No corners cut" for BYD's cut-price Atto 2 PHEV

BYD has pushed back on the suggestion that chasing the cheapest end of the new-car market means compromising on quality, insisting that no shortcuts were taken in developing the cut-price Atto 2 plug-in hybrid. The comment came as competition intensifies among budget-focused brands, where several manufacturers are now fighting for the same value-conscious buyers.

The compact crossover class is the busiest part of the Saudi market, and that is where the Atto 2 will have to prove itself. It sits below BYD's larger models in size and positioning, which means shoppers will naturally cross-shop it against established compact SUVs and hybrids already on Saudi forecourts — the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks and Toyota Yaris Cross among them, plus value-focused Chinese-badged rivals from MG, Changan, Chery and Jetour.

A plug-in hybrid adds a different calculation from a conventional