BYD Dolphin on test: Not a dream car, but a real contender in the entry-level class.

The Chinese company BYD (short for Build Your Dreams) is one of the world’s largest car manufacturers and has just overtaken Tesla in electric vehicles. Cars haven’t been seen on the road very often in this country, but that may change soon.

Both of those Rule 3 along with the new Dolphin can record more and more new registrations. Due to the state of the economy and interest rates, “affordable” electric cars are probably the future. And with the BYD Dolphin you definitely get good value for money.

BYD

BYD

BYD

The BYD Dolphin isn’t the most stylish car I’ve ever seen, but it still looks modern from the outside. But after entering I get a little shock. The interior of the car is a combination of lines, materials and shapes. You don’t even know where to look first. After a few days I got used to it, but the designers still have something to do here.

Two screens and many buttons

The screen in the center console is large and houses the Multimedia Interface (MMI). At the same time, there is a small screen in front of the steering wheel with information that you can easily access while driving. More on that later.

Despite the two screens, there are many buttons and strangely shaped buttons in the car. I generally like buttons. But it seems arbitrary which functions are available through a button or only through the screen.

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Even on the first test drive, it quickly becomes clear that the BYD Dolphin is easy and pleasant to drive. It is front-wheel drive and reaches the 100 km/h mark from a standstill in just seven seconds. Only in Eco mode does the car accelerate a little slower. As long as I don’t accelerate too much in the corner, the car handles confidently on the road and does not bump in any way. However, the driver’s seat poses a problem in terms of comfort. There is no lumbar support, nor is there a heated steering wheel.

Not for long trips

On the highway the interior starts to hum and I quickly realize that this is not a long-distance car. This is also confirmed by the slow DC charging of 88 kilowatts. But I never even reached this value. This means that Dolphin is only suitable for long vacations or business trips.

The test car’s battery has more than 60 kilowatt hours and the WLTP range is specified as 427 kilometers per charge. When I drive alone, in Eco mode and with a careful foot on the accelerator, I get the same values. And at home in a charging station (AC), the BYD Dolphin charges steadily with 11 kilowatts.

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Many technical driver assistance systems are already installed as standard in the entry-level model. However, I am testing the example in the build version here. This offers cruise control, a 360-degree camera, electric seats, a Qi charger and V2L (the ability to draw electricity from the car). And of course the heat pump for more efficient heating and cooling of the interior. However, the cruise control is not very good and the lane departure warning is too harsh for me personally.

And then there are the warning systems that are mandatory in the EU. Other car manufacturers understand that buyers would also like to switch off. Not so BYD. Here you have to enter the menu every time you want to turn off the functions. You should still do this if you don’t want the car to beep every time. The traffic sign recognition also doesn’t work properly and the camera that monitors your view warns too quickly.

Report a copy

Another oddity is that the MMI and the system on the small screen do not communicate. Often the same speed limit appears on one screen and a completely different one on the second display. I suspect that one system works with map data and the other records road markings. In addition, the small screen in front of the steering wheel is not too blurry.

The back seat is surprisingly roomy, but maybe that’s because the trunk is so small. In front, however, there is no trunk at all. Instead, opening the hood reveals everything inside. A protective cover would be nice here.

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Another weak point is the air conditioner: Since it is too small, the car windows tend to fog up. The defroster function should often be activated here.

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Mikael Lindkvist

Such an MMI is clear and it is not a problem to quickly find the right settings. The cylinder control, however, feels strange. Still, the BYD Dolphin is a nice little passenger car. A car that can certainly compete with expensive small cars from established competition.

This pilot report was originally published by our sister publication M3.se and was translated and adapted by us.