BYD Dolphin 2023 first drive

A 201bhp electric motor sends power to the front wheels and delivers more than sprightly enough acceleration right up to motorway speeds. Our brief test drive of a European-spec, pre-production car took place on track, where it’s evident that body roll is heavy, but it's also progressive enough not to be alarming. 

Ride comfort is much harder to comment on, given the limited test conditions, but certainly on the 17in tyres it felt soft enough that we’d be more worried about potentially floppy body control than bump absorption. We'll report back to you on that when we’ve driven the Dolphin more extensively in the UK. We’re hoping that the Ling Long Comfort Master tyres (no, really) on our test car are perhaps going to be supplanted by the Bridgestone tyres that BYD also uses, but that detail isn’t confirmed yet for the UK.  

Handling is fit for purpose but nothing special. You can choose from Sport, Normal and Eco drive modes, which alter the steering weight and throttle response. Normal is very light and feels rather vague, while Sport gives a better sense of confidence in what the front end is doing – artificial as that impression is. Even so, the Dolphin does feel confident and predictable through sweeping bends and low-speed direction changes, albeit with nowhere near the more incisive and enjoyable responses of the MG 4 and Peugeot e-208. 

We’d like to see a tighter turning circle on the Dolphin, mind, and faster steering response to make it a touch wieldier in urban situations. Again, the Peugeot e-208 (never mind shorter-range urban specialists like the Honda E and Mini Electric) will get you out of a tight spot more easily. Similarly, better brake feel would help to make the Dolphin a smoother drive. 

Inside, the Dolphin is rather more conventional than the Atto 3’s whacky cabin design and is much more on a par with what you get in rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa-e and MG 4. The e-208 has a classier finish, but the Dolphin still looks smart and generally feels well finished, other than some rather scratchy, shiny plastics that are particularly noticeable around the window switches. The driving position is fine and has a good range movement on the electrically adjusted seats that, we’re told, will be standard on every Dolphin.

There’s no doubting the Dolphin’s tech chops, either. A 12.6in touchscreen is the focal point and can be swivelled to portrait or landscape modes to better suit your nav, media or whatever else you’re prodding at in the screen’s various functions. 

Below it sits a protruding tray that’s begging for you to slide your phone in there, although the wireless charging cubby in the centre armrest – which sits above an exposed lower storage area - is likely to be more useful.

The Dolphin is impressive when it comes to passenger space. A six-footer can sit behind a similarly tall driver in relative comfort, which is impressive for a modestly sized hatchback and is testament to the benefits of being able to put the wheels at the far extremities of a car’s platform. A 345-litre boot is also decent size and has a variable-height floor that can also section off some useful cable storage. It is a lot smaller than the boot in the MG 4 – predictably, since the MG is bigger yet similarly priced to the Dolphin.

So should you take the plunge (sorry, couldn’t resist) and order a Dolphin? Well, it does have much going for it in that it promises to be better equipped as standard than most rivals, the touchscreen is easier to use than plenty of alternative systems, and the passenger space is very impressive. On the basis of this early drive, the Dolphin is absolutely whelming to drive – nothing special, nothing terrible – but we will have to revisit to spend more time in the car.