BYD has confirmed the European specification of its new Atto 2 crossover, positioning it as a rival for the likes of the Vauxhall Frontera and Renault 4.

At launch, it will be available with a single motor that sends 174bhp to the front wheels, with power drawn from a 45.1kWh battery pack that yields a range of 194 miles.

Notably, the battery is fitted to the car using cell-to-body construction – a first for BYD – which is said to boost chassis rigidity. 

For reference, the entry-level Frontera packs a 112bhp motor and a 44kWh battery that yields 186 miles between charges.

A smaller sibling to the existing Atto 3, the new Atto 2 measures 4.31m long, 1.83m wide and 1.68m tall. That lines it up neatly to serve as a higher-riding alternative to the BYD Dolphin hatchback.

Inside, the Atto 2 offers seating for five as well as a 400-litre boot.

It also gets BYD’s 15.6in infotainment touchscreen, which can be rotated to display in both portrait and landscape orientations.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but the Atto 2 is expected to broadly align with the Frontera in the mid- £20,000s, as BYD looks to establish itself in the European mainstream.