BYD Dolphin Surf review

Our opinion on the BYD Dolphin Surf 

BYD has high hopes for the Dolphin Surf and in many respects it’s right to. The car is priced to compete at the value end of the city car market, but it has the space and sophistication of something significantly larger. Maybe it lacks the design flair to lure fashionable buyers from the more trendy alternatives but a smooth, refined driving experience, low costs and a roomy, good-quality cabin will be enough for those of a more practical persuasion.

About the BYD Dolphin Surf

Having already given us the Dolphin, Seal and Sealion, BYD’s nautical naming policy was blown off course by the Seagull. The city car inexplicably named after everyone’s favourite chip-stealing seaside pest on the Chinese market has been revamped and re-christened as the BYD Dolphin Surf for the UK and Europe. It was probably a sensible move. 

The Dolphin Surf arrives as the entry-level car in BYD’s expanding UK model range, sitting below the Dolphin supermini and the Atto 2 small SUV. The giant firm already dominates its home market and has openly outlined its ambitions to become the world’s biggest car maker in very short order. 

The Dolphin Surf is BYD’s entry into a small electric car sector where rival brands have historically struggled to turn a profit. The inherent cost of EV running gear and of meeting tough safety legislation in compact, affordable cars has proven to be a major barrier, yet we have still been seeing signs of life in this area of the market. 

With the Dacia Spring and the Leapmotor T03 at the budget end joined by more fashionable options like the Renault 5, Hyundai Inster and Fiat Grande Panda, the BYD Dolphin Surf has plenty of competition. 

BYD’s effort is priced from around £18,000, splitting the difference between stripped-out econoboxes like the Spring and urban trend setters such as the Renault 5. It’s also on the large side for a city car, very close to four metres long and with a 308-litre boot. So again, BYD looks to have constructed a solid on-paper value proposition with which to lure buyers as yet unfamiliar with the brand. 

The car is strong on technology as well. The Dolphin Surf uses BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 underpinnings that incorporate its trademark ‘Blade’ battery technology. This clever system has cells that act as structural elements of the battery, improving rigidity while saving weight and cost. 

BYD has also flexed its muscles as a world-leading EV component manufacturer in creating what it claims is a world first eight-in-one electric powertrain system. This combines the electric motor, charger and other units into a single module that boosts efficiency, saving a lot of the space that is so crucial in a small car.

There are three trim levels on offer - Active, Boost and Comfort. All models get BYD’s gimmicky 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen, LED daytime running lights, adaptive cruise control, air-conditioning and vegan leather seats. There’s also rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera for a belt and braces approach to parking. Boost models get a larger battery, 16-inch wheels that are an inch bigger than those on the Active, electric front seats and auto wipers. In Comfort spec there’s a 360-degree camera, full-LED headlights, heated seats and a wireless charging pad for your phone. Not to mention a more powerful electric motor.  

The BYD Dolphin Surf is a conventional front-wheel-drive city car that incorporates some clever powertrain tech under its skin. BYD says it’s the world’s first mass-produced eight-in-one EV powertrain with the motor, reducer, charger, DC power converter, power distribution box, battery controller, motor controller and vehicle control unit all combined into one module. What it means for those of us who aren’t electric vehicle engineers is savings in space and cost.  

On the move there’s only the slightest whine detectable from the electric motor at low speeds, and the Dolphin Surf settles down to prove extremely quiet in town driving. Even under hard acceleration, the motor stays hushed, with only the increasing wind noise really audible in the cabin.

The suspension is on the noisy side but it deals with rough surfaces very well, cushioning vibrations. The ride only became jarring over the most serious potholes that our central Rome test route threw up. 

The steering is light, just as you would want in a city car, and consistent in the responses it brings from the car. It’s not particularly direct, though, and the Dolphin Surf lacks that darty feel that makes a small car really enjoyable to punt about town. 

The brakes are powerful enough and predictable but the effect from the dual-mode regenerative braking system is very slight. Even in the strongest setting there’s little noticeable slowing when you lift off the accelerator and if you like the feel of a strong re-gen system or even one-pedal driving, this isn’t the car for you. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The exact powertrain you get in the BYD Dolphin Surf depends on your choice of trim level. The base Active cars get a 30kWh battery and the others get a larger 43.2kWh unit. While Active and Boost trims offer an 87bhp motor, the Comfort range topper has a punchy 154bhp and 220Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful models in the class.

None of the BYD Dolphin Surf versions are what you would call blisteringly fast, especially by modern EV standards. The Active model manages a 11.1-second time for the 0-62mph sprint but the bigger battery and extra kit of the Boost make it 76kg heavier and a second slower at 12.1 secs. Even the Comfort model only manages 9.1 secs, despite its extra power and a 1,390kg kerbweight that is just 20kg up on the Boost. All of the Dolphin Surf models have a 93mph top speed.

BYD’s Blade battery and e-Platform 3.0 chassis technology help the Dolphin Surf deliver a driving range of up to 200 miles, a very strong showing for the city car class. Even the base model can manage close to 137 miles on a full charge in the official WLTP tests, fractionally below the Dacia Spring’s 140-mile range.  

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The batteries in the Dolphin Surf are Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) units, chosen for their low cost and durability. You’ve got the choice of a 30kWh pack on the Active and a 43.2kWh one in the Boost and Comfort. 

The maximum charging speed for the smaller battery is 65kW but the big one can charge at 85kW. It means that in either case, the Dolphin Surf can be boosted from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in half an hour. That’s faster than the Dacia Spring (34kW) or Leapmotor T03 (48kW), but the Renault 5 wins out with its 100kW maximum. 

Rapid DC charging, of course, should really only be for quick get-me-home top-ups and all the Dolphin Surf models support 11kW AC charging, which will allow a full charge to 100 per cent in 3.5 hours (Active) or five hours (Boost and Comfort).   

All models also have V2L (Vehicle to Load) capabilities so you can plug-in and run various devices. BYD suggests a coffee machine or an electric grille but we’re not sure how convenient these would actually be in a modern urban setting, where you’re never more than 20 yards from a Greggs. 

Tax

Like all electric cars since April 2025, the BYD Dolphin Surf is liable for road tax. The bill will amount to £195 per year but at least the little BYD dodges the expensive car supplement for cars over £40,000. For company car drivers, the car slots into the three per cent zero-emissions bracket for the 2025/26 tax year, rising to four per cent in 2026/27 and five per cent in 2027/28.

Depreciation

We don’t have residual value predictions for the Dolphin Surf yet, but BYD will be hoping that it follows in the tyre tracks of the large Dolphin supermini that holds on to around 52 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000 miles. That’s a couple of percentage points better than the Renault 5’s average. 

BYD hasn’t exactly set the car design world alight with any of its products to date, employing a largely safe and inoffensive strategy. The BYD Dolphin Surf doesn’t deviate too far from this, but it has at least got a splash of sporty character about it. 

It’s a chunky-looking little thing with the wheels pushed right out to each corner to boost cabin space - a trait of BYD’s e-Platform chassis. 

There’s a strong line down the flanks that rises diagonally from the front wheelarch to the C-pillar. Lower down you’ll spot an unusual contrasting trim section that juts upward from the sill only to duck down out of sight again ahead of the rear wheelarch. There’s a sizeable roof spoiler at the rear, and at the front, the sharp nose and quadrilateral headlights might even have the vaguest hint of Lamborghini about them. Make of it what you will, but it’s one of BYD’s less forgettable European efforts so far.

Interior and dashboard design

Interior quality is good for a city car at this price, but the likes of Hyundai’s Inster, the Renault 5 and MINI Cooper are ahead in terms of the special feel they manage to generate in their cabins. 

The central touchscreen is the main focus but there is a row of shortcut buttons below that give easier access to the ventilation system and the stereo volume. We could live without the little squelchy sound effects that accompany the car’s shifts from neutral to drive and reverse though.

Materials and build quality

There’s an interesting mix of different materials in the cabin. The vegan leather seats and the soft suede-like fabric lining the upper doors and the centre console add a touch of class. There’s not the same wow-factor that you find in a MINI, Renault 5 or Hyundai’s Inster though.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

BYD’s rotating touchscreen might be of dubious practical benefit but it certainly brings the potential for impressing your friends. The 10.1-inch unit in the Dolphin Surf will gently ease itself around from portrait to landscape configuration as required. More useful is the standard Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity. 

Some of the areas you need to press on the screen are quite small and we remain unsure about the practical benefits of the spinning screen. Generally though, the menus are logically laid out and the information seems to be presented clearly enough.

In a way, the BYD Dolphin Surf straddles two classes, but whether you view it as a big city car or a small supermini, it does a decent job of making the most of the space it’s got. 

There are only four viable seats in the car but rear legroom is impressive, helped by the flat floor. At just over six-feet tall, I was able to sit comfortably behind my own driving position with a decent amount of knee room and space for my feet under the seat in front. Headroom in the front is plentiful but those in the back will be rubbing the headlining if they’re much taller. 

The 308-litre boot is large for the class. There’s a big loading lip to drop items over and no dedicated storage for the charging cables but the thin rear seats fold down to create a large 1,037-litre load space. 

BYD is confident of getting a four-star score when the Dolphin Surf undergoes Euro NCAP crash tests. The e-Platform 3.0 uses 68 per cent high-strength steel and the Blade battery tech is inherently rigid and safe in the event of a crash.

BYD is very proud of the fact that its innovative battery design passes the ‘nail penetration test’ – which you can probably imagine the mechanics of – without its surface temperature exceeding 60 degrees. In practice, it means that if the battery is damaged in an accident, the chance of a fire is very slim.

Safety kit runs to front and side airbags for the front-seat occupants and automatic emergency braking. There’s also a suite of other driver-assistance features from lane-departure assist to auto-dipping of the headlights.

Buying and owning

• Best buy: BYD Dolphin Surf Active

No version of the Dolphin Surf is poorly equipped. You get the same infotainment system, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and vegan leather trim on the base model as on the others. That makes us gravitate towards the entry-level Active spec as the pick of the range. 

The only caveat is the shorter range and inferior charging speeds. If you plan to use your BYD Dolphin Surf as a city car for short urban trips, go with the Active. If you need more from it, stepping up to the long range Boost probably makes sense, even though it is the slowest model. 

Alternatives 

Small, low-cost electric cars are becoming more commonplace and the obvious alternatives to the Dolphin Surf for those prioritising low costs are the Dacia Spring and the slightly pricier but also more sophisticated Leapmotor T03.

If you’re happy to pay more for a small car with a bit more style about it, there are a lot more options. The Renault 5, Fiat Grande Panda, Hyundai Inster, Fiat 500e and even the MINI Cooper Electric are all options in this space. Citroen’s e-C3 is another candidate, offering a lot of comfort and cabin space for the money.

BYD Dolphin Surf pictures

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