BYD Dolphin Surf Review 2025: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the BYD Dolphin Surf?

Well, it’s not a beach-inspired special edition of the BYD Dolphin, as the name suggests. The Dolphin Surf is an entirely different car – both smaller in size and more affordable.

So why does it share its name with the bigger Dolphin? Well, in BYD’s home market of China this car is called the Seagull, but in the UK that’s a bird best known for dive-bombing your bag of chips at the seaside. So BYD UK decided that naming its new car after a notorious pest wasn’t a good idea.

Dolphin Surf it is, then. But there’s a lot more to BYD’s new entry-level car than an unusual name. It’s one of the cheapest electric cars on sale, for example, but it’s a lot bigger, safer and better equipped than a Dacia Spring.

So, is the funky-looking Dolphin Surf a small electric car worth considering? Or are you better off spending a bit more money on more established alternatives? We find out in our in-depth review.

Verdict: is the BYD Dolphin Surf a good car?

We reckon the BYD Dolphin Surf is well worth a look if you’re after an affordable electric car. It’s far less compromised than cheaper EVs and offers a lot of car (and kit) for the money, with a decent amount of space and comfort to boot. There are better driving alternatives with easier-to-use tech, but if a Renault 5 is just out of reach the Surf is a good choice.

Pricing, specs & rivals

The BYD Dolphin Surf is very affordable by EV standards, with list prices kicking off at £18,650 for base Active trim. That’s despite BYD’s eligibility for the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant still to be confirmed.

Even with grant eligibility, rivals such as the Citroen e-C3 and Renault 5 E-Tech start from well over £20,000. To counter rivals’ discounts, BYD also now offers five years of free servicing along with a battery warranty extended to eight years and 155,000 miles.

The entry-level price of Active trim gets you the smallest battery option, but there’s still a comprehensive tally of standard kit on the cheapest Dolphin Surf including adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, sat-nav, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Upgrading to the Dolphin Surf Boost raises the price quite a bit to £21,950, but does add the larger battery pack giving you a much longer range. It also upgrades the Active’s 15in steel wheels to 16in alloys, while adding auto wipers, electric folding mirrors and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

Comfort trim, meanwhile, sits at £23,950. That’s mainly because it has substantially more power, but it also adds kit such as LED headlights, heated front seats, a 360-degree camera system, privacy glass and a wireless phone charging pad.

Rivals

Key competitors to the BYD Dolphin Surf are coming to market by the month. Currently, you’d likely be considering one alongside the Renault 5 E-Tech (and closely related Nissan Micra), Citroen e-C3, Fiat Grande Panda and Hyundai Inster.

Slightly more expensive options include the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Peugeot e-208, Mini Cooper E and Fiat 500e. But you might also be tempted by even cheaper offerings such as the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03.

BYD Dolphin Surf: Interior comfort, quality & technology

The interior of the BYD Dolphin Surf is quite similar in look to the larger Dolphin, just with a bit less colour and more basic materials. That’s no bad thing: it’s an attractive design by cheap car standards, and far more appealing to look at and touch than the cabins of Leapmotor or Dacia rivals.

General quality seems up there with more expensive options like the Citroen e-C3. There’s hard and scratchy plastics on the doors and lower dash, sure, but the two-tone effect and wetsuit-like soft-touch materials scattered throughout help lift the ambience. The Renault 5 is slightly ahead for material finish, however.

Is the layout easy to get on with? Yes and no. It’s nice to see plenty of physical controls on the steering wheel and some shortcut buttons on the dash. But the latter controls need to be rocked rather than pressed, which takes some getting used to. You also have to use the touchscreen or voice control to change the climate control settings, and oddly there’s no temperature settings, just random ‘levels’.

It’s easy to get comfortable in the Dolphin Surf’s driver’s seat, though. The steering wheel adjusts for both height and reach, and the seat is well-placed in line with the pedals. Very tall drivers might find knee space is a bit lacking, but overall it’s fine. Visibility is okay, too, but could be better out the back.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every Dolphin Surf features a 10.1-inch version of BYD’s infotainment system with its novel electrically rotating display. The screen itself is a couple of inches smaller than that found in bigger BYDs, like the Dolphin.

That’s worth mentioning, because the layout, icons and text are all very similar to those bigger screens, just shrunk down to fit. That makes the text small and tricky to read on the move and some of the icons fiddly to prod.

That’s a shame, because the screen itself is quick to respond and relatively usable by cheap car standards. You can configure shortcuts along the bottom of the screen, too, and it’s feature packed. A Renault 5’s touchscreen is far crisper to look at and easier to use, though.

The rotating screen function is ideal for showing a bird-eye view of the sat-nav in portrait mode, giving you more visibility of directions coming up. But although wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, if you switch to them the screen automatically motors back to landscape. That’s a shame as you must use BYD’s inferior in-built navigation to make use of it.

The seven-inch digital driver’s display gives you plenty of information, but in a small font that isn’t always easy to read at a glance. Still, not all electric cars even have a driver’s display. BYD’s voice control is also pretty effective.

In terms of connectivity you’ll find a USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt socket under the dash – those USBs can output 60 watts of power for faster charging too. Wireless phone charging features on top spec, though its disappointing (if forgivable in a cheap car) that there’s no USB connectors for the rear seats. The four-speaker audio system delivers reasonable sound quality by cheap car standards.

How practical is the BYD Dolphin Surf?

The BYD Dolphin Surf’s exterior dimensions (3,990mm long, 1,720mm wide and 1,590mm tall) make it considerably larger than a Dacia Spring or Leapmotor T03. It’s also longer and taller (but narrower) than the Renault 5.

This is no compromised city car inside, then – you’ll find space for four six-footers to get reasonably comfortable. Granted, the Surf’s limited width means broader adults will find shoulder room up front a little tight, but overall it’s far from cramped, and there’s plenty of headroom.

Legroom in the back is better than the Renault 5, meaning a couple of adults won’t feel too short-changed even on longer trips and kids will have loads of space to spare. The seats are comfortable and the backrests are nicely reclined, too, so you’re not sat bolt upright like in some small cars.

Bear in mind that the BYD is only a four-seater with two rear seatbelts, while headroom isn’t as generous as a Citroen e-C3. It’s nice to see three ISOFIX points across every passenger seat, though – a lot of small cars don’t offer that.

Storage and boot space

There’s a good amount of storage in front the cabin of the Dolphin Surf. The floating centre console features two quite large cupholders on top (not ideal for smaller drinks that will spill) and a huge open storage space for handbags or big water bottles underneath it. Smaller bottles will go in the decent-sized door pockets, and the glovebox is an okay size.

The BYD Dolphin Surf’s boot capacity is 308 litres, which lines up competitively with the Renault 5 and Citroen e-C3. Granted, it doesn’t look like much at first glance, but it’s a pretty good space for a small EV such as this.

It’s certainly not a deep space, and the boot opening itself is quite narrow. But the load area is quite tall, so you could put a couple of average-sized suitcases standing up in there. There’s no parcel shelf because the reclined rear seats meet the rear window.

We also like the chunky underfloor storage for the charging cables (making up for the lack of a front boot) and the rear seats are easy to fold down to substantially increase the load area. There is a big load lip, however.

Performance & drive: What is the BYD Dolphin Surf like on the road?

There’s a surprising difference in performance as you move up the Dolphin Surf’s range, making the cheaper variants less appealing for those looking to go further afield than town.

Both Active and Boost trim make do with a modest 87hp electric motor powering the front wheels. That’s slightly less than a Leapmotor T03, but more than a Dacia Spring. Either way, it’s officially quicker from 0-62mph than both cars.

You might expect the aptly named ‘Boost’ trim to give you a jump in performance, but it doesn’t. It’s actually slower in the benchmark sprint than the base trim because of the extra weight of the bigger battery. We’ve not tried it yet, but while it’s unlikely to be anything like as lethargic as a Spring it’ll probably feel a bit laboured getting up to speed on faster roads and motorways.

That’s where Comfort trim comes in. Peak power almost doubles to a healthy 154hp, making it feel faster than even the much reduced 0-62mph time suggests. It’ll actually spin up its front wheels if you’re not careful away from the lights in bad weather, though the throttle response isn’t overly sharp to help you avoid this.

In Comfort trim the Dolphin Surf matches the Renault 5 Urban Range for performance and beats the Citroen e-C3, with ample acceleration even on the motorway.

One disappointment is the BYD’s regenerative braking system, which is surprisingly subtle. Even in its maximum regen mode it barely slows down, and there’s no one-pedal driving mode. Apparently Chinese motorists aren’t keen on the regen effect, but as the brake pedal action isn’t particularly smooth either it’s not ideal when rivals are better resolved.

Power, 0-62mph times

• BYD Dolphin Surf Active: 87hp/ 11.1 secs
• BYD Dolphin Surf Boost: 87hp/ 12.1 secs
• BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort: 154hp/ 9.1 secs

Ride and handling

On the road the Dolphin Surf is perfectly competent but not outstanding in any area. It’s far more grown-up than rivals from Dacia and Leapmotor but falls some way short of the ride and handling standard set by the Renault 5.

BYD has struck a decent balance between about-town comfort and agility, with the Dolphin Surf’s light steering and tight turning circle making it ideal for low-speed manoeuvres. There isn’t too much body roll unless you push hard, while the ride is generally comfortable over potholes and speed bumps.

Push it beyond its intended purpose (on a typically British B-road, for example) and it starts to lose composure. The steering’s numbness means it’s hard to judge the Surf’s modest amount of grip, while really craggy tarmac makes the ride a bit unsettled and noisy. But that’s setting expectations high, and by cheap small car standards there’s nothing bad about the BYD.

Noise and refinement

Despite it’s clear urban focus the Dolphin Surf is quite well-behaved at a cruise. The ride smooths out at motorway speeds to make it comfortable, and although some wind noise is evident, road and tyre noise are better isolated than the Renault 5 or Citroen e-C3. The electric motor also stays well-hushed.

Euro NCAP: is the BYD Dolphin Surf a safe car?

While some cheaper electric cars (like the Dacia Spring) have poor Euro NCAP scores and some haven’t been tested altogether, BYD boasts a class-leading five-star crash-test rating for the Dolphin Surf.

That’s a better rating than a Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster, and also embarrasses some more expensive models. A particularly strong 87% child occupant protection score standards out, but all other rating areas are strong too.

Helping the Dolphin Surf’s performance is the extensive suite of safety aids across the range. Even the cheapest variants get six airbags, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane assist, traffic sign recognition and a driver monitoring system.  

Charging, range and running costs

As with its pricing, the BYD Dolphin Surf’s range figures vary quite a bit depending on the version you opt for – so don’t assume the cheapest is the one to go for.

Opting for the entry-level Active gets you a tiny 30kWh (usable) battery pack, which is about half the size of the average EV. This gives the Active a range of 137 miles in official WLTP testing – which could be a fair bit less in cold weather and on the motorway.

It’s also a range that’s comfortably beaten by the Leapmotor T03 and even sits fractionally behind the Dacia Spring. It’ll be enough for urban use and the odd trip further afield, but will only suit as a second car for many.

The mid-range Dolphin Surf Boost seems more usable with its 43.2kWh battery capacity. That ups the official distance on a charge to 200 miles, which beats the Citroen e-C3 and matches the base Hyundai Inster. Top-spec Comfort variants sacrifice seven miles of official range for a healthy boost in performance.

Like other BYDs and some rivals, the Dolphin Surf uses lithium-ion phosphate (LFP batteries). These batteries are cheaper to produce and use fewer rare-earth metals than traditional lithium-ion packs, while also boasting a longer lifespan and potentially better durability. However, they are less energy dense.

Unlike other BYD models, the Dolphin Surf doesn’t appear to have a heat pump fitted in the UK. This means that the battery range in winter could be impacted more by using the heater than in EVs with one fitted – but that’s yet to be verified.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures) H4

• BYD Dolphin Surf Active: 137 miles
• BYD Dolphin Surf Boost: 200 miles
• BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort: 193 miles

As with other cheap electric cars, the Dolphin Surf doesn’t boast amazing DC rapid charging speeds. The entry-level Active model manages a peak of 65kW, which isn’t great but is at least faster than the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03. And, crucially, a small battery pack means a 10-80% charge is possible in under 30 minutes.

Boost and Comfort variants have a higher peak charging rate of 85kW. That’s decent, but because the battery is larger than Active these actually take a couple of minutes longer to achieve the same 10-80% charge.

We’d expect more small EVs like the Dolphin Surfs to charge at home or on slower AC chargers, which is where these cars shine. A typical 7.4kWh home wallbox can fully charge Active models in just five hours, while all Surfs accept 11kW three-phase charging which (with a suitable charger) can reduce that to just over three hours.

All Dolphin Surfs also boast Vehicle to Load tech, allowing you to plug in an adaptor and power devices or household appliances. This is great for camping, for example, where an electric air pump or grill could utilise the car’s battery.

Charging speeds

(Figures from EV Database)

• 7kW charging: 5hrs (Active) / 7hrs (Boost/Comfort)
• 11kW charging: 3hrs 15 mins / 4hrs 45 mins
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 38 mins / 48 mins
• 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 29 mins / 32 mins

How much does the BYD Dolphin Surf cost to insure?

Although Chinese electric cars aren’t always cheap to insure, the BYD Dolphin Surf’s insurance groups are impressively low. Active and Boost models sit in insurance group 14 – that’s quite a bit lower than the Renault 5, Fiat Grande Panda and Citroen e-C3.

Opting for the much more powerful Comfort spec only takes the Surf to group 19 – considerably lower than the much slower and more basic Leapmotor T03.