The Dolphin is part of a three-pronged attack by Chinese EV brand BYD on the UK market. We’ve already been impressed by the Atto 3, and its most recent addition, the range-topping Seal. 

The BYD’s closest supermini rival is the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. It is also likely to be a more credible alternative to another Chinese rival – the frankly odd GWM Ora 3 (née Funky Cat). Could it potentially take on our current Car of The Year, the MG4? Outside, unlike the Atto 3 and Seal, the Dolphin looks like no other rival – which is a good thing, with some smart surface detailing – although it’s the most conservatively styled in our opinion of BYD’s three-model range. It is made more interesting, however, on our range-topping Design grade, as it has a two-tone paintjob. 

After the normality of the Seal, the Dolphin appears to have followed the slightly ‘out there’ design theme of the Atto 3’s interior – although there are no playable front door bins! The dashboard is an interesting shape, made more distinctive by the coloured elements. Quality, like the rest of the range is above average, although that didn’t extend to the quality of the swoopy door handles, which didn’t feel substantial, along with the vertical wheel gear selector. The supportive seats are trimmed in believable, soft-touch faux leather. Elsewhere, the driving position is comfortable and there’s plenty of space front and back, plus a decent amount of stowage, too. 

On top of the interior problems we’ve identified above, there’s the same strong plastic-like smell we’ve previously experienced in both the Atto 3 and Seal and it’s still not nice. The stalks are the same as those fitted to the rest of the BYD range – oddly they felt worse in the Seal. What other EV, or for that matter supermini, has a standard motorised 12.8in touchscreen – which can be viewed horizontally as well as vertically? It works well but has too many confusing menus. Finally, there’s a 354-litre boot, which is bigger than the GWM Ora 3, although the MG’s is bigger. 

Under the body and interior is the same e-Platform 3.0 scalable platform as other BYD EV models. However, the 60.5kWh lithium-ion Blade battery is a structural part of the car, with the top being part of the Dolphin’s floor. Currently, this model is only available with the more powerful 150kW motor, with 202hp, rear-drive, and 265 miles of range. However, BYD is planning on launching 70kW and 130kW versions in due course.  When it’s time to charge, this Dolphin can take AC and DC charging up to 65kW, which is good enough to equal 10-80% in under 40 minutes. The BYD earns extra points for its standard-fit heat pump.

With over 200hp, and 0-60mph acceleration in just 6.8 seconds, the Dolphin is a spirited performer. Unfortunately, apart from the performance, this BYD is very average to drive. The Dolphin has a soft ride, but with the Design grade’s modest standard 17in wheels, it’s comfortable – especially at low speed. Go faster, and despite the direct steering, the soft suspension seems to have more problems controlling the body – there’s also plenty of body lean in corners.   

Another part of the Dolphin’s drive that will put you off finding its limits are the brakes. On top of being hard to modulate, the pedal has more travel that you usually expect for an EV. 

We couldn’t replicate the 265-mile range figure, it was more like 200, which we think is still decent considering the BYD’s size, and we had the Dolphin during a cold winter week. However, this also showed up inconsistencies in the BYD’s ventilation system, although this could be down to our test car. 

The BYD Dolphin is an impressive package, but it’s up against some tough supermini rivals.

BYD Dolphin Design 83kWh

P11D: £30,990

Residual value: 49%

Depreciation: £15,665

Fuel: £3,740

Service, maintenance and repair: £2,395

Cost per mile: 36.33p

Range: 265 miles

CO2 (BIK %): 0/km (2%)

BIK 20/40% a month: £10/£21

Luggage capacity: 354 litres

Battery size/power: 83kWh/202hp