BYD Dolphin Active
Auto Express|September 11, 2024
Lower power means a more affordable price, but the new entry-level Dolphin is left wanting in other areas
Alex Ingram
BYD Dolphin Active

IT seems like we've been twiddling our thumbs and glancing impatiently at our watches for ages, but it's finally happened: EVS are now as cheap as the equivalent petrol or diesel models. Already in 2024 we've driven a Dacia Spring electric city car that costs only £15,000, and the brilliant Citroen e-C3 that'll start from around £21,000. Now the BYD Dolphin Active is bringing even more value for money into the class above.

Its 4.3-metre length means that it slips into the same area of the market as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, albeit with a taller, more MPV-like roofline than either. But with prices starting at £26,195, it comfortably undercuts the entry-level versions of both of those cars.

The new base-model Dolphin, the Active, plus the £27,195 Boost version that also joins the line-up, have undergone a few changes in order to undercut the model's previous £30,195 starting point, but tech-savvy buyers will be pleased to see there has been little compromise in the equipment on offer.

The trim structure, which now includes Active, Boost, Comfort and Design-conveniently abbreviated as A, B, C and D - is well equipped throughout. Electrically adjustable front seats trimmed in vegan 'leather, a 360-degree surroundview camera, a 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen display and, crucially for the UK's cold winters, an efficient heat pump, are all standard across the range. The new A and B trims miss out on heated front seats and front parking sensors, and the Active also swaps 17-inch wheels for 16-inch items, but these are hardly deal-breaking omissions.

This story is from the September 11, 2024 edition of Auto Express.

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This story is from the September 11, 2024 edition of Auto Express.

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