BYD DOLPHIN
Autocar UK|April 19, 2023
MG 4-rivalling hatchback swells the ranks of burgeoning Chinese manufacturer's electric offerings
VICKY PARROTT
BYD DOLPHIN

They were thinking Atto 2. That would have made sense, right? After all, this small(ish), 4.29m-long pureelectric hatchback sits beneath the BYD Atto 3 family crossover that arrived here only a few weeks ago as the Chinese marque's first official UK model.

But no. At some point, some people sat around a table and decided that the brand adamantly wants to be 'fun and interesting', according to one senior executive. So Dolphin it is.

Do you know what? I get that.

There may even be a generational aspect here, where younger drivers who aren't rooted in traditional car culture and established brand loyalty could well look at BYD's apparently random naming policy and think that it has an appealing, fresh eclectics.

Consider all those other weird car names that now seem utterly normal. Ford Puma, anyone? Are mountain lions less odd than marine mammals? Probably not. Even the Volkswagen Golf is actually a really odd car name, if you think about it. So perhaps the Dolphin - and the BYD Seal saloon (p27) that will follow it later this year - will become so popular that the weirdness of the name will just rub off over years of use. Anyway, Atto 2 is just boring. I'd rather take the Dolphin to work.

Either way, this little electric car has a lot going for it by any objective measure. Size-wise, it splits the difference between traditional B- and C-segment hatches, being a touch longer than the Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 208 but not quite as big as the Volkswagen ID 3.

Beneath the body - which is also styled quite differently from other BYD products and has a hint of Hyundai i20 meets Proton Savvy, but not in an unpleasant way - sits the e-Platform 3.0 with a 60kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) 'Blade' battery nestled within it.

Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA AUTOCAR UKSe alt
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
Autocar UK

Poster car that went from rusty to trusty

One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF

The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Autocar UK

GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80

Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
LEXUSLBX
Autocar UK

LEXUSLBX

Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Autocar UK

Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'

Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Once more, with feeling
Autocar UK

Once more, with feeling

AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it

time-read
7 mins  |
November 13, 2024
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-BENZ CLE

Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?

time-read
9 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Autocar UK

ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT

Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ALPINE A290
Autocar UK

ALPINE A290

The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`

time-read
5 mins  |
November 13, 2024
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Autocar UK

UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS

Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024