The BYD Dolphin Wins on Value, Loses the Moment You Turn a Corner
All three reviews arrive at a remarkably consistent verdict: genuinely strong value and practicality, undermined by handling that feels distinctly unfinished for UK roads.
Illustration for editorial purposes
Specced to Win, Tuned to Disappoint
On paper, this car does almost everything right for the price. Reviewers keep noting the gap between that spec-sheet strength and how it actually feels to drive on a typical British road.
Specs at a Glance
| Body style | Electric hatchback |
|---|---|
| Battery | 60.4kWh usable |
| Power | 201bhp |
| 0–62mph | 7.0 sec |
| Claimed range | 265 miles official |
| Price range (new) | From around £30,205 |
Full Review Summary
Top Gear
Top Gear praised genuinely spacious rear seating and a fun, characterful cabin design, with dolphin-fin-shaped door handles as a distinctive touch, but found the ride and handling combination poorly executed for UK roads specifically. They noted supple dampers help at low speed but let the car heave and float over undulating surfaces, with light, uncommunicative steering making matters worse, and rated the closely related MG4 as feeling far more genuinely tuned for British driving preferences by comparison.
What Car?
What Car? rated interior space as genuinely impressive for the class, with the larger 60.4kWh battery giving competitive range against rivals like the Citroën ë-C3 and Hyundai Inster. They found body lean noticeable when cornering with any enthusiasm, and rated the standard-fit tyres as offering very little grip, recommending a Cupra Born or MG4 instead for anyone wanting a more genuinely engaging drive. Brake pedal response was noted as slightly grabby at low speed on some examples, though less spongy than a Citroën ë-C3.
🎬 Watch: BYD Dolphin review (same video, watch above ↗)
Autocar
Autocar praised genuine affordability as a real strength, positioning the Dolphin directly against the MG4 on price while offering broadly comparable specification. They rated the driving position as good with a decent range of seat adjustment, though found lumbar support lacking, and praised thoughtful small storage touches throughout the cabin. Overall they concluded there's a lot of genuinely competitive compact electric car for the money, provided buyers can live with some real dynamic foibles.
🎬 Watch: BYD Dolphin review (same video, watch above ↗)
Trims & Engines at a Glance
The entry-level Active and Boost variants with the smaller battery have been discontinued for new sales, replaced by the separate, smaller Dolphin Surf — Comfort and Design are now the only two trims and share identical mechanicals.
| Derivative | Engine | Power | Transmission | Body | 0–62mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin Comfort | Single electric motor, FWD | 201bhp | Single-speed automatic | Hatchback | 7.0s |
| Dolphin Design | Single electric motor, FWD | 201bhp | Single-speed automatic | Hatchback | 7.0s |
Both trims share the same 60.4kWh battery. A handful of exterior colours are offered, with two-tone paint reserved for Design trim. Check BYD's UK configurator for current pricing.
Strengths
- Genuinely competitive pricing and specification for the class
- Spacious rear seating and characterful cabin design
- Competitive electric range on the larger battery
- Thoughtful, generous interior storage
Weak points
- Handling feels genuinely unpolished on UK roads specifically
- Numb, uncommunicative steering
- Noticeable body lean and modest tyre grip when cornering
- Charging speed trails several rivals
Who It Actually Suits
Buyers who want a genuinely spacious, well-specced electric hatchback for mostly urban driving and don't prioritise handling engagement. If you want a similarly priced EV that's actually been tuned with UK roads in mind, the MG4 is worth testing directly first.
More BYD Reviews
Watch the Reviews
BYD Dolphin review ↗ (same video, watch above ↗)