BYD Dolphin G DM-i

The BYD Dolphin G DM-i is the first BYD designed specifically for Europe, a five-door B-segment hatchback with front-wheel drive. It is 4,160 mm long and 1,825 mm wide, with a 425-litre boot. It is a plug-in hybrid with a petrol engine, so it is a different car from the battery-electric Dolphin despite the shared name. When it launched, Carwow found no other small plug-in hybrid hatchbacks on sale, and BYD prices it below the Atto 2 DM-i.

There are two powertrains, both pairing a 1.5-litre petrol engine with electric motors. The Active has a 7.4 kWh battery and 24.8 miles of electric range, with 176 PS. The larger 18.3 kWh battery in Boost, Comfort and Sport gives 65 miles of electric range and 646 miles combined, with 212 PS and 0–62 mph in 8.3 seconds. All range figures are WLTP. What Car lists both battery sizes as usable capacity, but a German database gives 17 kWh usable for the Boost, so I would treat usable capacity as unconfirmed. Carwow saw just under 60 miles of electric range in real driving. AC charging is 3.3 kW on the small battery and 6.6 kW on the large one. DC charging is quoted only for the large battery, up to 39 kW, with 10–80% in 26 minutes. The charging times vary by source. A leasing listing gives 174 minutes from 15–100% on AC, while a German database says 195 minutes from 0–100%. All of these figures come from Italian press, retailer listings and databases rather than a BYD brochure. I could not confirm whether the Active supports DC charging at all.

UK prices start at £23,990 for the Active, then £26,990 for Boost and £28,490 for Comfort. Sport is listed at £29,490 by one source and £29,940 by another. France lists it from €23,990, and Italy from €24,790, or €23,640 during launch. What Car sees it as a fit for high-mileage company car drivers, and it should also work for commuters who can charge at home. Inside BYD, it sits between the Dolphin Surf, which launched in the UK at £23,950, and the Atto 2 DM-i, which uses the same hybrid system from £26,995. Its main rivals are the Renault Clio hybrid and the Volkswagen Polo. The closest match on price and spec is the Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid. One comparison site lists the Dolphin G at about £24,800 against £27,500 for the Toyota, with 0–100 km/h in 8.3 seconds against 10.7. The Toyota is lighter, but it cannot be plugged in.

BYD Dolphin G DM-i Images

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