Verdict

BYD’s smallest, cheapest offering still manages to score big on space and value. It’s far from the last word in involvement but then, none of its rivals can claim to be much fun either. And away from epic B-roads, customers should find plenty of appeal in the Dolphin’s packaging, bigger-battery range, in-car tech and solid build quality. It’s a really impressive compact EV, at an attractive price.

We’re still waiting for BYD to really make the first big gaffe of its European onslaught. The Atto 3 small SUV got proceedings off to an encouraging start for the battery giant turned car manufacturer, and our recent drive of the Seal shows the firm has a proper Tesla Model 3 rival on the way later this year. But what of the Dolphin? Could BYD’s baby be the one to trip up? It’s time to find out how it fares on UK roads.

To recap, the Dolphin is an offering that tries – and, on paper, succeeds – at breaking a few conventions about the combination of vehicle size, battery capacity, range, standard kit and pricing. Even base versions of the car, priced from £26,195, get a 45kWh battery that’s good for 211 miles of range, a 12.8-inch (rotatable) infotainment screen, vegan-leather upholstery and alloy wheels.