a company spokesman.
The launch comes two months after the European Union approved increased tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles (EVs), including BYD ones, of up to 45.3%.
The Atto 2 will compete in Europe's so called B-SUV segment of compact EV SUVs with rival models including Stellantis' Peugeot e-2008, Citroën e-C3, Opel Mokka-e and Fiat 600e, the Kia Niro, and later this year Renault's new R4.
While the Atto 2 price will only be confirmed "in many countries in a few weeks' time", it should logically be between the Dolphin and Atto 3, the spokesman said.
In Britain, the Dolphin starts at £26,140 (RM144,000) and the Atto 3 starts at £37,140 (RM205,000).
The all-electric Atto 2 will be 4.31 metres long, 1.83 metres wide and 1.68 metres tall, with a wheelbase of 2.62 metres, BYD said. It features a Blade LFP battery and uses cell-to-body (CTB) construction.
"We're excited to start 2025 with another important model for our plans in Europe", BYD executive vice president Stella Li said in a statement.
BYD is on course to top its annual sales target of 4 million vehicles globally, which would put it ahead of Japan's Honda and Detroit-based Ford for 2024.
Europe's car safety agency issued a "not recommended" rating to the driver assistance system used in BYD's Atto 3 EV in October, dealing a blow to the automaker as it strives to expand on the continent.
