BYD Dolphin Active review

“Tesla might own the executive EV
sectors but much of the rest is being
commandeered by China thanks
to fresh new brands from the likes
of BYD...”

CHINESE CARS ARE ON THE MARCH in the West, and none more so than budget electric vehicles (EVs). While Tesla is cleaning up in the executive segment, the popular end of the EV market has struggled to ignite, with high prices putting many buyers off. Now Chinese brands like MG and BYD are making big inroads with competitively priced EV offerings.

You may never have heard of BYD but it's a massive company; indeed, it's the world's largest maker of EV and PHEV cars, shifting over three million of them globally in 2023. BYD is soon to open its first European factory (in Hungary) and is growing at pace in the UK: sixty sales outlets at the time of writing; and sales of 3,600 units here so far in 2024.

“If you’re in the market
for an affordable
electric car then the
made-in-China BYD
is the way to go...”

And in terms of retail sales, BYD's Dolphin is leading the charge. So far, you've been able to buy this Golf-sized EV in upmarket Comfort and Design specs, but BYD has now launched two cheaper versions with less power and smaller batteries: the Active and Boost.

Prices start at Ł26,125 for the Active and Ł27,125 for the Boost. While that's Ł4k cheaper than the plusher Dolphin models, and competes with many conventional cars on price, it's still far from the cheapest EV on the market (you can, for example, buy a Dacia Spring from just Ł15K).

So what does the Dolphin Active offer to attract your custom? Well, it's a neat-looking thing — BYD describes its design as "playful", like the sea mammal it's named after — with an MPV/SUV spin on the usual hatchback style and natty two-tone paint combos. Equipment levels are impressive for an entry-level car, including standard power-adjustable front seats, 360-degree surround view camera, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, 12.8-inch central touchscreen and a heat pump. I only really missed front parking sensors, which you'll have to head further up the range for.

The cabin seems well screwed together although it suffers from quite a lot of cheap plastic. That aside, you certainly don't lack for interior space, especially in the rear, and the 345-litre boot is decent (even if not the largest in class). Passengers will delight in the fact that the main touchscreen rotates through 90 degrees, offering portrait or landscape orientation, but the novelty wears off pretty quickly. The screen is clear, but the menu is far too fiddly; turning off the driver-assist functions, for instance, takes far too many finger presses. The screen ahead of the driver is also messily laid out and too small.

So how does it drive? In the Active model the Dolphin Comfort's 201bhp motor is denuded to just 94bhp (the Boost does a bit better, with 174bhp). It's lively enough on take-off and at urban speeds but it's no hot hatch. Zero to 62mph takes 12.3 seconds and acceleration drops off the faster you go — not surprising considering it weighs more than 1.5 tonnes. Like most EVs, it's impressively quiet and refined.

With its 16-inch wheels and high-profile tyres, the Active rides very well, absorbing low-speed bumps with ease. There's a certain amount of 'float' in evidence over speed bumps, a result of the softly-sprung suspension set-up. My test car came with Linglong tyres which don't offer nearly as much grip as I'd like: there's some 'chirruping' on fast getaways and handling precision is lacking, if ultimately safe. If you want better handling, go for the Boost version, which has lower-profile tyres and more sophisticated multilink rear suspension (in contrast to the Active's beam rear axle). And while the steering is reasonably accurate, it feels artificial.

The smaller battery in the Active/Boost (44.9kWh versus 60.1kWh in the Comfort) dents overall range, but it's still decent at 211 miles (193 miles for the Boost). The maximum charge speed isn't great, with charging from 10% to 80% taking about 30 minutes at a commercial station. Using a 7kW home charger, it takes 7.5 hours, so it'll be an overnight job.

If you're worried about taking the EV plunge, BYD does offer some peace of mind by giving you a six-year warranty; eight years for the powertrain and battery. Which might just be the incentive you need to go electric. ~ Chris Rees

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