Images
Chinese maker BYD gets serious about the British market with this small EV hatch, the Dolphin. It looks better value and more practical than the established class alternatives. And there are a few quirky touches too.
+ More
Detailed ratings
Compact Full Electric Cars
Background
It's about time we had a wider range of more affordable supermini-sized EVs and at last, it looks like the choice is widening. Here's the BYD Dolphin, a cheerily named contender to take on established class favourites like the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Peugeot E-208.
The Dolphin slots in just above the compact Atto 2 Crossover in the Chinese maker's range. Keeping with the marine theme, BYD also has larger Seal and Sealion models. But Dolphins are our focus here. What's this one like? Let's see.
This of course is just the start of BYD's product offensive, overseen by a UK dealer network that'll grow hugely in the coming years. By then, we may also be seeing this Shenzhen-based company's Yangwang premium EV brand, which will bring us luxury sports cars and SUVs.
+ More
Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 30230 | 31730 |
| Insurance group 1-50 | 33 | 33 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 99 | 99 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 7 | 7 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 265 | 265 |
| Min | Max |
| Length (mm) | 4070 | 4070 |
| Width (mm) | 1770 | 1770 |
| Height (mm) | 1570 | 1570 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 345 | 345 |
| Power (ps) | 204 | 204 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 310 | 310 |
Driving experience
BYD now offers two quite different drivetrains for this Dolphin. This car is most familiar as an EV - and in electric form, it's now only offered with a 60.4kWh battery paired to a front-mounted 204PS motor with 310Nm of torque. The car dispatches 62mph in just 7s and offers a WLTP-rated range of 265 miles. The alternative is the Dolphin G DM-i, a Plug-in Hybrid offering a range of up to 621 miles on a full charge with a full tank of petrol.
Go for the EV version and you get a battery featuring a uniquely-dense 'Blade'-style construction. Underneath the car is the same modular 'e-Platform 3.0' chassis used by the brand's larger Atto 3 and Seal models. And, like all EVs, this one makes a noise at low speeds. The difference here though, is that you can alter the sort of low-speed noise it makes - either a conventional ambient hum or, more joyfully, a sound like a tinkling ice cream van. Which you'll either find endearing or annoying.
Don't expect anything particularly dynamically engaging on the move, but multi-link rear suspension is fitted above base trim and the Dolphin EV does give you four drive modes - 'Sport', 'Normal', 'Snow' and 'Eco' - which alter throttle response and steering weight. You'll need 'Sport' of course to make the car feel in any way energetic. Or to approach the modest top speed of 99mph; that's for most models; the base 'Active' version manages just 93mph. Across the line-up, expect the usual impressive EV refinement. And ride quality tuned appropriately for comfort, rather than careering about.
+ More
Design and build
Whether or not you like the look of this Dolphin will be a matter of personal preference but there's no doubt it's been sized cleverly, length-wise splitting the difference between a Peugeot E-208 and Volkswagen ID.3. Just the kind of thing many customers might be looking for, provided they're not seeking any sort of Crossover vibe because (refreshingly) there's none of that here.
You might rightly conclude that this BYD's most obvious rival, the MG 4, is a little more arresting to look at, but the Dolphin is an arguably more engaging thing inside. It doesn't feel cheap, thanks to a dashboard covered in soft-touch plastics and vegan leather. Plus there are some bright colour combinations and a few eccentric touches, like door handles modelled on a dolphin's flipper. And BYD's party piece, a revolving 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that at the press of a button turns from landscape to portrait.
Rather impressively, power-operated seats are standard on all variants. And there's a surprising amount of rear seat space - considerably more than you'd get in an MG4; a six-footer could sit behind a similarly-sized driver in relative comfort, which wouldn't normally be the case in a car of this size. Luggage space though, is restricted to 345-litres (less than an MG4) and isn't embellished by any further space beneath the bonnet. The boot has a removable floor panel under which you can hide the charging leads. Fold the rear bench and up to 1,310-litres of space becomes available.
+ More
Market and model
As with the Atto 3, BYD isn't looking to substantially undercut its main competitors on price but the Dolphin still looks decent value, though doesn't qualify for a government grant. Expect similar pricing, whether you go for the EV or the G DM-i Plug-in Hybrid. There's a choice of 'Comfort' or plusher 'Design' trim levels and for the EV with its 60.4kWh battery, prices start from around £30,000 for the 'Comfort' variant. BYD also offers a commercial 'Cargo e-Van' van version (also priced from around £30,000 as long as you don't include VAT) - but for that, you'll have to have the EV drivetrain.
BYD's big market advantage is that, unlike other brands, it makes all its EV drivetrain components itself: batteries, motors, control units, semiconductors - the lot. Which is why instead of waiting months for your car, as is currently the case with EVs from some other brands in this segment, a Dolphin can be with you in no more than a couple of weeks.
And it'll be very well equipped. Avoid entry trim and you get 17-inch alloy wheels and multi-link rear suspension. Stretch to top 'Design'-spec and you'll get a panoramic roof, Two-Tone 'Colour Palette' paint work, 'Tri-colour' alloy wheels, privacy glass in the rear seats and wireless smartphone charging. Plus a Vehicle-to-Load function that allows you to charge external devices (like, say, a camping light or an EV bike) directly from the car.
Across the range, there are features like LED headlamps and tail lights. Plus a huge 12.8-inch central touchscreen with 4G Internet access and the company's 'BYD DiLink' suite of media systems. There's also an 8-year 'Cloud service' that gives you 1.5Gb of data per month for free for the first two years. Expect a wide range of camera safety features too.
+ More
Cost of ownership
As with the Atto 3, the battery used here is of the unique-to-BYD lithium-ion-phosphate 'Blade' variety, which incorporates cells mounted in the strips directly to the pack. Which, the Chinese maker says, allows for a much higher cell density than a conventional battery could offer. So a much higher driving range then? Afraid not. The 265 mile range you get with the EV version's 60.4kWh battery is reasonably class-competitive, but way off being class leading (a 64kWh MG4 manages 281 miles and a Hyundai Kona Electric manages 304 miles for instance). BYD claims an efficiency figure of 4.4 miles per kWh; expect more like 3.5 miles per kWh in the real world. To preserve driving range in cold conditions, a heat pump is standard.
You'd think that BYD building, designing and owning this car's entire set of EV drivetrain components (including battery and semiconductors) would allow the company to make the Dolphin the first car in its segment to offer a truly modern 800V electrical architecture capable of allowing charging with the new breed of ultra-rapid DC public chargers. But no, it's the same conventional 400V system as everyone else uses - and with the EV version's battery, there's an 11kW on-board charger which, when connected to a public 150kW DC charger allows the Dolphin to be charged to a modest maximum of 88kW. At that speed, a 30-80% boost takes 29 minutes. Quite a few competitors can do a 10-80% charge in that kind of time though. An AC charge from a home 7kW single-phase wallbox with the EV takes 9 hours and 42 minutes from empty to full. If you can use an 11kW 3-phase charger, that figure falls to six and a half hours.
+ More
Summary
The Atto 3 may have been BYD's first car in our market but the Dolphin has also played iits part in establishing this well-funded but fledgling Chinese brand. Yes, there's a big step up in price for one of these if you're graduating on from a combustion-powered small hatch. At the same time though, we can't help but think that many of the people currently paying up to £10,000 or so more for only fractionally larger compact EV hatches like the Kia Niro EV and the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo would probably be just as happy in a Dolphin.
So should you take the plunge with one of these? If you don't care about choosing an unknown brand and can work around the restraints of the company's still rather restricted dealer network, then a Dolphin certainly ought to make the shortlist of someone in search of a small EV hatch. It's a car that sets out to flip a few established norms; and you might like it for that.
+ More
Have you considered these alternative models...
Find a Review
We have over 500 new and used car reviews to help you find your next car.
Browse reviews and model guides for all makes
