BYD Dolphin - Boot space, comfort & practicality
Luggage space isn’t a highlight, but there’s plenty of room for people in the BYD Dolphin
The BYD Dolphin is a five-door family hatchback, about the size of a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. Its electric rivals are the Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4, as well as more SUV-like options like the Fiat 600e.
All versions are the same size no matter what trim you pick because there’s no raised-up SUV-lite version or lowered sporty model in the range. Boot space stays the same no matter which model you choose since the 45kWh and 60kWh battery packs don’t compromise interior space.
|
Dimensions | |
|
Length |
4,290mm |
|
Width |
1,770mm |
|
Height |
1,570mm |
|
Number of seats |
5 |
|
Boot space |
345 litres |
Dimensions and size
The BYD Dolphin is 4.3m long, 1.77m wide and 1.57m high, so it’s bigger than a Fiat 600e. It’s slightly longer and taller than a Volkswagen ID.3 but not quite as wide. It may be BYD’s smallest car, but it’s not a supermini like the Peugeot E-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric, which are both smaller and more cramped inside.
How practical is the BYD Dolphin?
Seats & space in the front
The front seats are an odd shape, and some of our testers found them to be a bit uncomfortable, so you should sit in them before you buy a Dolphin to check if they work for you. There’s plenty of space up front for two adults.
Seats & space in the back
The Dolphin’s back seats are comfortable, with lots of legroom and headroom, so it’s ideal for families. Kids will have no issues fitting in the back seats, and even adults will find it pretty comfy. Three ISOFIX child seat mounting points are standard, so finding a position for a car seat will be no problem. There's one on the front passenger seat and two on the outer positions of the rear bench, and the fixing points in the back are easy to locate through large plastic openings.
Boot space
The BYD Dolphin has a 345-litre boot with the rear seats in place, which can be expanded to 1,310 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down. This is quite a bit smaller than the Volkswagen ID.3, which is considered one of the less roomy cars in its class, and could be an issue if you have a large buggy to carry. If you spend more on something like a Renault Megane E-Tech, you’ll find a much more spacious boot.
However, models around the same price as the BYD have less space, such as the supermini Peugeot E-208 (311 litres).
