ASTANA, June 29 — The BYD Atto 2 has been on sale in Australia for only eight months, but the small electric SUV is already being prepared for a significant update. Chinese government filings show the vehicle will switch from front- to rear-wheel drive, a comprehensive mechanical change that goes well beyond a typical mid-cycle refresh. Partially camouflaged pre-production examples have been spotted in China.
The biggest external clue to the powertrain change is a new rear-mounted charge port, according to an overnight report from CarNewsChina. Chinese domestic market versions of the Atto 2, badged as the Yuan UP, will be powered by 100kW and 120kW motors.
That is a reduction from the 130kW currently produced by Australian versions of the crossover. However, the report indicates higher outputs for export models are likely, following the pattern of other BYD vehicles. The car’s dimensions are growing noticeably.
Chinese government filings confirm the wheelbase has increased by 150mm to 2770mm. Overall length is up by 355mm to 4665mm, and width has increased by 65mm to 1895mm.
Height remains unchanged at 1675mm. The suspension layout is also being upgraded. While the McPherson strut front setup remains, the rear switches from a semi-independent torsion beam to a full multi-link arrangement.
That is a meaningful change for ride quality and handling. Externally, the front bumper loses its coloured lower lip. A significant addition is a Lidar unit in the lower grille, which the report expects to be offered as an option on the new version.
BYD’s ‘DiPilot 300’ system is already available on the Dolphin and Seagull — known as the Atto 1 in Australia — in China. BYD’s game-changing ‘Flash Charge’ technology appears to be absent from the updated Atto 2.
Chinese versions will retain a conventional 400V platform and offer a choice of 42kWh and 52kWh first-generation ‘Blade’ LFP battery packs. The claimed ranges under the CLTC cycle are 410 km and 505 km, respectively. Australian Atto 2s currently feature the larger LFP battery with a maximum output that the report did not specify for the updated export version.
Given the pattern of other BYD models, export specifications often differ from domestic Chinese configurations. For markets in Central Asia and the broader region, the Atto 2’s update matters.
The shift to rear-wheel drive and multi-link rear suspension brings the vehicle closer to the specification of larger, more expensive EVs. The dimensional growth also pushes the Atto 2 into a larger vehicle segment, potentially affecting import duties and consumer preferences in price-sensitive markets. BYD has not announced a timeline for when the updated Atto 2 will reach export markets.
The Chinese domestic version appears to be in advanced testing, which suggests a launch later this year or early next. The absence of Flash Charge technology on this model keeps it positioned as a more affordable entry point in BYD’s lineup, while the Lidar option signals that advanced driver assistance features are trickling down to smaller vehicles.
