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2023 (74) BYD Dolphin 150kW Comfort 60.4kWh Auto

29 people shortlisted this car

Located at smart of Perth

Expected retail price £28,695
£249 Deposit
£487.70 Per month

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Featured specification

This vehicle may have been advertised at the higher price for less than 28 days, but for a minimum of 10 days.

Standard specification

Driver Convenience

12.8" Electric rotary touchscreen2 x front parking radar
3 x rear parking radar360 camera
5" TFT full LCD instrument panelAdaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Cruise Control
Apple CarPlay and Android AutoBlind spot detection
Child presence detectionEmergency call service
Front cross traffic alert and front cross traffic brakeIndirect driver fatigue management
Intelligent Speed Limit Information and Intelligent Speed Limit ControlLane departure prevention
Lane departure warningLane keep assist
Power assisted steeringPredictive collision warning
Rear cross traffic alert and rear cross traffic brakeTraffic sign recognition
Voice control system 

Engine/Drivetrain/Suspension

11 kW onboard chargerVehicle To Load function

Entertainment

6 speaker audio system with sound opimizationDAB+ radio

Exterior Features

4 x One-touch lift window with anti-pinch functionAutomatic headlights
Electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrorsElectrically heated rear windscreen
Follow me home lightingFootlights for exterior mirrors
Front wipersHigh beam assist
LED 3rd brake lightLED continuous taillights
LED daytime running lightsLED Headlights
Rear fog lightsRear side wing doors
Rear wiper 

Interior Features

12V power sockets2 x Front USB port (1 x 18W Type C + 1 x 60W Type C)
2 x Rear USB port (1 x 18W Type C + 1 x 60w Type C)3 individual rear seats
3 rear head restraints60/40 split folding rear seat
Center armrest with dual cupholderDriver seat with 6-way electric adjustment
Front LED reading lightsFront passenger seat with 4-way electric adjustment
Front seat sun visor with illuminated mirrorHeat pump
Heated front seatsIntegrated front headrests
PM2.5 air filterRear LED reading lights
Rear trunk parcel shelfSingle front passenger seat
Trunk lightVegan leather multi-function steering wheel
Vegan leather upholstery 

Passive Safety

2 ISOFIX in outer rear seats and 1 ISOFIX in front passenger seat3x3 point rear seat belts
Auto vehicle hold functionAutomatic emergency braking system
Belt with pretensioner and force limiterChild locks on rear doors
Comfort stopDeactivation switch for front passenger's airbag
Direct tyre pressure monitoring systemDoor Opening Warning
Driver's airbagElectronic brake distribution
Electronic parking brakeElectronic Stability Programme (ESP)
Front center airbagFront passenger airbag
Front side air curtain airbagFront side airbags
Intelligent power brake systemMechanical child safety lock
Seatbelt warningTraction control

Security

2 x smart key and 1 x NFC key cardKeyless entry and start

Wheels

17" Bi-colour alloy wheels
The vehicle information above was correct at time of manufacture. Please speak to the dealership for full current specification.

Technical specification

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty75Battery Capacity in kWh60.4
Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins)372Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change0-100
Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW11Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins)43
Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change0-80Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW150
Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins)40Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change10-80
Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW150Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins)29
Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change30-80Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW150
Battery TypeLithium-ionCharging Port LocationRight Side Front
Coupler/Connector TypeCCS Type 2Maximum Charging Rate - kW150
Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage200000Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years8
Usable Battery Capacity60.4WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - City12
WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb15.9WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - City5.2
WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb3.9WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City559
WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb427WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City347
WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb265 

Emissions - ICE

CO2 (g/km)0 

Engine and Drive Train

CC1Gears1 SPEED
TransmissionAUTO 

General

Alternative Fuel QualifyingTrueBadge Engine CC0.0
Badge Power204Coin SeriesComfort
Generation Mark1Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 0733D
NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %89NCAP Child Occupant Protection %87
NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 095NCAP Pedestrian Protection %85
NCAP Safety Assist %79Service Interval Frequency - Months12
Service Interval Mileage12000Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage150000
Standard manufacturers warranty - Years6Vehicle Homologation ClassM1

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs)7Engine Power - BHP204
Engine Power - KW150Engine Power - PSTrue
Engine Torque - LBS.FT229Engine Torque - MKG31.6
Engine Torque - NM310Top Speed99

Test Cycles

Emissions Test CycleWLTP 

Tyres

Alloys?TrueTyre Size Front205/50 R17
Tyre Size Rear205/50 R17Wheel StyleBi-colour
Wheel Type17" ALLOY 

Vehicle Dimensions

Height1570Length4290
Wheelbase2700Width1770
Width (including mirrors)2012 

Weight and Capacities

Gross Vehicle Weight2068Luggage Capacity (Seats Down)1310
Luggage Capacity (Seats Up)345Max. Loading Weight410
Minimum Kerbweight1658No. of Seats5
The vehicle information above was correct at time of manufacture. Please speak to the dealership for full current specification.

Independent review

Review courtesy of Car and Driving

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin aims to revitalise the segment for small EV hatches. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Chinese maker BYD gets serious about the British market with this small EV hatch, the Dolphin. It looks better value and more practical than the established class alternatives. And there are a few quirky touches too.

Background

It's about time we had a wider range of more affordable supermini-sized EVs and at last, it looks like the choice is widening. Here's the BYD Dolphin, a cheerily named contender to take on established class favourites like the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Peugeot E-208. As well as impending new ones like the reborn Renault 5. Theoretically, it ought to be called the 'Atto 2' because it slots in below the mid-sized Atto 3 Crossover in the Chinese maker's range. But having chosen that conservative naming policy for the Atto 3, the brand has subsequently decided that a more youthful, exuberant feel is needed for its EVs. Hence this Dolphin, which sits above a small citycar-sized EV model so far only available in China (the Seagull). Keeping with the marine theme, BYD also has the Seal mid-sized EV saloon. But Dolphins are our focus here. What's this one like? Let's see. This of course is just the start of BYD's product offensive, overseen by a UK dealer network that'll grow from around 30 to about 100 outlets by 2025. By then, we may also be seeing this Shenzhen-based company's Yangwang premium EV brand, which will bring us luxury sports cars and SUVs.

Driving Experience

Small hatches may have got vastly more expensive as EVs, but they've also got a lot faster too. With the top two spec levels, 'Comfort' and 'Design', the Dolphin's front-mounted motor puts out more power than most likely owners will possibly need - 204PS, with 310Nm of torque - and dispatches 62mph in just 7s. It draws from a 60.4kWh battery good for a WLTP-rated range of 265 miles. Two variants with a smaller 44.9kWh battery sit at the bottom of the range, the entry-level 'Active' version using a 95PS motor and offering 211 miles of range. The mid-level 'Boost' 44.9kWh model has a 176PS motor and offers 193 miles of range. Both the available batteries feature a uniquely-dense 'Blade'-style construction. Underneath the car is the same modular 'e-Platform 3.0' chassis used by the brand's larger Atto 3 and Seal models. And, like all EVs, this one makes a noise at low speeds. The difference here though, is that you can alter the sort of low-speed noise it makes - either a conventional ambient hum or, more joyfully, a sound like a tinkling ice cream van. Which you'll either find endearing or annoying. Don't expect anything particularly dynamically engaging on the move, but multi-link rear suspension is fitted above base trim and the Dolphin does give you four drive modes - 'Sport', 'Normal', 'Snow' and 'Eco' - which alter throttle response and steering weight. You'll need 'Sport' of course to make the car feel in any way energetic. Or to approach the modest top speed of 99mph; that's for most models; the base 'Active' version manages just 93mph. Across the range, expect the usual impressive EV refinement. And ride quality tuned appropriately for comfort, rather than careering about.

Design and Build

Whether or not you like the look of this Dolphin will be a matter of personal preference but there's no doubt it's been sized cleverly, length-wise splitting the difference between a Peugeot E-208 and Volkswagen ID.3. Just the kind of thing many customers might be looking for, provided they're not seeking any sort of Crossover vibe because (refreshingly) there's none of that here. You might rightly conclude that this BYD's most obvious rival, the MG 4, is a little more arresting to look at, but the Dolphin is an arguably more engaging thing inside. It doesn't feel cheap, thanks to a dashboard covered in soft-touch plastics and vegan leather. Plus there are some bright colour combinations and a few eccentric touches, like door handles modelled on a dolphin's flipper. And BYD's party piece, a revolving 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that at the press of a button turns from landscape to portrait. Rather impressively, power-operated seats are standard on all variants. And there's a surprising amount of rear seat space - considerably more than you'd get in an MG4; a six-footer could sit behind a similarly-sized driver in relative comfort, which wouldn't normally be the case in a car of this size. Luggage space though, is restricted to 345-litres (less than an MG4) and isn't embellished by any further space beneath the bonnet. The boot has a removable floor panel under which you can hide the charging leads. Fold the rear bench and up to 1,310-litres of space becomes available.

Market and Model

As with the Atto 3, BYD isn't looking to substantially undercut its main competitors on price but the Dolphin still looks decent value. You can expect starting pricing starting from around £25,500 - a fraction below this model's direct Chinese EV rival, the MG4. There are four trim levels, with base 'Active' spec really only for urban folk, using the smaller 44.9kWh battery and the feeblest 90PS motor. Next up is 'Boost'-spec, which mates the 44.9kWh battery with a faster 176PS motor. The plusher 'Comfort' and 'Design' specs both use the larger 60.4kWh battery from the brand's larger Atto3 model, mated in the Dolphin with the same 204PS motor as used in its larger showroom stablemate. BYD's big market advantage is that, unlike other brands, it makes all its EV drivetrain components itself: batteries, motors, control units, semiconductors - the lot. Which is why instead of waiting months for your car, as is currently the case with EVs from some other brands in this segment, a Dolphin can be with you in no more than a couple of weeks. And it'll be very well equipped. Avoid entry trim and you get 17-inch alloy wheels and multi-link rear suspension. Stretch to top 'Design'-spec and you'll get a panoramic roof, Two-Tone 'Colour Palette' paint work, 'Tri-colour' alloy wheels, privacy glass in the rear seats and wireless smartphone charging. Plus a Vehicle-to-Load function that allows you to charge external devices (like, say, a camping light or an EV bike) directly from the car. Across the range, there are features like LED headlamps and tail lights. Plus a huge 12.8-inch central touchscreen with 4G Internet access and the company's 'BYD DiLink' suite of media systems. There's also an 8-year 'Cloud service' that gives you 1.5Gb of data per month for free for the first two years. Expect a wide range of camera safety features too.

Cost of Ownership

As with the Atto 3, the battery used here is of the unique-to-BYD lithium-ion-phosphate 'Blade' variety, which incorporates cells mounted in the strips directly to the pack. Which, the Chinese maker says, allows for a much higher cell density than a conventional battery could offer. So a much higher driving range then? Afraid not. The 265 mile range you get with the 60.4kWh battery is reasonably class-competitive, but way off being class leading (a 64kWh MG4 manages 281 miles and a Hyundai Kona Electric manages 304 miles for instance). BYD claims an efficiency figure of 4.4 miles per kWh; expect more like 3.5 miles per kWh in the real world. To preserve driving range in cold conditions, a heat pump is standard. Obviously, the driving range drops quite a lot with the smaller 44.9kWh battery - to 211 miles with the 'Active' version and 193 miles with the 'Boost' variant. You'd think that BYD building, designing and owning this car's entire set of EV drivetrain components (including battery and semiconductors) would allow the company to make the Dolphin the first car in its segment to offer a truly modern 800V electrical architecture capable of allowing charging with the new breed of ultra-rapid DC public chargers. But no, it's the same conventional 400V system as everyone else uses - and with the bigger battery, there's an 11kW on-board charger which, when connected to a public 150kW DC charger allows the Dolphin to be charged to a modest maximum of 88kW. At that speed, a 30-80% boost takes 29 minutes. Quite a few competitors can do a 10-80% charge in that kind of time though. An AC charge from a home 7kW single-phase wallbox with the bigger battery takes 9 hours and 42 minutes from empty to full. If you can use an 11kW 3-phase charger, that figure falls to six and a half hours. If you're looking at a cheaper Dolphin with the smaller 44.9kWh battery, bear in mind that it can only charge from an AC source at up to 7kW and can only power from a public DC charger at up to 60kW.

Summary

The Atto 3 may have been BYD's first car in our market but the Dolphin is undoubtably the model that will establish this well-funded but fledgling Chinese brand. Yes, there's a big step up in price for one of these if you're graduating on from a combustion-powered small hatch. At the same time though, we can't help but think that many of the people currently paying up to £10,000 or so more for only fractionally larger compact EV hatches like the Kia Niro EV and the Volkswagen ID.3 would probably be just as happy in a Dolphin. So should you take the plunge with one of these? If you don't care about choosing an unknown brand and can work around the restraints of the company's still rather restricted dealer network, then a Dolphin certainly ought to make the shortlist of someone in search of a small EV hatch. It's a car that sets out to flip a few established norms; and you might like it for that.

Performance
80%
Handling
50%
Comfort
70%
Space
70%
Styling
50%
Build
70%
Value
80%
Equipment
80%
Economy
60%
Depreciation
50%
Insurance
30%

* Figures for fuel consumption, the CO2 produced, and/or the pure electric range are provided for comparative purposes only and are based on laboratory testing. The actual figures under real world driving conditions will depend upon a number of factors, including any accessories fitted after registration, variations in driving styles, weather conditions, vehicle load and the health of the battery.

Choose your finance

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Personal contract purchase (PCP)

This is an example, we’ll always discuss your options in detail before you choose.

47 monthly payments of£487.70
Deposit£249
Total amount payable£35,861.90
Fixed interest rate4.6%
Representative APR8.9%
Cash price£28,695
Credit amount£28,446
Annual mileage8000
Contract mileage32,000
Excess mileage charge17.1p per mile
Completion fee£1
Optional final payment£12,690
Term (months)48

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Arnold Clark Automobiles Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (308092) for general insurance and consumer credit purposes. We act as a credit broker sourcing credit to assist with your purchase from a carefully selected panel of lenders. Lenders will pay us a fee for these introductions (click here for details including our panel of lenders and disclosure statement). Offers subject to status, terms and conditions.

smart of Perth

Ruthvenfield Road, Inveralmond Industrial Estate, Perth, PH1 3XF

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