The new BYD Dolphin small electric five-door hatch arrives in the UK later this year with prices starting from an extremely competitive £25,490.
The entry-level model undercuts the best-selling Vauxhall Corsa Electric by around £8,500 – and even the top-spec long-range model is around £3,500 cheaper than the Vauxhall EV.
It also undercuts the MG4 EV, the 2023 UK Car of the Year: prices for the BYD Dolphin’s Chinese arch-rival start from £26,990.
The new BYD Dolphin is the Chinese EV brand’s second EV to launch in the UK, following the BYD Atto 3 electric SUV.
Measuring just under 4.3 metres long, the BYD Dolphin is actually larger overall than the Corsa, and only around 100mm smaller than the Vauxhall Astra family hatch.
It is similar in size to the Volkswagen ID.3 – and its pure electric architecture ensures plenty of interior space and a decent 345-litre boot.
This space efficiency is certain to draw interest from cost-conscious UK buyers, and give it an edge over the smaller EV models it also undercuts on price.
BYD Dolphin range
The BYD Dolphin is offered with a choice of two batteries. It launches with a 60.4kWh battery, delivering a 265-mile range.
In early 2024, a 44.9kWh battery arrives, with up to a 211-mile range in the entry-level Active variant.
The model range is a bit complicated, because BYD mixes and matches batteries and electric motors. In a nutshell, there are four models:
BYD Dolphin Active
- 44.9kWh battery
- 60kW DC rapid charging
- 95hp motor
- 211-mile range
- £25,490
BYD Dolphin Boost
- 44.9kWh battery
- 60kW DC rapid charging
- 176hp motor
- 193-mile range
- £26,490
BYD Dolphin Comfort
- 60.4kWh battery
- 88kW DC rapid charging
- 204hp motor
- 265-mile range
- £29,490
BYD Dolphin Design
- 60.4kWh battery
- 88kW DC rapid charging
- 204hp motor
- 265-mile range
- £30,990
All but the base BYD Dolphin Active have multi-link rear suspension, which improves handling and gives more sophisticated ride comfort on challenging roads.
They all also have the firm’s famous ‘rotating’ central infotainment screen. It goes from portrait to landscape format at the touch of a button.
The top-spec BYD Dolphin Design has a panoramic glass roof, two-tone paint, eye-catching tri-colour alloys, rear privacy glass and wireless smartphone charging.
It also has ‘vehicle-to-load’ functionality, which allows the car’s battery to power something else, such as laptop chargers.
A heat pump is standard, for better efficiency in cold weather, while BYD is proud of the Dolphin’s vegan leather.
Ordering is open now from the Chinese brand’s growing UK dealer network, with deliveries beginning towards the back end of 2023.
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