BYD Dolphin 204 CV Design 60,4 kWh test (with video)

The Chinese brand BYD continues its European expansion, using very interesting plug-in vehicles like the BYD Dolphin, its compact electric car . I'm one of those who thinks that an electric car of enormous size, weight, and capabilities doesn't make much sense. I believe that, since the main pollution problem is in cities, electric cars should be found in cities.

Therefore, they should be agile, lightweight, simple, and not too big . And also, if it's not too much to ask, inexpensive . But of course, since we're buying a car, it shouldn't be limited to exclusively urban use. At the very least, it should allow us to travel a bit to the outskirts or tackle a relatively "long" journey with confidence, like traveling from one city to another.

That's why I think the BYD Dolphin is a smart car, because it meets almost all of the above criteria. With government incentives and promotions, it can be priced below €23.000 , as its most affordable version, which is about to hit the streets, has an MSRP of €29.990.

This is the BYD Dolphin on the outside

The Dolphin is the smallest and cheapest model currently offered by the Chinese brand in Spain. It measures 4,3 meters , about the same size as a Peugeot 2008 or a Volkswagen Golf. Furthermore, it features a silhouette reminiscent of a small minivan , which is fantastic for maximizing interior space.

Notable exterior details include LED headlights connected by an illuminated central strip, 17-inch wheels, flat door handles, and a distinctive rear lighting design with intersecting lines spanning the entire width of the car. BYD's " Build Your Dreams " slogan is also present, and in this case, being the top trim level, the body features a two-tone finish with the upper half in black.

Robust, practical, technological and well-resolved interior

Compared to the BYD Atto 3 we tested a few weeks ago , the Dolphin is clearly a more affordable car. It doesn't reach the same level of build quality and, on the other hand, it lacks the eye-catching design touches of its bigger brother.

The vast majority of the components are made of hard plastic , although in their defense I must say they are well finished and fitted . I sincerely believe this is appropriate, as we mustn't forget that this is a car that aims to offer a competitive price. As a nice touch, it has a panoramic sunroof, although it doesn't fold down.

Meanwhile, in the center of the dashboard is the "monitor" for the multimedia system and, unfortunately, the climate control. You know I'm not a big fan of climate control being operated via the screen, although luckily the quick defrost and a few other basic functions can be accessed with physical buttons.

The best thing about this 12,8-inch screen is its superb fluidity and the fact that, like other models from the brand, it can be placed in horizontal or vertical positions, whichever you prefer.

One thing I really like about this car is that it has plenty of storage space . There are a couple of trays at different heights under the screen, two cupholders, a compartment with wireless charging , and a huge space in the center console that can even fit a handbag. There are also a couple of USB ports and storage compartments in the doors.

The seats , which are electric and heated in the front, are very well padded, but you know I'm not a big fan of fixed headrests, especially when they push your head forward. I prefer adjustable headrests, particularly those that allow for fore-and-aft adjustment.

The lifesaving tool

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THIS (so cheap and simple) CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE byd byddolphin cars safety

♬ original sound – Actualidad Motor

One interesting feature that I've been delighted to find in this car, and which wouldn't be a bad idea to extend to other vehicles, is what I've dubbed " the life-saving tool ".

In the central compartment, just below the armrest, there's a small removable cylinder that you'd ideally never have to use, but it's there in case you need it in an emergency. If you open it, on one side you'll find a blade for cutting the seatbelt. On the other, a pointer for breaking one of the side windows.

The rear seats of the BYD Dolphin are good for adults, with only one defect

As for the rear seats , while not perfect, the door opening angle is more than adequate. Furthermore, thanks to the car's shape, headroom is good, making getting in and out, or placing children in their child seats, easy.

Once seated, we found excellent legroom , a feature most aided by the car's generous 2,7-meter wheelbase. The downside is the limited legroom under the front seats, which might be a bit cramped for those with larger feet. At 1,76 meters tall, I have plenty of headroom. Four adults of 1,80 meters each can fit comfortably in this car.

For the rest, the central square is relatively usable, because it is wide enough and because there is no transmission tunnel to bother, although logically more uncomfortable than the side ones. We have a folding center armrest, pockets in the front seatbacks, pockets in the doors, two USB sockets and roof grab bars.

The trunk is not the greatest virtue of this car, but let's not forget that it is urban

Opening the tailgate of the BYD Dolphin might bring a bit of disappointment, because the truth is, the trunk doesn't seem very large , especially with the floor in its upper position. This is because it's not very long, and also because the difference in length between the two positions is quite noticeable.

If we lift the floor panel, the lower compartment is large, offering plenty of space that will typically be partially used by the charging cables. However, we can always lower the divider tray to its lowest position, leaving only one open space. The actual volume is 345 liters , expandable to 1.310 liters with the second-row seats folded down.

Available versions: two batteries, three powers and four finishes

The BYD Dolphin is available with four different trim levels, three power outputs, and two different battery capacities. These are Blade Batteries, made of lithium iron phosphate ( LFP ). Needless to say, like all electric cars, it qualifies for the DGT's Zero Emissions sticker.

The smaller battery is 44,9 kWh , has a 7 kW onboard charger, and accepts DC fast charging up to 60 kW. This battery is offered with the Active and Boost trim levels, which power 95 hp and 177 hp motors respectively, for homologated ranges of 340 and 310 kilometers.

The larger 60,4 kWh battery is reserved for the Comfort and Design trims . This battery can be charged at 11 kW AC and up to 88 kW DC, which seems sufficient for long trips. This battery is always paired with the 204 hp motor producing 310 Nm of torque, and the official range is 427 km.

In our case, we're testing the BYD Dolphin in its most powerful version and with the top-of-the-range Design trim level. The two versions with a 44,9 kWh battery are about to hit the market.

At the wheel of the 204 HP BYD Dolphin Design

As I mentioned at the beginning, in my opinion, a good electric car is one primarily designed for urban use , because it will mainly be used in the city, but which also allows you to travel to the next town or village with confidence. No fear of running out of range, sufficient responsiveness, and a minimum level of comfort.

As in practically all new cars, every time we start the vehicle the predefined settings of the driving assistants are set. That is, if we want to silence the beeps or deactivate the assistants themselves, we have to touch the screen a good number of times at each start.

Plenty of power to hit the road

On a two-lane road, this 204 hp version allows for effortless overtaking and quick, safe merging onto highways. With that much power under the accelerator, you'd expect nothing less.

According to the specifications, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 160 km/h . It has a front-mounted engine with 204 hp and 310 Nm of torque, meaning there's more than enough power for a car that, in principle, is designed for urban use. In fact, if you accelerate hard out of a corner, it's easy to lose traction.

Because of its urban focus, and quite logically, it's noticeable that it's not as comfortable on highways as the Atto 3 we tested a few weeks ago. Some further adjustments to the steering geometry are needed; it's a bit more sensitive to crosswinds and the sound insulation isn't as good. But as I said, this is to be expected, partly because the Atto 3 is very well done in those areas.

In the city, where you feel most comfortable

It's in the city where it truly shines . Getting in and out of the car is incredibly easy, both front and back, and in terms of handling, it's fantastic. It's very easy to drive, and the suspension is comfortable—very comfortable, I'd say. The only downside is the limited rear visibility when parking, but since it comes standard with a 360-degree camera, that's easily solved.

All this, not to mention its agility and ease of maneuvering through traffic , with instant engine response and a relaxingly quiet ride. The only thing we need to be a little careful with is the accelerator, as in this powerful version it's easy to do a burnout if we're abrupt. In fact, I personally would opt for a less powerful version.

Consumption and autonomy of the BYD Dolphin

As far as fuel consumption is concerned, you know that it always depends a lot on how heavy our foot is, even more so in electric cars, which I think are more sensitive to usage than traditional engines.

In any case, driving like I would with any other car—that is, without aggressive driving but also without trying to be efficient— it consumed around 18 kWh/100 kilometers on the highway , which isn't bad at all considering, as I said, that I wasn't driving efficiently. In the city, it's not hard to see it at around 13 kWh , and you can lower that even more if you're careful.

Fuel consumption is fantastic. A simple calculation shows that we can get over 320 kilometers on the highway with a single charge, and around 450 kilometers in city driving. On the other hand, we're far from the official figures, as is typical for these cars…

The key points of the BYD Dolphin

Besides the price, for me the main positive points of the BYD Dolphin are the interior space, the simplicity and comfort of driving and the good standard equipment.

There's not much to highlight in terms of areas for improvement . I would mention the maximum DC charging power, which is quite low compared to its rivals, and especially the horror of having to deactivate the driving assistance systems and all their beeping every time we start it.

BYD Dolphin prices

Power	Battery	Finished	PVP	Price with Moves III
Power	Battery	Finished	PVP	Price with Moves III
95 CV	44.9 kWh	Active	29.990 €	22.990 €
177 CV	44.9 kWh	Boost	30.690 €	23.690 €
204 CV	60.4 kWh	Comfort	35.690 €	28.690 €
204 CV	60.4 kWh	Design	37.690 €	30.690 €