BYD’s small electric SUV, the Atto 2, is about to lose its front motor. Chinese spy shots and government filings point to a switch to rear-wheel drive, according to Driving Enthusiast and CarNewsChina. At home the car is called the Yuan UP.
Both outlets say the chassis has been reworked around the new layout. The old torsion-beam rear axle gives way to a multi-link rear suspension, with McPherson struts at the front. That should improve road-holding, Driving Enthusiast wrote. The suspension also matches the setup on its main Chinese rival, the Geely EX2.
Smaller motors, smaller batteries
In China the car gets a 100kW or 120kW rear motor (134 and 161 hp). That is a small step down from the 130kW front motor on the current top trim. Global Atto 2s run 130kW and 150kW front motors. CarNewsChina expects a modest power increase for export versions, as BYD has done with other models.
The battery news is less welcome. Filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology list 42.3kWh and 52.5kWh LFP Blade packs, with CLTC ranges of 410km and 505km. Flash charging, which BYD often promotes, is missing. The cars use a conventional 400V platform. CarNewsChina notes that Chinese Atto 2s charge at up to 65kW, while BYD UK quotes up to 155kW for global cars with the 65kWh pack.
What changes outside
The charge port moves from the front fender to the rear, where it looks like a fuel door. Owners in China had complained about the old position, since many back into parking spaces and chargers. The coloured lower lip on the front bumper disappears. An optional LiDAR unit is on the way too, tied to BYD’s DiPilot 300 driver-assist system, which already costs 12,000 yuan (about $1,800) as an upgrade on the Dolphin and Dolphin Surf in China.
The wheelbase stays at 2,620mm. Filings list the refreshed car at 4,335mm long, 1,830mm wide and 1,675mm high, against 4,310mm in length for the current model.
Australia
Driving Enthusiast expects the rear-drive Atto 2 to reach Australian showrooms in early 2027, following the usual gap between Chinese launch and right-hand-drive export. It would share floor space with the Atto 2 DM-i plug-in hybrid, which the outlet expects within months. The same piece warns that smaller packs and slow DC charging could hurt the electric Atto 2 against cheap Chinese rivals if the specifications carry over to global models.
The car sells well at home. China EV DataTracker counted 17,043 Atto 2 deliveries in May 2026, though the EX2 sold 38,751. The Atto 2 is priced from 74,800 to 119,800 yuan.
Sources
- 2027 BYD Atto 2 swaps FWD for RWD in major chassis overhaul | Driving Enthusiast
- BYD's Atto 2 refresh spotted in China, now with RWD & LiDAR
