The compact all-electric BYD Dolphin Surf hatchback is now available to order in the UK, with budget-end pricing that undercuts rivals like the Renault 5 E-Tech and Citroën ë-C3.
On sale as the BYD ‘Seagull’ since 2023 in China, the Dolphin Surf is now the smallest entry-level car in BYD’s UK and Europe line-up.
It isn’t part of the Dolphin range which rivals the Cupra Born and Mini Cooper Electric – the Surf is a slightly smaller (30 centimetres shorter front to back) standalone model that aims to steal sales from the Citroën ë-C3 and Hyundai Inster.
The Dolphin Surf has a markedly different exterior design to that of the larger Dolphin, with more angular LED headlights, thick cladding on the front and rear bumpers, and a ‘sporty’ roof spoiler that extends over the rear window.
The lead-in 87hp ‘Active’ trim is powered by a 30kWh battery that returns up to a reported 137 miles on a single charge, with a 0-62mph sprint taking 11.1 seconds. Charging at DC speeds of up to 65kW, a 10% TO 80% battery top-up takes around half an hour.
Opting for the ‘Boost’ trim adds more battery range, but not performance. Powered by a larger 43kWh battery pack, this mid-range model can muster up to 200 miles without charging, but as it makes use of the same 87hp electric motor, the 0-62mph sprint time is cut to 12.1 seconds.
The top-spec model is the ‘Comfort’, which is powered by the same 43kWh battery but with a more powerful 154hp electric motor, increasing single-charge travel distance to 193 miles and cutting the 0-62mph sprint time to 9.1 seconds.
Inside, the car comes with a ten-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, as well as a seven-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, keyless entry, a rear view parking camera and rear parking sensors.
The ‘Active’ package also includes adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition tech, with electrically-folding door mirrors and rain-sensing wipers reserved for the ‘Boost’ trim and above, and a surround-view camera system featured on the ‘Comfort’ spec sheet. The cabin is trimmed in vegan leather, regardless of trim choice, and exterior colour choices include the standard lime green, black, white and blue.
Now on sale prices for the Dolphin Surf start at around £19k – nearly £7k cheaper than the entry-level Dolphin model and £4k cheaper than the Renault 5 E-Tech. There are still cheaper electric cars however, namely the smaller Dacia Spring and the Leapmotor T03 city car.