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The BYD Dolphin is a value-focused Chinese electric car with a few tricks up its sleeve. Can it take on the establishment? Lawrence Allan finds out in our in-depth review
Things you'll like
- Funky and well-equipped cabin
- Surprisingly roomy and comfortable
- Most models have strong performance
Things to consider
- An MG4 is more fun to drive
- Some rivals charge faster
- Driver assists need finessing
What is the BYD Dolphin?
Well, it’s not an attempt to shoehorn the qualities of a much-loved aquatic mammal into a car, despite the name. It’s actually a compact and affordable electric hatchback from one of the world’s largest car companies.
Yes, that’s right, in case you weren’t aware BYD (which stands, curiously, for Build Your Dreams) is a Chinese goliath. The wider company makes everything from electric bicycles to monorails, with a £50bn annual turnover. It’s also a manufacturing colossus, building 20% of all smartphones and half of all iPads sold globally.
In the last quarter of 2023 BYD hit a milestone by selling more EVs around the world than Tesla, and topped a million sales in the first eight months of 2024. It’s no small player, then, and proof that the influx of Chinese brands in the European market should be taken seriously.
The Dolphin sits at the bottom of BYD’s range alongside the Atto 3 midsize SUV, the Seal executive saloon and the new Sealion 7 premium SUV. Like all those models, the Dolphin uses BYD’s own batteries and hardware, unlike most supplier-reliant European rivals.
Does the porpoise-built Dolphin make a splash (sorry) in the small EV sector? Or is it just another also-ran? Read our in-depth review to find out more.
Verdict: is the BYD Dolphin a good car?
Many agree that there aren’t enough compelling affordable electric cars on sale, but the BYD Dolphin is one that deserves to shake up the market.
It might not be the coolest or the most engaging-to-drive EV hatch out there, but for sheer value-for-money the Dolphin’s range of talents is hard to beat. It’s more spacious than small electric car competition, absolutely loaded to the gills with standard kit, easy and comfortable to drive and pleasant to sit in.
A competitive range on a charge is the icing on the cake, although the rapid charging speed is nothing to write home about. Overall, the Dolphin is among the standard-bearers of cheap EVs.
Pricing, specs & rivals
When the BYD Dolphin first swam over to UK shores it arrived in higher-spec Comfort and Design trim. Now, though, entry-level Active and Boost variants bring the starting price down to an extremely enticing level.
At the time of writing prices start from just over £26,000 for an Active model. We (and BYD) reckon most buyers will step up to Boost, bringing a considerable performance jump for just £1000 extra.
Comfort and Design models push the list price over £30,000, but their more desirable kit tally and better resale value should keep monthly leasing costs keen.
Key competitors include the slightly larger MG4 and more expensive Cupra Born, along with the slightly smaller MINI Cooper Electric, Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Jeep Avenger. By comparison, the MG is slightly more expensive across the board, while the Dolphin undercuts most of its other rivals too. Only the GWM Ora 03 is cheaper.
What makes the Dolphin stand out value-wise, though, is the generous equipment tally across the board. Even base Active models get adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, vehicle-to-load tech (that’s powering household appliances from the car) and even a heat pump. It also features the headline-grabbing rotating touchscreen, plus a 360-degree parking camera.
Stepping up to Boost doesn’t just add performance, it also brings larger 17-inch alloy wheels and a more sophisticated rear suspension setup.
Comfort trim adds the bigger battery along with front parking sensors and electrically folding door mirrors. Top-spec Design features two-tone exterior paint, a panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, privacy glass and jazzier alloy wheels.
Interior comfort, quality & technology
Small, affordable cars tend to keep things simple when it comes to cabin design – minimalism is the name of the game when you’re trying to keep costs down. The BYD Dolphin bucks that trend with what’s meant to be a maritime theme reflecting the car’s name.
It’s not exactly mimicking a North Atlantic trawler in there, but the door handles are sculpted to look like a dolphin’s fin, there’s wave-like detailing on top of the dash and you can specify lashings of sea blue trim
Some may reckon it’s overstyled, but it stands up next to some of the more style-oriented cabins from Peugeot and MINI rivals. Quality is good, too, bar the odd cheaper trim areas and slight sensory overload of the variety of materials.
We also like that entry-level Dolphins don’t feel like poor relations, either, certainly when it comes to standard kit. Every model comes with electrically adjustable sports seats that are decently comfortable, albeit missing adjustable lumbar support. But you get plenty of adjustment in the wheel for the tallest or smallest to find a good driving position.
While you aren’t as perched high as you are in an SUV, the Dolphin’s driver’s seat is mounted higher than in a MINI, so it’ll strike a good compromise overall. It also means a good view forward, with a tall windscreen, low dashboard and narrow rear pillars allowing a confidence-inspiring over-the-shoulder view.
Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity
Undoubtedly the star of the show inside the Dolphin is the 12.8-inch central touchscreen. It’s the same display you’ll find in larger, more expensive BYD models, making its inclusion across the range all the more impressive here.
It’s party piece isn’t the screen’s size, though: the whole bezel is motorised, allowing it to be rotated from portrait to landscape orientation at the touch of a button. It’s a feature more akin to luxury cars than a small EV.
While it’s a trick that’ll impress your mates once or twice, you’ll probably find you choose the layout that works best for you and leave it there. Portrait orientation is great for the in-built sat-nav map, but the screen partially blocks your view out. It also won’t display the standard Android Auto and (wireless)Apple CarPlay integration in this orientation.
Elsewhere, the screen itself has bright and smart graphics, while it responds promptly to inputs. Even so, some of the menus can be a little baffling until you get used to them, while we’d like to see physical climate control switches that are much easier to operate on the move. Still, we reckon it’s a much better system than the one in the MG4.
The Dolphin’s voice control system is pretty effective, too, helping to mitigate the complexity of the screen’s menus. Other connectivity includes dual front and rear USB-C connectors (with one of each converted to USB-A in Comfort and Design trims, oddly), a 12-volt socket and even an SD card slot. We’ve only tried the uprated six-speaker stereo which gives decent sound quality.
How practical is the BYD Dolphin?
The Dolphin straddles the small car and family hatchback sector in size, with dimensions of 4.29m in length, 1.77m in width and 1.57m in height. That makes it longer and (surprisingly) taller than the Volvo EX30, which is marketed as an SUV.
Passenger space is generous as a result – indeed it’s one of our favourite aspects of the smallest BYD. Nobody except the loftiest basketball players will struggle for head or leg space up front, while the footwells are spacious.
Similarly the rear is a noticeable step up in size from something like a Peugeot e-208 – in fact it might even be roomier than the Renault Megane E-Tech from the class above. Six-footers can get comfortable without arguing with those in the front over kneeroom, and the tall roofline means generous headroom – even three could squeeze in for short journeys. Our only gripe is the lack of foot space underneath the front seats.
Storage and boot space
As well as plenty of cabin space, you’ll find a good level of oddments storage aboard the BYD Dolphin. Up front that includes chunky door bins, a big glovebox, two centre cupholders, a generous under-armrest storage cubby and an area for phone storage and charging.
In the back there are decent-sized door bins with separate cupholders, pockets in the front seatbacks with smaller phone holders above those, and a further two cupholders in the flip-down armrest. It’s a practical, well thought-out space that BYD has clearly invested in.
The Dolphin’s boot space is also useful for a (relatively) small car. Its 345-litre capacity is far larger than a MINI and trumps the Corsa, even if an MG 4’s boot is a chunk larger still. It’s not quite big enough to serve as the sole family car for most, but it’ll easily handle the weekly shop.
A height-adjustable boot floor leaves space underneath for your charging cables while also removing the load lip, making it easier to slide heavy items into the boot. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split, which is unremarkable but typical at this price point. Even the lack of any sort of front boot is expected given the Dolphin’s size and value.
Performance & drive: What is the BYD Dolphin like on the road?
As a town-focused car the BYD Dolphin doesn’t need to pin you in the back of your seat like a rollercoaster. Even so, most versions offer surprisingly satisfying performance.
That doesn’t apply to the entry-level Active model with its modest 95hp. 0-62mph comes up in 12.3 seconds, which was a fine figure by petrol small car standards a decade ago but looks off the pace today. Even so, thanks to the instant response of the electric motor the Active is perfectly able to keep up with traffic, only feeling a touch out of its depth on the motorway.
There’s a sizeable jump in performance with the Boost model, boasting not far off double the power at 176hp. That’s enough for 0-62mph in just 7.5 seconds – we’d class that as warm hatch pace. It certainly feels swift given the Dolphin isn’t brimming with sporting intent.
Upgrading to Comfort and Design models brings even more power – 204hp to be precise – although that’s mainly there to offset the extra weight of the bigger batteries. A 0-62mph time of seven seconds is impressive, though, meaning the Dolphin is up there with the top-spec MINI Cooper SE for straight-line speed. It’ll also provoke wheelspin if you’re ham-fisted away from junctions, however.
The Dolphin’s brake pedal responds well enough and stops the car with gusto. Our main issue is with the regenerative braking, which doesn’t slow the car with much strength even in its highest setting (apparently, regen braking is not as desirable feature in China).
Power, 0-62mph times
- BYD Dolphin Active: 95hp/0-62mph: 12.3 seconds
- BYD Dolphin Boost: 176hp/0-62mph: 7.5 seconds
- BYD Dolphin Comfort: 204hp/0-62mph: 7.0 seconds
- BYD Dolphin Design: 204hp/0-62mph: 7.0 seconds
Ride and handling
It doesn’t take long behind the wheel of the Dolphin to realise that it’s very much a comfort-oriented car – despite those brisk performance stats.
Opting for the Active model brings a simple torsion beam rear suspension setup, whereas Boost, Comfort and Design trims (expected to take the lion’s share of sales) feature a more upmarket multi-link setup.
The Active variant feels the most softly-sprung, which makes it great for absorbing sharp potholes and speed bumps around town but noticeably less stable and controlled out of town. No Dolphin feels remotely sporty, though.
Despite decent grip levels and relatively precise steering, the plentiful body lean and floaty feeling over mid-corner bumps means you’re actively discouraged from keen driving. We doubt that’ll matter to most Dolphin buyers (indeed they’ll be happy with the isolating town ride) but those who like a bit of verve will much prefer the MINI Cooper Electric or MG4. The Peugeot e-208 is also a more mature all-rounder.
Noise and refinement
By small, cheap-ish car standards the Dolphin does a decent job of isolating occupants from the outside road. Wind noise is noticeable at higher speeds but not too intrusive, while road noise isn’t a particular issue and the electric motor doesn’t whine incessantly on the move. A Peugeot e-208 is a more refined motorway companion, however.
Euro NCAP: is BYD Dolphin a safe car?
With crash test body Euro NCAP’s testing regime now stricter than ever, the days of cars getting the maximum five stars by default are over. It’s pleasing, then, to see BYD achieve the highest rating with the Dolphin.
Individual category scores are strong across the board for occupants, vulnerable road users and safety assists – ahead of the e-208 and Corsa Electric despite both being tested under the older, less stringent regime. A great effort from BYD.
What’s more, standard safety kit is extensive, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, rear-cross traffic alert and rear collision warning. Lane keeping assistance also features, but like many systems of its type we find it too intrusive for many UK driving situations. The Dolphin also has a habit of bonging far too much while driving, meaning systems designed to keep you safe end up being more distracting.
Charging, range and running costs
Cheap and cheerful the Dolphin may be (for an EV) but it delivers a wholly competitive range on a charge for a small car. That’ll vary depending on which one you go for, though.
Entry-level Active and Boost models have a 46kWh battery pack, of which an impressive 44.9kWh is usable capacity. That translates to a WLTP range of 211 miles for the Active and 196 miles for the more powerful Boost.
Upgrading to Comfort or Design brings a 62kWh battery with 60kWh of usable capacity. Both have an official range of 265 miles – ahead of the bigger battery Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall e-Corsa, for example.
Unsurprisingly the Active model is the most efficient given its modest power. We managed a seriously impressive 5.3 miles per kWh in mixed driving, smashing the official range figure for around 238 miles on a charge. All Dolphins should prove affordable to charge and run, though.
As we’ve come to expect from BYD the Dolphin’s battery pack uses a Lithium-Ion Phosphate (LFP) chemistry rather than the more typical lithium-ion packs found in rivals. BYD claims this not only makes the battery cheaper to produce, but it doesn’t use the rare earth metal cobalt and is meant to be more stable, durable and better able to withstand repeated rapid charging.
Overall, the Dolphin delivers easily enough range on a charge for its intended purpose: an urban-focused hatchback with the capability to manage longer runs.
Range on a charge (WLTP combined figures)
- BYD Dolphin Active (45kWh): 211 miles
- BYD Dolphin Boost (45kWh): 196 miles
- BYD Dolphin Comfort (60kWh): 265 miles
- BYD Dolphin Design (60kWh): 265 miles
Where the Dolphin impresses less is with its charging speeds. The 60kWh models can accept rapid DC charge at up to 88kW, while the smaller battery versions see that peak drop to just 60kW. Both promise a 10-80% charge in about 40 minutes, which is reasonable but behind the MG 4 or rivals from Vauxhall and Peugeot.
Active and Boost models also have AC charging limited to just 7.4kW – fine for a home wallbox, but unable to make use of three-phase destination charging. That capability comes with the Comfort and Design versions.
Charging speeds
(Based on 60kWh, figures from EV database)
- 7kW charging: 9hrs 45m
- 11kW charging: 6hrs 30m
- 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 67 mins
- 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 41 mins
How much does the BYD Dolphin cost to insure?
Insurance costs for the BYD Dolphin vary considerably depending on which version you go for. The entry-level Active model sits in insurance group 23, which should put it amongst the cheapest new electric cars to insure. However the more powerful and expensive Boost variant sits in insurance group 31, with Comfort and Design rising to group 33.
BYD Dolphin FAQs
Is the BYD Dolphin fully electric?
Yes, the BYD Dolphin is powered by an all-electric drive system, using a 45 or 60 kWh battery combined with an electric motor driving the front wheels only.
How much is the BYD Dolphin to buy?
The entry-level BYD Dolphin Active looks good value at £26,195, while more powerful and longer-range variants are available with the top-spec BYD Dolphin Design prices from £31,695. Prices are correct as of October 2024.
How long to BYD batteries last?
We can’t say for sure how long BYD’s batteries last but the Dolphin has a battery warranty of 8 years or 160,000km, whichever comes first. BYD’s LFP battery chemistry is known for being long-lasting and durable, able to withstand lots of fast charging without deterioration.
