KATHMANDU: The compact electric SUV market in Nepal has taken an interesting turn. In October, the Dongfeng Nammi VIGO overtook the BYD Atto 2.
A total of 1,137 VIGO units were imported in the month. The Atto 2 imports stood at 739 units.
For nearly a year, the BYD Atto 2 maintained a leading position in its segment with limited competition. However, the arrival of new models and changing market prices has started to reshape the competition. Nammi VIGO has emerged as one of its strongest rivals.
Both the BYD Atto 2 and Nammi VIGO entered the Nepali market around last year’s NADA Auto Show. The BYD Atto 2 was imported in 1,072 units during the last four months of 2025. From January to the end of October 2026, its imports reached 2,696 units.
BYD’s official distributor, Cimex Inc., offers the Atto 2 in three variants. The entry-level Essential variant is priced at Rs 4.595 million and comes with a 45.12 kWh battery.
The Premium variant, which was the first to arrive in Nepal, features a 51.13 kWh battery. It is currently priced at Rs 4.899 million.
The Superior variant comes with the same features as the Premium, with an additional panoramic sunroof. It is priced at Rs 5.199 million.
Dongfeng’s Nammi VIGO has been attracting attention since its introduction. The compact electric SUV was imported in 217 units during the last four months of 2025. However, its import momentum picked up significantly in 2026.
From January to the end of October, 1,926 units of the VIGO had been imported into Nepal.
Four days before the NADA Auto Show, the company launched the VIGO without a vision roof at Rs 3.799 million. It also introduced a Rs 200,000 discount, bringing the booking price down to Rs 3.599 million.
The revised pricing received a strong response from customers. According to the company, it received around 2,000 bookings within four days and had to withdraw the discount offer.
Nammi VIGO also set a record for the highest number of bookings for an electric car in Nepal. This helped push its imports significantly higher in October. With its new pricing, the VIGO also became the most affordable SUV in Nepal with a 51 kWh battery.
How VIGO turned the tables
Price has become the biggest factor behind the VIGO’s growing popularity. Removing the vision roof reduced its price by Rs 600,000. With the additional discount, the price difference reached Rs 800,000.
Even when compared with the entry-level BYD Atto 2, the VIGO has a price advantage of around Rs 800,000. This has attracted price-conscious buyers towards the Nammi VIGO.
Its competitive pricing has also affected other recently introduced electric SUVs, including the Arcfox T1, Chery Q and Proton e.MAS 5.
Despite leading in October, the VIGO remains behind the Atto 2 in cumulative imports. From January to October, 1,926 units of the VIGO were imported, compared to 2,696 units of the Atto 2.
These figures indicate that the competition between the two models is becoming increasingly close. MAW Vriddhi, the official distributor of Nammi in Nepal, has also reported a long waiting list for the VIGO.
