BYD Dolphin Review: The new budget EV of choice?

BYD might not be a household name in the UK just yet, but cars such as the Dolphin and Atto 3 seem likely to change that. In the case of the Dolphin, the Chinese brand is offering a small car with easily enough interior space to transport four tall adults, a range of up to 265 miles in the bigger battery model, and a price starting from around £26,000.
In this CarGurus UK review, Vicky Parrott explores the Dolphin's many plus points, as well as highlighting where it falls short compared with more established rivals.
Would you consider a BYD Dolphin over an MG4?
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Chapters ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 Introduction
01:22 BYD Dolphin prices
02:22 Warranty
03:11 Boot space
03:28 Rear seats
03:55 Front seats, equipment and interior quality
06:05 Infotainment system
06:39 Charging speeds
07:11 BYD's Blade battery
08:38 Driving impressions
11:30 Real world range
11:50 Verdict
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#cargurusUK #byddolphin

[@yzhang9265]

As a office working guy who drive 40 minutes (one way) to offices 3-4 days a week, I don't really need a 60+k big EV, people keep a big family car to transport children and go on long holiday journey. The use case for EV is short journey for work or local shopping - so I need a good value small EV with reasonable range - no need for 800 miles. Small EV like this is what the market needs =)

[@badboy250984]

If people have charger at home, it really don;t need 800miles range ......... As if someone drives 800miles straight from A to B. Haters will always complaint about not enough range.

[@Clove_Parma]

@@badboy250984wait until they do go 800 miles, the the nay sayers will say they need 1000+, then 3000 😂

[@chillfluencer]

Seagull would be perfect for you. I won't bother you with all the other nice Chinese cars with similar specs. Just always care that you either get a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery or even nicer and futuristic: with a Sodium-Ion battery. Avoid Lithium-Ion, Lithium-Polymer and NCM battery-cars. Most reviews mention big trunks, drinks, 0-60 and other nonsense. You can basically pick any Chinese car you like instantly blindly if you know the battery type and it's LiFePo or Sodium-Ion.

[@stefanhin83666]

​@@chillfluencer agree

[@Geoff.Turner]

Why do reviewers never mention the car has voice control, so there's little need to touch the screen. Just hit the button on the steering wheel and say "Hey BYD, turn front screen demister on", or "Play BBC radio 2". Etc. I got my Dolphin two weeks ago, and it did take a while to demist, but I guess the car been in storage a while. Now it's warmed up and demister works fine. Lane keep assist has been improved with software updates.

[@MrBenHaynes]

Can you use “Hey BYD” to turn off lane keep assist?

[@Geoff.Turner]

@@MrBenHaynes yes you can.

[@busetgadapet]

reviewer today already so jaded with their job, they keep doing the same shit over and over

[@foodgrowers1531]

THANK YOU for the practical aspects first, review. Nice to finally see the pros/cons of the storage usefulness in the front end of the talk since that's the reason we select one over another - the usefulness of the space for our day to day work of living with a family or a job.

[@MrBYG]

The "Mazda Bungo Bungo" definitely made my day 😆😆😆

[@AHoundOnAHonda]

Although it's actually just the Mazda Bongo. They were surprisingly great vehicles.

[@shaunm9928]

Fantastic review Vicky - as always - great car ! Apart from the dodgy 'Lane Assist'

[@stephenhall3515]

Excellent review with no wasted time and silly jokes. All reviews should be this thorough.

[@frederickzhou7464]

I am Chinese and will be going to the UK in a few months to work and live in Birmingham for five years. I hope to buy a BYD Dolphin there. It reminds me of my hometown. Another thing is that BYD provides good after-sales service. I heard from my friends in the UK that it is very troublesome to repair a damaged fuel car in the UK. BYD's EV is less likely to be damaged, and the company can also provide high-quality service, which is also worth to notice.

[@vukarov5084]

30k is now budget cars LOL

[@michaelketley1252]

It’ll be much cheaper second hand in six months.

[@rocfella]

safe clickbait

[@sullivanrachael]

If the Ford Ka or Fiesta cost £30k - and entry level at that - something tells me the world has gone wrong. I had a Y registered Ford Fiesta has my first car; it did need attention as it was 20 years old; but; it still worked. When I sold it, it still worked and lasted another couple of years in the hands of another young driver. I don’t see this Dolphin lasting long enough to be 20 years old, be cheaply repairable and still have the range it left the factory with. I’m sorry if my view offends / but the words budget and EV don’t fit in same sentence.

[@alexpang5054]

Someone over here in Europe is absolutely screwing the british and european motorist. This car in China for exactly the same model is just £9950 ! Who or why are they charging so much for a car that is now cheaper than an ICE equivalent. I would like to see an investigation. This is another reason the take up of EVs is so slow. Rediculous

[@lucisleesion8824]

Small but not boring! Good car though

[@mrmawson2438]

Cheers Becky great review

[@protagonist9716]

Nice car, will increase awareness of BYD and build it's brand image. Good environment credentials

[@renbangbprd7236]

Without AC on the rear seat, is it quite comfortable in sunny weather (36c)?

[@kevindgillam]

Thanks for the review. It strikes me that either BYD failed to fully brief you on the short cut access to various functions, the button controls and the excellent voice activated commands or you did not spend enough time to really get to know the car you were reviewing. The Dolphin is a truly accomplished package once you get to know and understand it. A far better car than what its price suggests…

[@Tylerpierre99]

OK, thanks bot 👍

[@alfamonk]

What is it about Lane-Assist? They're a massive pita. in our Tucson it can still catch me out after a year of getting used to it. Doesn't feel safe being pulled back into a lane, and if you forget to indicate on the motorway and pull across the lane...damn, it starts crying. Hate it.

[@peterarmstrong3853]

Not sure you have the range correct... I've had mine for 2 months (3k miles) with replacement tyres and have managed an average of 4.1 which includes Mainly motorways and A roads. The switches are easily accessible when you get to know the car and the lane assist takes 2 seconds to switch off. I prefer the dolphin over my old cupra born, mg4 and niro. Oh and the 0-60 is under 6.5 on cold roads..

[@davidgrinter1559]

What does "an average of 4.1" mean?

[@peterarmstrong3853]

@@davidgrinter1559 mil/kwh

[@peterarmstrong3853]

If they are testing the car for a short time the number the tester states could be way out.,.

[@davidgrinter1559]

@@peterarmstrong3853 I'm still none the wiser. So what range on average did your BYD Dolphin achieve?

[@peterarmstrong3853]

@@davidgrinter1559 I'm averaging around 4.1 mil/kWh. Not sure what you don't understand...

[@alangravy27]

Thank you for another superb review. I think it would be the MG4 for me. Looks better, doesn't have a silly name and I would expect the RWD MG is more fun to drive.

[@oliverstemp9132]

Built really cheaply though

[@colddiesel]

I have an MG4 but given the choice again, and having driven both, I would definitely prefer the Dolphin.The price issue cannot be discounted and the build quality is markedly better than the MG and some of its European competition. The all round vision/cameras are excellent, and reverse parking will make this a hit with older drivers, commuters and shoppers. The electronics update remotely and are best in class. Lane keep assist is a pain but not so aggressive as its rival the MG. The Lady's figures on range need to be checked - not saying she is wrong. But! Excellent 2nd car.

[@conogrady9254]

VICKY is the Best Young Driver!❤

[@VemaReed]

Love it 🐬

[@keithwilson1554]

You can use the Auto switch for the Air-Con and then tell it if you want it cooler or hotter.

[@xanpagebrown]

also worth noting that BYD also build the Chassis' for a far amount of the electric buses in the UK!

[@badboy250984]

I think people don't know what the company do in the EV industry. I read somewhere that they also supply batteries to Tesla as well. BYD is the only company that build everything themselves. No third party building the core components.

[@SarahAnderson-id4yz]

Great review. Not sure that this would be the car for me. Very happy either way my e-208 for now

[@oliverstemp9132]

The 208 is much more expensive

[@ZLL668]

Perfect urban car

[@mrmawson2438]

The BYD Dolphin has a RRP range of £30,195 to £31,695. However, with carwow you can save on average £907. Prices start at £29,311 if paying cash. Monthly payments start at £295.

[@robtt997]

Or just wait for the 50% depreciation in the first year .Then buy and save some cash

[@pb5x5]

Or 75% after two.@@robtt997

[@mrmawson2438]

@@robtt997 ?

[@oliverstemp9132]

Nice

[@garethmarshall7724]

£26000! The car sells in China for around £8500, how on earth does it cost that much? The tariffs being put on China are a bit ridiculous when an EV for £10-15000 is what we need! £26000 for that is a total rip off, regardless of how good it may be!

[@davidpearn5925]

A wheel shouldn’t “spin up” if the ESP is working…….right?.

[@findecycle6533]

If ever there was an electric car destined to be a flipper...

[@jimmyh6601]

Nice 😊

[@alphaomega1969]

Dolphin is a nice name, I would be very worried if it was called donkey or chiken lol

[@davidmarshall5596]

Just shows what a crazy world we live in ...as 1 previous comment said £30k is now a 'budget car' 😮😱😡

[@dzonikg]

30K cheapest Chines car

[@puciohenzap891]

So as an IT guy who has to pay mortgage, it would take me 4 years of saving to buy a cheap budget EV from China, best case scenario and without having to do any house repairs or unforseen costs. What a nice world to live in, not.

[@davidmarshall5596]

@@puciohenzap891 absolutely 💯 right it's bonkers the pricing of these very very ordinary cars!

[@oliverstemp9132]

Well even Skoda Fabia is £25k these days. Cars are not cheap.

[@dzonikg]

@@oliverstemp9132 I remeber not so long ago when you could buy on car fair (car moto show that is ones a year in my city) new Skoda Fabia,Renault Clio ,FIat Grande Punto ,TOyota Yaris etc for under 10 000 euros

[@graffitijungle2072]

To be honest, I think cars from this era may be too “new” for her. If she drives the car that has just been released in China, I think it would be very interesting.

[@mikoajmuranty1715]

I haven't seen Mrs Jackson for a while here.

[@gwilymselwood]

Simplicity of construction not being passed on to the customer yet. We need Evs at 10-15k

[@dewfend]

In China the price of this car starts from 13K

[@actualfacts1055]

The entry level Atto 3 would be a much better buy.

[@quintinrafferty7232]

Low cost EVs and you guys still complaining 🤨

[@robertcudlipp485]

Concise practical review. Car sounds mega boring , am not seeking an outright sports chariot (may look to the Seal for that), however, am seeking something more than a vanilla, bland armchair on wheels.

[@jonathantaylor1998]

Oh my gosh... 2.7 miles/kWh in a 'supermini'-sized EV...!! YIKES... 😵

[@MatthewStanford51]

my Dolphin comfort got 3.5miles/kWh on longer motorway journeys last month and is currently averaging 4.9miles/kWh around town in mild winter conditions.

[@jonathantaylor1998]

@@MatthewStanford51 those efficiency stats are more like it...!! Thanks for the clarification, fella 👍

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

I would worry about availability of spare parts in the future. Who knows how Europe-China trade links might change ?

[@markuc]

You must be an US-phile that's trying to make sure trade breaks down between Europe and Asia, which unfortunately for you will only get stronger.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@markuc You are incorrect.

[@dzonikg]

China is far biggest market for all German car brands so i dont thing Germany would allow it ,just VW sold 2.1 milion cars in China in 2022,with out it would be disaster

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@dzonikg Yes I realise that China is very important to Germany. But competition is fierce. A couple of months ago your DW news reported on VW suffering lower sales in China and was having to heavily discount its selling prices (in China). Make an online search and you will find the article.

[@Geoff.Turner]

Whatever car you drive, it probably has parts made in China.

[@bobwalsh3751]

Bing chilling😂

[@yeetian2774]

They have seagull which is smaller than Dolphin. To buy them in UK is around 9000 pounds（only if China joins CPTPP)

[@frederickzhou7464]

Unfortunately, China submitted applications to join the CPTPP in 2021 and 2022, but was rejected by the United States. The real purpose of this organization is to prevent the fast-growing Chinese manufacturing industry from lowering global commodity prices and damaging the interests of manufacturers in other countries. Therefore, we cannot have much hope that China can successfully join the CPTPP.😢

[@yeetian2774]

@@frederickzhou7464 US is not CPTPP member. He can’t reject anyone….😑

[@mohiuddinahmad1792]

❤❤

[@dorotheodelima6539]

Tariffs... this is retailing for 20k pounds in Philippines

[@frederickzhou7464]

Actually 11k pounds in China. You may get lower price in some cities where provide tax-free service for EV to protect environment. Dolphin also has a lower horsepower version only for Chinese market. As a urban car, speed is not necessary. That car can be more inexpensive.

[@RJordanT]

I still wouldn’t call it a budget car. Yes it’s a cheaper electric car but it’s still insanely expensive for the average earner in the U.K. £30,000 is huge when most people don’t even earn that.

[@chriss4949]

But a Focus 1.0 petrol is £30k now….or did you miss that happening

[@coldfire30]

The front looks like straight out of the 90`s

[@mrmawson2438]

Kia’s new EV9 thrashes Toyota's entire EV sales in first month on sale The Electric Viking 188K subscribers

[@davidorama6690]

People really do need to stop looking down at Chinese manufacturers. Tesla is a Chinese manufacturer FFS! And giggling at the name Dolphin? Please. The only thing this little car is missing is Honda Jazz style magic rear seats. The world cannot get longer range, faster changing, solid state batteries fast enough. Oh, and a decent charging infrastructure rivalling petrol stations wouldn’t be a bad thing, either. Oil is dead. It’s just a matter of time.

[@markinyo76]

Tesla most definitely is not a Chinese manufacturer.

[@SpaceBound-1]

I don't like the headlight design. They seem too close to each other.

[@user-ec7dc7hh9o]

I understand that it is, underneath the skin an OK car……… BUT ……… the style decisions keep me away from it. 1. The colour scheme two tone look is part of that. I would be happy with a plain blue, but the two-tone has a simply horrible grey dull grey on it. There are only a few colours and they are ALL out as far as I am concerned. 2. The interior design decisions are odd and rather divisive. I find the look inside very unappealing. IF I am buying a car which costs real money, I have to be able to find one I actually like the looks of. If there are some many things making this car significantly less appealing than the apparent specifications, it is not going to make it onto my short list. Can BYD please offer up an option which is less …………. you know………….. weird? In addition, they don’t really have a dealership in my state. I want to be able to walk into a normal showroom in a normal building and see an actual vehicle and talk to a living breathing salesperson. I can’t do that here. Having a local dealer network really really counts. I am pretty certain I would NEVER BUY any car with the words “BUILD YOUR DREAMS” spelt out in full on the back. I could almost cope with BYD in initials but not the cringeworthy full name. If you think about it, you can’t do it anyway. They specify the colour choices, battery size, motor, trims etc, so it’s hardly offering up a chance to do what they have named the company.

[@alacarte5073]

So fed up with English complaining about the byd spelling.

[@patrickryan6065]

I agree with Kevin. You knocked the screen simply because you don’t know how to use it. It’s the same as the Atto 3 which is a great screen to use when you know how to use the buttons and voice commands. To review a car properly, you should understand it, so you can accurately tell us about it, but typical lazy review we really learned nothing about the actual car, just how you feel about it.

[@centralkingdom8141]

London buses BYD

[@Sebastian-jk9kk]

I'm more of a halibut kind of guy.

[@mcscotty325]

What's tacky? You're judging the car like a high school teenager.

[@wayneheyes4934]

The front is seriously outdated!!!! BYD need to seriously redesign the front end for EUROPEAN taste! This looks like it’s 15 years old already

[@mrmawson2438]

The MG4 is a lot cheaper

[@fanjan7527]

Can we please move away form running EVERYTHING via a touch screen!!! For pete's sake! You have to take your eyes off the road for much longer to make minor changes where a physical button can become second nature by feel.

[@bonzobanana1]

I think there has been a lot of BYD cars self-igniting in China, sometimes taking out buildings nearby or setting off clusters of cars in a car park. I really think the authorities haven't really thought about the greater incidents of fires there will be when we have more EVs especially if we import lower quality EVs like BYD models. We had the container ship that was set ablaze due to a single EV igniting. Feels like for the environment we should keep the cars we have but use them far less and perhaps make use of ebikes or normal bicycles where possible.

[@etunimisukunimi9789]

BYD Blade Battery is probably the safest car battery off all. You should Google about it before making prosumptions.

[@AZ-hj8ym]

Those are hybrid version. Gasoline and battery together are more easier to get on fire

[@bonzobanana1]

@@etunimisukunimi9789 I'm not making any presumptions just I've seen various youtube videos about BYD car fires in China.

[@mahsumatug8127]

Testlerden iyi not alan bir araba

[@garyestcourt2377]

£26,000 cheap 🤪🥴😅

[@jonathantaylor1998]

In the context of an EV, yes... Having said that, prices on all combustion-engined cars are WAY more expensive than certainly I ever remember them being... for example, an entry-level 1.0litre VW Polo starts at about £20k and the Golf £24k...!! 😮

[@catherinegrimes2308]

@@jonathantaylor1998 After hearing about the high cost of EV insurance, I looked at the price of the Honda Jazz and it was in the range of £26k to £28k.

[@garyestcourt2377]

@@jonathantaylor1998 Makes you wonder if there's anything to the theories about people being priced of the road tbh 🤔

[@mikewickens2016]

Omg that name on the back how tacky is that

[@petersimms4982]

Didnt the US just inpound thousands of Bentley cars because too much of their content was Chinese? So called hand made???😂

[@newbeginnings8566]

I think I'll be taking a massive detour around Chinese made, lithium laden tack...

[@salipander6570]

LFP my dear. Not to worry, you' ll understand one day.

[@darrenmitchell5262]

Budget EV ? Err….no.

[@liamjohnson2166]

Bland design on the outside….too busy looking interior with a mash up of colours…I can’t honestly think of any EV’s yet that make me feel excited or could tempt me to buy one they are too much like an appliance/gadget rather than a car.

[@alancobbin]

The problem with BYD is they have no European design engineers,it all happens in china,unfortunately everything that people like in china doesn’t automatically mean it’s the same in Europe sadly,and that shows,I’m sure it’s a good car but it’s a no from me.

[@reginald7214]

? This styling is a European guy.

[@reginald7214]

Oh ok, I went and checked your comment history. Model 3 fanboy, I knew your whining sounded familiar.

[@NissinXXX]

The BYD is Seal is designed in Munich from a German Designer.

[@birdyashiro1226]

脸痛吗？

[@markuc]

Complete BS. BYD seal, sealion, Atto 3, etc are ALL designed by European designers... And not any designer but ex Audi, Porsche even Lamborghini ones.

[@chrischamberlen9379]

Truly awful

[@NYXsucksatyoutube]

Toyota ist 8:18