Item: BYD Dolphin
Rating: 3.5

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The BYD Dolphin is the second step in the Chinese giant’s plans to become a major presence in the UK. Bobbing in the wake of the BYD Atto 3 crossover, it's an electric hatchback sized roughly between the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Volkswagen ID 3.

The Dolphin sits below the Atto 3 and Seal saloon in the brand's electric line-up and it's aimed directly at Chinese counterpart MG and its 4 electric hatchback.

Don't assume the name is a misnomer: the Dolphin, along with the Seal saloon, forms part of the brand's 'Ocean Series' line-up of electric cars, which have been named after sea creatures because of their 'Ocean aesthetics'.

In all honesty, we can't see much ocean-related design in the Dolphin, and opting for a quirky name isn't anything new; remember the Ora Funky Cat (now Ora 03) electric hathcback?

Beyond its quirky name, BYD is aiming to bring genuine affordability to the UK's electric car market – something that rivals like MG and Ora have managed to achieve with their respective battery-powered models.

So is the BYD Dolphin set to shake up the small electric car market in the UK? Let's find out.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

BYD Dolphin

If you can live with some of the foibles, there’s a lot of medium-range compact electric car for the money

Good

Soft suspension set-up makes it comfortable and inoffensive to drive

Spacious and practical cabin that's roomy enough for adults

Electric range is impressive at this price point

Bad

Infotainment screen is ill-configured and frustrating to use on the move

Strong smell of plastic inside the cabin is unwelcoming

Unsettled ride and numb steering fail to drum up much excitement

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Clever platform and battery configuration mean more space inside

Bright colour palette adds to quirky character

Cons

Build Your Dreams logo on bootlid looks a tad uncomfortable

Active models only get 16in wheels and torsion beam rear suspension

If you think all electric cars look and feel the same, BYD has something to say about that. Styling wise, there is an unassuming air to the Dolphin’s appearance, especially when finished in one of its more muted colour options.

But BYD want people to buy its electric hatchback because they love the style and individuality, rather than because it's cheap – hence why the Dolphin's colour options are so broad.

Go for one of the more vivid shades of pink and purple and the Dolphin goes from inoffensive EV to a much more off-the-wall machine, especially when compared with rivals like the Volkswagen ID 3.

While its costume might be all funk and show, what lies underneath the Dolphin is more familiar. It’s underpinned by BYD's e-Platform 3.0, which uses the brand’s own lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade battery.

The cobalt-free battery pack has its cells arranged in strips that run the length of the platform rather than more traditional cylindrical or cuboid structures. You can have either a 44.9kWh or 60.4kWh pack.

Lower-rung Active and Boost models come fitted with the smaller battery, while the rangier and well-equipped Comfort and Design versions get the bigger pack.

Entry-level Active gets a 94bhp electric motor for 0-62mph in a sedate 12.3sec, and promises a range of up to 211 miles – not bad for just £26,195.

Mid-level Boost brings bigger, 17in wheels and more power thanks to a 174bhp electric motor, cutting the 0-62mph time to 7.5sec – although its range is shorter at 195 miles.

Comfort and Design cars both have the same drivetrain as the Atto 3 (60.4kWh and 201bhp), for a range of 265 miles.

INTERIOR

Pros

Spacious and practical with enough room in the back for adults

Feels plusher and more refined than the MG 4

Cons

12.8in touchscreen is a minefield with far too many functions and sub-menus

Lack of physical buttons means you're forced to use the touchscreen on the move

Strong smell of plastic

Measuring 4290mm long, 1770mm wide and 1570mm tall, the Dolphin’s footprint is broadly similar to that of the ID 3, but its styling, to this tester's eyes at least, makes the BYD look and feel more like a quasi-supermini than a hatchback.

This is good news, because while it's spacious inside, the Dolphin feels compact from behind the wheel. The driving position is fine, with a good range of movement on the electrically adjusted seats, although they do lack some lumbar support.

There’s no doubting the Dolphin’s practicality. There are plenty of storage trays, cubbies and the door bins are a good size, too.

We particularly liked the small tray underneath the central touchscreen, which proved a handy spot to place a phone or sunglasses. The USB-C ports below the tray are well placed, too.

It’s less wacky inside than the Atto 3, but like its bigger sibling the Dolphin suffers for two reasons: a sickening smell of plastic and overcomplicated technology.

The rotating 12.8in touchscreen is crisp and responds well, but the interface has too many sub-menus and doesn't use its generous proportions to best effect.

Trying to adjust the temperature on the move requires the dexterity of a heart surgeon: the icons are so small you have to really place your finger to increase temperature or change the direction of the airflow.

Turning off the annoying driver assistance systems, of which there are several, is a chore as well, and is done via equally small buttons and sub-menus.

You can tether your phone to the screen, but it needs to be wired in and it can only be used in landscape mode. It’s responsive and responds to inputs well, but the whole system feels underdeveloped.

Rear accommodation is good, with ample room for passengers over six-foot tall – and the 345-litre boot is impressive for a small hatchback. The standard height-adjustable floor is good, too.

The interior doesn’t feel as cheap as that of the MG 4, with softer materials placed in important areas, like on the door cappings. But it's let down by the intense smell of plastic. It’s very strong and it doesn't improve with time.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Electric motor has enough gusto for overtaking and motorway slip roads

Comfort models are more sprightly

Cons

Front wheels can break traction if you're more forceful with the throttle

Regenerative braking is poorly tuned

While power and range vary across the Dolphin range, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that it is a well-mannered, uncomplicated electric hatchback to drive.

The Boost rises in speed in a progressive and linear manner, with the 174bhp front-mounted electric motor delivering the sort of performance you would expect for this size and type of car. It’s a car that prefers a cautious approach, as it's easy to give the tyres a workout if you’re more abrupt with throttle inputs.

Comfort and Design models get the same 201bhp motor as the Atto 3, and with its lighter kerb weight, the Dolphin feels spry and the 7.0sec 0-62mph time is easier to achieve than in the Boost.

But with more power being sent through the front axle, there’s a willingness for it to break traction.

Get on the power hard in a corner and the driven wheels can scrabble a bit, but the traction control does help to keep things orderly. Wet conditions might change things, as it does in the Atto 3. Then again, the Dolphin suffers from far less torque-steer than the Atto 3.

In short, if you don’t push it to the limits (and I doubt few owners will) the Dolphin drives fine.

Some other annoyances remain, however, such as the unusually tuned regenerative braking system. Switch it to its strongest setting and the regen doesn’t pull you in as much as you’d anticipate, making it harder to judge how much additional braking you need via the mushy pedal.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Soft suspension makes it a comfortable cruiser

Grips well through corners

Cons

Steering feels light and numb

Unsettled ride in towns

Unsurprisingly, given the near-identical technical set-up, the Dolphin rides and handles much like the Atto 3, which means it’s softly sprung to the point of floatiness.

The Dolphin's shorter sidewalls mean it's not as good at absorbing bumps and lumps around town, while out on rural cross country roads, potholes and sharper edges conspire to unsettle its ride. And it sacrifices plenty of body control to offer a more comfortable ride.

Don’t expect much by way of entertainment, for the Dolphin is not a car that offers rewarding handling dynamics when pressing on.

The Linglong Comfort Master tyres grip well, but it's hard to gauge how much you have at your disposal because of the numb steering.

It’s light and uncommunicative and mid-corner bumps can make it feel all at sea. Limit the Dolphin to pottering around town and sedate jaunts up a motorway and it will serve you well.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Cheaper models are just as well equipped as higher-spec variants

Warranty covers both the car and battery

Cons

Poor peak charging rates mean you'll have to stop for longer if using the public network

MG 4 still better value for money, especially in SE Long Range trim

The entry-level Active starts from £26,195, rising to £27,195 for the Design. The 60kWh versions are dearer with the Comfort priced at £30,195 and the range-topping Design £31,695.

But rather than the higher trims getting all the bells and whistles, BYD has taken a different approach by offering a more standard kit across the range.

This might seem like an unusual strategy, but it means you can get into an affordable EV with a solid kit roster without needing to buy a more expensive model.

All versions come with a heat pump, vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, a 360deg camera (which is excellent), adaptive cruise control and a suite of safety features. Design only gets a handful of additional extras, so we’d recommend sticking to the cheaper models.

Compared with the MG 4, however, it doesn’t stack up quite so well. You see, the cheapest MG 4 is only £800 more than the Dolphin and can go slightly farther on a charge.

Then there’s the MG 4 SE Long Range, which undercuts the Dolphin Comfort – and it can travel up to 281 miles on a charge as opposed to the BYD’s 265 miles.

And the Dolphin’s peak charging times are sub-par by today’s standards. The Active and Boost models can only manage a poor 65kW, which means a 10-80% charge on the public network takes around 38 minutes.

Comfort and Design aren’t much better, with an 88kW peak rate for a 40-minute charging time. The Peugeot e-208 and technically related Vauxhall Corsa Electric, in comparison, accept 100kW DC rapid charging for a sub-30-minute 10-80% charging time.

BYD’s dealer network has grown significantly since the arrival of the Atto 3, and it comes with a competitive warranty too.

There is a basic six-year or 93,750-mile warranty and an eight-year or 125,000-mile power unit warranty, which guarantees the battery retains 70% capacity during that period.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

BYD Dolphin

If you can live with some of the foibles, there’s a lot of medium-range compact electric car for the money

Good

Soft suspension set-up makes it comfortable and inoffensive to drive

Spacious and practical cabin that's roomy enough for adults

Electric range is impressive at this price point

Bad

Infotainment screen is ill-configured and frustrating to use on the move

Strong smell of plastic inside the cabin is unwelcoming

Unsettled ride and numb steering fail to drum up much excitement

Is the BYD Dolphin a competitive small electric car? While its road manners are inoffensive and its cabin is palatable, it feels unpolished and underdeveloped in key areas.

Apart from the MG 4, everything at this price point is either a lot smaller than the Dolphin or has a much shorter range.

That 265-mile range is genuinely impressive for a car of this size and price, and driven in a more cautious manner the Dolphin is very easy to get along with, be it in town or on the open road. It gets the balance of space and practicality right, too.

Spend more time with the Dolphin, however, and its ill-configured technology, austere interior and unstimulating drive make it harder to recommend.

And while the bigger battery brings greater range, it’s tied to higher trims that aren’t that much of an upgrade in terms of standard kit.

Ultimately, the Dolphin is not as complete as the MG 4 – and that’s across all trims. Sure, the BYD doesn’t feel quite as cheap inside, but it can’t match the MG on range, drivability or, most important of all, value for money.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Price:

£30,195

Electric motor/s:

Asynchronous motor

Drive battery:

Lithium ion (LFP)

Driveline layout:

Front, transverse, front-wheel drive

Price

£30,195

Electric motor/s

Asynchronous motor

Drive battery

Lithium ion (LFP)

View all specs and rivals

Driveline layout

Front, transverse, front-wheel drive

Power

201bhp

Torque

214lb ft

0-62mph

7.0sec

Top speed

100mph

Kerb weight (DIN)

1658kg

Battery size

60.4kWh (total and usable)

Energy efficiency

4.4mpkWh

Range

265 miles

Max. charge rate

88kW

Rivals Peugeot e-208 MG 4 Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Power

201bhp

Torque

214lb ft

0-62mph

7.0sec

Top speed

100mph

Kerb weight (DIN)

1658kg

Battery size

60.4kWh (total and usable)

Energy efficiency

4.4mpkWh

Range

265 miles

Max. charge rate

88kW

Rivals Peugeot e-208 MG 4 Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.