Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

BYD Dolphin review

The BYD Dolphin doesn’t excel when it comes to driving thrills, but higher trim versions are brilliant value for money

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
RRP
£26,195 £31,695
Avg. savings
£2,108 off RRP*
  • Great value for money
  • Good cabin quality
  • Practical interior
  • Dull to drive
  • Small boot
  • Noisy on the motorway
Find your BYD Dolphin
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

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.

Key specs

Fuel type

Electric

Body style

Hatchback

Powertrain

45kWh battery, 1x e-motor, front-wheel drive
60kWh battery, 1x e-motor, front-wheel drive

Safety

5 Stars (Euro NCAP, 2023)

Warranty

6yrs, 150,000 km (93,750 miles)

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.

Advertisement - Article continues below

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. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

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.

Engines, performance & drive

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…

Range, charging & running costs

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…

Interior, design & technology

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…

Boot space, comfort & practicality

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…

Reliability & safety

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

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…

Frequently Asked Questions

BYD offers a long, six-year warranty that covers all the usual things, plus the batteries have a longer period of cover than many of its rivals that protects against loss of capacity. The mileage limit is given in kilometres (150,000km), which converts to just under 100,000 miles.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Our latest car deals

BYD Dolphin

BYD Dolphin

RRP £26,195Avg. savings £2,108 off RRP*Compare Offers
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £18,395Avg. savings £2,673 off RRP*Compare Offers
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,235Avg. savings £1,836 off RRP*Compare Offers
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £28,920Avg. savings £1,416 off RRP*Compare Offers
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

More on Dolphin

Best new car deals: top buys for Black Friday
Best new car deals - header image

Best new car deals: top buys for Black Friday

Thinking of buying a new car? These are some of the best deals on the market right now…
Best cars & vans
20 Nov 2024
Car Deal of the Day: BYD Dolphin family EV for just £141 per month is an unbelievable bargain!
BYD Dolphin - front action

Car Deal of the Day: BYD Dolphin family EV for just £141 per month is an unbelievable bargain!

Our Deal of the Day for 18 October could actually be the bargain of the year
News
18 Oct 2024
Best electric cars 2024: the top 20 EVs you can buy today
Best electric cards header image

Best electric cars 2024: the top 20 EVs you can buy today

These are the EVs that should be on your shortlist if you’re thinking about making the switch
Best cars & vans
27 Sep 2024
Cheapest electric cars on sale 2024
Cheapest electric cars - header image

Cheapest electric cars on sale 2024

EVs are often dismissed for being too expensive, so we've put together a list of the ten cheapest electric cars money can buy
Best cars & vans
19 Sep 2024
BYD Dolphin Design long-term test: compact EV is a near-perfect family runaround
BYD Dolphin long termer final report - header

BYD Dolphin Design long-term test: compact EV is a near-perfect family runaround

Final report: How did the small BY Dolphin electric hatch cope with family life?
Long-term tests
6 Sep 2024
New BYD Dolphin Active review: base model is simply too expensive
BYD Dolphin Active - front

New BYD Dolphin Active review: base model is simply too expensive

The new entry-level BYD Dolphin Active struggles to compete with the Citroen e-C3 when it comes to price
Road tests
4 Sep 2024
New entry-level BYD Dolphin starts from £26,195: the MG4 had better watch out
BYD Dolphin Active - front tracking

New entry-level BYD Dolphin starts from £26,195: the MG4 had better watch out

The electric supermini also manages to undercut the most basic edition of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric
News
2 Sep 2024
Car Deal of the Day: well-equipped BYD Dolphin with 265-mile range for £247 per month
BYD Dolphin - front tracking

Car Deal of the Day: well-equipped BYD Dolphin with 265-mile range for £247 per month

Our Deal of the Day for 15 August gets you into BYD’s impressive compact EV for less than £250 per month
News
15 Aug 2024
BYD Dolphin vs Fiat 600e: which brand makes the best budget EV?
BYD Dolphin and Fiat 600e - front cornering

BYD Dolphin vs Fiat 600e: which brand makes the best budget EV?

Fiat arrives in the electric SUV class with the 600e – we test it against the BYD Dolphin
Car group tests
1 Jun 2024
Car Deal of the Day: award-winning BYD Dolphin EV for £282 a month
BYD Dolphin - front action

Car Deal of the Day: award-winning BYD Dolphin EV for £282 a month

Our Deal of the Day for 22 May is for BYD’s comfortable and well-equipped, if somewhat oddly named electric supermini
News
22 May 2024
Best small automatic cars to buy 2024
Best small automatic cars - header image

Best small automatic cars to buy 2024

Prefer your small cars with fewer pedals? These are the best small automatic cars you can buy
Best cars & vans
13 Mar 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement
Best cheap company cars 2024
Best cheap company cars - header image

Best cheap company cars 2024

These are the best company cars for a limited budget
Best cars & vans
19 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: four years’ free charging and a BYD Dolphin for £334 a month
BYD Dolphin - front action

Deal of the Day: four years’ free charging and a BYD Dolphin for £334 a month

The award winning BYD Dolphin looks decent value on £334 lease and great value with four years of free charging thrown in. 
News
20 Oct 2023
BYD to drop ‘Build your dreams’ badging
BYD Atto 3 - rear badge

BYD to drop ‘Build your dreams’ badging

BYD has reacted to customer feedback and will drop the controversial ‘Build your dreams’ badging from the rear of the Atto 3 and Seal, but it will rem…
News
30 Aug 2023
Best small electric cars to buy
Best small electric cars 2023

Best small electric cars to buy

There are electric superminis and hatchbacks cropping up everywhere these days, but these are our favourite small electric cars on sale right now…
Best cars & vans
25 Aug 2023
New BYD Dolphin electric hatch starts from £25,490
BYD Dolphin - front tracking

New BYD Dolphin electric hatch starts from £25,490

BYD’s upcoming hatchback is aimed at budget EV sector
News
19 Jun 2023