BYD Dolphin review

Car type Range Wallbox charge time Rapid charge time Electric 265 miles 9hrs (est. 0-100%, 7.4kW)

29 mins (30-80%, 88kW)

BYD Dolphin verdict

We had high hopes for the BYD Dolphin, but a decent drive and confirmed prices have cemented the electric supermini’s place at – or very close to – the top of its class. It’s efficient, spacious and even the cheapest versions due in 2024 will get a big screen, leather-style seats and a plethora of camera kit. While we’ve not yet driven the entry-level model, we reckon the mid-spec Dolphin Comfort, with its long range and strong equipment list probably represents the sweet spot in the lineup. If you’re in the market for a great value small EV, add the BYD Dolphin to your list.

Details, specs and alternatives

The BYD Dolphin is the Chinese manufacturer’s second car to launch in the UK following the accomplished Atto 3 SUV. If you’ve never heard of BYD, don’t despair – the company is huge in its home market, and recently overtook Volkswagen at the top of the country’s overall sales charts. A third model – the BYD Seal saloon – is due later in 2023.

But the Dolphin is arguably one of the most exciting new EVs arriving this year. Priced from just over £25,000, it is one of the cheapest electric cars currently on sale – undercutting rivals like the MG4, Vauxhall Corsa ^[1] Electric, Peugeot e-208 and Renualt Zoe. It’s built on BYD’s state of the art e-Platform 3.0 – bringing all the packaging and efficiency benefits we’d expect from a bespoke electric-car architecture such as this.

At launch there is just one battery and motor combination available. The 60kWh battery is good for up to 265 miles, while the 201bhp motor allows this electric Ford Fiesta alternative to sprint from 0-62mph in seven seconds flat – albeit with a couple of caveats for the time being. You’ll need to read our ‘Performance, motor and drive’ section for a full explanation.

In early 2024, this version will be joined by a pair of less powerful (93bhp and 174bhp) models, mated to a smaller 45kWh battery. BYD claims these models will be capable of 193-211 miles on a charge. Four specs – Active (£25,490), Boost (£26,490), Comfort (£29,490) and Design (£30,990) – will be available in time, with all cars featuring a rotating 12.8-inch touchscreen, vegan leather seats and 360-degree cameras. Top-spec versions like the one we drove get a panoramic roof, privacy glass and wireless phone charging.

Range Wallbox charge time Rapid charge time 265 miles 9hrs (est 0-100%, 7.4kW)

29mins (30-80%, 88kW)

In time, two battery options (and three motors) will be available to BYD Dolphin customers. However, at launch, only the biggest 60kWh battery and most powerful 201bhp motor can be ordered – meaning a generous 265-mile range and competitive 88kW charging. The forthcoming standard range car gets a 45kWh battery and slower 60kW charging; range stands at between 193-211 miles depending on spec.

Frustratingly, BYD doesn’t offer 10-80% charge times ^[2] like most manufacturers – instead choosing to quote a shorter 30-80% time of 29 minutes for the bigger battery Dolphin. The MG4 Long Range will charge considerably faster (135kW) which helps make it a more accomplished motorway car, though those driving mainly around town will be well served by the cheaper BYD.

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Slower AC charging is possible at up to 11kW, though most UK homes fitted with a wallbox charger ^[3] are pegged at 7kW. Topping up from empty to full at these speeds will take around nine hours – or a little less for the smaller battery due in 2024.

Servicing and insurance costs are yet to be determined, but we expect running costs to largely mirror the BYD Dolphin’s low list price; there is no point undercutting rivals in this respect, only to charge owners more for upkeep.

Indeed, we found the Dolphin to be pretty efficient on our 100-mile test route. Even at faster motorway speeds the electric supermini was able to maintain a solid four miles per kWh; we suspect a much more impressive figure would be possible without too much effort.

0-62mph Top speed Driven wheels Power 7.0s 100mph Front 201bhp

We’ll start this section with a caveat: the BYD Dolphin we drove had software issues which significantly restricted the advertised power and performance. So instead of offering up a healthy 201bhp/310Nm, the version we tried felt more like the forthcoming entry-level 93bhp car due in 2024. An over-the-air fix was implemented overnight, but too late for us to have a go. We’ve been promised a car in the UK very soon.

So while we can’t comment on straight line speed, we were pleasantly surprised by the car’s composure – on all sorts of roads. Higher-spec models get a more complex rear suspension setup, and ride really nicely as a result. Body roll is well controlled through faster changes of direction, and on the motorway there is just enough travel in the springs and dampers to hide the very worst road imperfections.

An MG4 is more dynamic – helped by its rear-wheel-drive layout – but few Dolphin buyers will be disappointed by the way the BYD drives. The steering is light and lacks feel, but there is plenty of precision and the compact footprint means the car is perfectly easy to place on the road. Again, all of this comes with reservations: we need to drive a car with a customer-ready motor before offering a definitive verdict on how the Dolphin handles.

Regardless, we found the BYD to be quiet at motorway speeds, with less wind noise than you’ll find in an MG4. The Dolphin’s polarising low-speed warning sounds too like an ice cream van for our liking, though it’s not all that intrusive from the driver’s seat.

One thing we’d wish for would be a stronger regenerative braking system. As it stands there are two settings: Standard and High. Neither offers much in the way of retardation; unfortunately, those who favour a one-pedal setup will be left wanting.

In keeping with its name, the Dolphin gets a selection of ocean-themed design features inside the cabin. These include door handles modelled on a dolphin’s flipper, and a wave-inspired curved cubby on top of the dashboard. Most of it is relatively subtle, feeling cohesive and well thought out.

Cabin quality is acceptable, with enough textured surfaces to take the edge off any cheaper materials. Every car gets a vegan-friendly leather alternative for things like the seats and steering wheel which again gives a more premium feel to some of the key touchpoints. The buttons and switchgear all feel a little more upmarket than in an MG4.

Then there’s the infotainment system. All cars get a large 12.8-inch touchscreen that can rotate through 90 degrees depending on whether you like to view it in portrait or landscape mode. It’s the same as the one found in the BYD Atto 3, and while it does feel like a bit of a gimmick, it’s perfectly responsive – with all the features and functions you might wish for in a car of this type. A mismatch of fonts and typefaces and a slightly confusing menu setup is perhaps the only negative.

Length Width Height Boot volume (seats up/down) 4,290mm 1,770mm 1,570mm 345/1,310 litres

We’ve said it several times before, but building your new EV on a dedicated electric platform works wonders for internal packaging – evident in the compact but spacious Dolphin supermini.

With the external dimensions of a Ford Fiesta, space inside is superior to that offered in the larger Ford Focus. Room up front is generous enough but the chunky dashboard and centre console cocoon you in place, giving the car a driver-focused feel. It’s a different story in the back however, with the totally flat foor and relatively long wheelbase offering loads of leg and foot room for two adults to stretch out.

There is a middle seat but you’ll struggle to squeeze three across the back for anything more than short urban journeys. Headroom is adequate, though we’d be keen to try a car without the Design-spec’s panoramic roof – we suspect these variants could feel even roomier inside.

Storage is generous enough for a small car, with door bins and a decent-sized glove box, plus a large area under the centre console for storing odds and ends. There’s a shelf under the infotainment screen that looks like it should house the wireless charging pad. Alas, it doesn’t, which renders it a bit pointless unless your passenger wants somewhere to put their phone when not scrolling aimlessly through social media.

The boot is, again, a good size for a car in this class. However, this is still a supermini at heart; SUVs like the Peugeot e-2008 and Citroen e-C4 ^[4] are bigger, if quite a bit more expensive too. With 345 litres to play with, the BYD is roomy enough to carry the weekly shop or a couple of suitcases; the rear seats fold to uncover a 1,310-litre load bay.

BYD makes a lot of noise about its cutting-edge ‘Blade’ battery technology, which is apparently much safer than a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) setup. The battery’s honeycomb structure allegedly makes it stronger; the company’s engineers were keen to talk about the various stress tests the cells have undergone, including being penetrated with a nail, and driven over with a 50-tonne truck.

There’s no Euro NCAP ^[5] crash test rating for the BYD Dolphin yet, but a long list of standard features should all but ensure a strong score when the time comes. Every car gets forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and brake, plus lane departure warning and lane-keep assist.

It’s too early in BYD’s European journey to offer any solid UK-relevant reliability data, but the brand recently outsold Volkswagen in its home market of China, which should ensure the Dolphin and all of its hardware has been tried and tested sufficiently before launch here. We’re assured the troubles we experienced with the underpowered motor have subsequently been fixed with an over-the-air update.

References

^{^} Vauxhall Corsa (www.drivingelectric.com)
^{^} charge times (www.drivingelectric.com)
^{^} wallbox charger (www.drivingelectric.com)
^{^} Citroen e-C4 (www.drivingelectric.com)
^{^} Euro NCAP (www.drivingelectric.com)