Words: Richard Edwards
Published 25 July 2026
The rear-wheel drive Atto 2 revealed in China last month is unlikely to reach New Zealand, although BYD’s local distributor has not ruled it out.
The updated small SUV, sold as the Yuan UP domestically, abandons the front-motor layout used since launch in favour of a rear-mounted unit, with Chinese specification cars getting 100kW and 120kW motors in place of the current 130kW front motor. Higher outputs are typical for export versions.
Underneath, the torsion beam rear axle is replaced by a multi-link arrangement, and the charge port moves from the front guard to the rear quarter panel. Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology filings list 42.3kWh and 52.5kWh LFP packs for CLTC ranges of 410km and 505km. A roof-mounted LiDAR unit is optional, bringing BYD’s DiPilot 300 assisted driving suite. The car retains a 400V architecture, so BYD’s flash charging technology is not part of the update.
BYD New Zealand general manager Warren Willmot says the rear-drive car is “unlikely” for this market.
No word on the plug-in
Willmot also declines to say whether the Atto 2 DM-i is under consideration here. Launched in Barcelona late last year and now reaching European customers, the plug-in hybrid pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric drive system in two forms, an Active with a 7.8kWh Blade battery and 122kW of system output, and a Boost with an 18.0kWh battery and 156kW. BYD claims up to 90km of electric-only running in the Boost and a combined range of up to 1000km. The DM-i is 20mm longer than the electric car, with a larger central grille and the front guard vents deleted.
Orders running into August
The Atto 2 has been one of the distributor’s strongest launches. Demand is such that BYD New Zealand expects to be filling current orders through August. The model now opens at $40,990 for the Dynamic, with the Premium at $46,990, both up $1000.
That supply pressure also shaped the final edition Atto 3, a run of Thai-built cars priced at $49,990 that was partly aimed at buyers unwilling to wait for an Atto 2. Fewer than 100 of those remain.
Gap in the range
The pace of that clearance raises the question of what fills the gap. Willmot has confirmed the all-new third-generation model will replace the Atto 3 here as the Atto 5, as NZ Autocar first reported from the Beijing motor show, but that car is not due until 2027. An interim update, the rear-drive Atto 3 Evo, is already confirmed for Australia, which has a separate distributor. It keeps the current body but moves to a 74.8kWh battery and a 230kW motor for a WLTP range of 508km and charging at up to 220kW, with an all-wheel drive version lifting outputs to 330kW.
BYD New Zealand has repeatedly signalled a shipment of more than 2500 units arriving in late August. Whether that consignment includes new models has not been confirmed.
