BYD Atto 2 becomes South Africa's most affordable plug-in hybrid: Here's what you get for your money

At R449,900, BYD’s Atto 2 DM-i shakes up the hybrid market.

BYD has lowered the entry price for plug-in hybrid vehicles once again in South Africa with the introduction of the new Atto 2 DM-i this week.

It is available in two variants, with the Comfort version priced at R449,900 and the Dynamic listed at R489,900. That makes it, by far, the nation’s least expensive plug-in hybrid, undercutting the brand’s own Sealion 5, which starts at R509,900. It’s also the country’s second least expensive hybrid model, costing just R10,000 more than Chery’s self-charging Tiggo Cross CSH and undercutting the Corolla Cross by over R50,000.

At 4.33 metres in length, the BYD Atto 2 is roughly the size of a Chery Tiggo 4 and is powered by BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid powertrain, which includes the brand’s Blade Battery technology.

BYD’s Atto 2 DM-i targets value buyers in the plug-in hybrid space.