BYD Dolphin review

Is the BYD Dolphin a good car? 

The BYD Dolphin is one of the best-value electric hatchbacks around. It doesn’t feel like a low-cost product thanks to its pleasant interior and impressive battery, but aggressive finance packages mean that it undercuts most other EVs when it comes to monthly costs. It’s not all that great to drive, but it is reasonably comfortable and has enough space in the cabin to work as a family car. Rivals like the Fiat 600e and MG4 are more fun and stylish, but if you don’t care about that, the Dolphin is the pragmatic choice.

How much does the BYD Dolphin cost? 

The BYD Dolphin range has four trim levels: Active, Boost, Comfort and Design. The entry-level car starts at around the £26,000 mark, and prices rise to just under £32,000 for the top-spec car, with the best-value versions being the Comfort and Design trim levels because they bring more kit for not much extra outlay.

The entry-level Active includes a 44.9kWh battery with 211 miles of range, a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, faux-leather upholstery, metallic paint and 16-inch alloy wheels. Boost trim boosts performance to 174bhp, increases the wheel size to 17 inches, and offers slightly quicker 11kW AC charging – although you’ll need access to an equally capable charger to take advantage of this, and not every home charger supports this. 

Spend a bit more, and the Comfort model comes with a 60.4kWh battery and a more potent 201bhp front-mounted motor that brings the range up to 265 miles on a single charge. This trim also has automatic folding mirrors, heated front seats, rear USB ports and an upgraded stereo. Meanwhile, the top-spec Design adds a panoramic sunroof, tinted windows, a wireless phone charging pad, and some tri-colour alloy wheels.

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The Dolphin has a comfortable ride over bumps and potholes, but the trade-off is that it feels out of its depth on twisty roads, and the powertrain isn’t as sophisticated as in some of its rivals. The 201bhp versions are quite fast, but not much fun to drive. If you appreciate cars with sharp handling, then the BYD probably isn’t for you. If you want something to get from A to B at a relaxed pace, you can’t go too far wrong with the Dolphin. Read more about the BYD Dolphin’s electric motors, performance and drive…

BYD started as a brand making battery packs, so it’s no surprise that the battery tech here is good. The entry-level model uses a 44.9kWh battery that’s good for about 200 miles, while the larger 60.4kWh pack manages over 260, which is on par with its rivals. We managed to get efficiency of around four miles per kWh in our testing, which is pretty average. Read more about the BYD Dolphin’s range, charging and running costs…

As with most cars from the BYD stable, the BYD Dolphin features a rotating touchscreen you can have in either portrait or landscape orientations at the touch of a button on the steering wheel. However, it’s the rest of the cabin that impresses most because this car feels more upmarket than the price tag suggests. The materials are good quality and don’t look cheap even though, with a closer look, they’re made of similar hard plastics to other cars at this price point. Read more about the BYD Dolphin’s interior, design and technology…

There’s lots of rear legroom and headroom in the BYD Dolphin, so it works well for daily duties as a family car. You sacrifice some boot space for that, though, so if you plan to use the car for carrying buggies or going to the dump, it might not be your best option. It’s only a little smaller than that of its rivals, though. Read more about the BYD Dolphin’s boot space, comfort and practicality…

The Dolphin stands out against many of its competitors for offering a longer six-year warranty than the industry standard of three years, so the fact that BYD promises to double that shows that it has confidence in its cars’ reliability. It scored well in crash tests, too. Read more about the BYD Seal’s reliability and safety…

BYD Dolphin alternatives 

The BYD Dolphin is the brand's smallest model, below the BYD Atto 3 SUV and BYD Seal saloon. It’s a hatchback and uses electric power only, so it’s a rival for models such as the Citroen e-C4, Fiat 600e, and Volkswagen ID.3, as well as higher-spec versions of electric superminis like the Peugeot E-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric. The MG4 is another hatchback EV focused on value, and it’s worth considering if you fancy something sharper to drive than the Dolphin.

BYD Dolphin long-term test

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Our senior sub-editor, Andy Pringle, lived with the BYD Dolphin for six months as part of our long-term test fleet. Andy was quickly impressed by the BYD's practicality, technology and low starting price, and this combination convinced him that the brand’s future in the UK is a bright one.

BYD’s battery expertise was evident in the Dolphin, too, with Andy managing to achieve over 200 miles of real-world range between charges. You can read the full long-term test here…