We’ve tested the new BYD Dolphin G: the first small plug-in hybrid hatchback

The BYD Dolphin G is a rather peculiar car, because it fills a gap in the market which seemingly no other manufacturer has touched. It’s a small hatchback, the size of a Renault Clio or Vauxhall Corsa, but it’s fitted with a plug-in hybrid engine. It’s also the first ever BYD designed specifically for Europe, so I have high hopes.

It’s an interesting idea, but is it actually any good? I’ve spent a day with the Dolphin G to test out its tech, see how practical it is and take it out on the road to see how it drives. Here’s my honest review.

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New BYD Dolphin G design

To look at, the Dolphin G isn’t exactly revolutionary. The front end is completely smooth with narrow headlights, and the side profile is similar to the Dolphin electric car. It’s a small car, but it looks a lot more grown-up than you might expect. It stands out nicely in this bright paint though.

A solid cabin with an impressive screen

Inside, the Dolphin G feels much more premium than you’d expect. The seating position is relatively high for a small hatchback, making it feel a bit like a mini-MPV, but it’s something you get used to quickly.

The build quality is solid on the whole. It’s not a luxury lounge by any means, but it doesn’t feel like a hard-plastic prison cell either. The only fly in the ointment is the swathe of high-gloss black plastic on the dashboard in front of the passenger, which is an open invitation for dust, fingerprints, and fine scratches.

The absolute star of the show here is the infotainment system. The central touchscreen reacts incredibly quickly and precisely without any annoying lag. In a class of car where some factory systems seem to process commands via carrier pigeon, this is genuinely impressive.

BYD has actually binned the old rotating screen setup you got on the Dolphin EV because it was too complex, too expensive and rarely used, which is a very good decision. It’s much better to have a static screen that works properly than a showy gimmick that you’ll never use.

Fiddly controls and interior quirks

That said, not everything in the cabin is clever. The digital instrument display is harder to read than the main central screen, and it reflects light quite annoyingly depending on the outside lighting. The USB-C ports are also in a rather inconvenient spot underneath the centre console, facing away towards the armrest, which makes them fiddly to plug into.

Then there are the shortcut buttons on the steering wheel, which feel like a bit of a missed opportunity. There are two of them, but their functionality is very limited.

At least there is a shortcut to disable the speed limit warning feature right at the top of the touchscreen. On the plus side, the dedicated camera button on the steering wheel is brilliant. It brings up a highly practical 360-degree camera system with top-view and front-facing views, and the image quality is top-notch.

Surprising space, but there’s a catch

When it comes to passenger space, the Dolphin G is a pleasant surprise. The front seats are nice and comfortable, and there’s a decent amount of legroom in the back. However, tall adults won’t be travelling in total luxury, as headroom gets a bit limited for anyone around six feet tall, the knee angle is quite steep, and the leg support could be better. For daily driving duties, commuting, kids, or occasional passengers, it’s perfectly adequate though.

The boot capacity is a massive talking point, measuring an impressive 425 litres and beating the Renault Clio hybrid by more than 100 litres. Drop the rear seats and that space expands to 1,225 litres. However, there is a catch here.

This impressive volume is achieved by having a very low floor, meaning you get a noticeable loading sill and there is no adjustable floor to level things out. Anyone lifting heavy bags or crates of drinks over that lip will definitely notice it. Folding the seats down also leaves a high step, so while it is practical, it’s not quite as cleverly designed as the raw numbers suggest.

An electric car with a petrol safety net

Under the skin, the tech is far more exciting than the car’s unassuming looks suggest. BYD has opted for a hybrid setup where the electric motor takes the leading role, and the 1.5-litre petrol engine mostly acts as a quiet generator. Depending on the model you go for, total output is either 176hp or 212hp.

That is plenty of power on tap, but don’t expect it to feel like a hot hatch. It’ll do 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds, which is respectable but won’t have you digging your racing gloves out of the basement.

Out on the road, it behaves much more like an electric car with a range extender than a traditional plug-in hybrid. The petrol engine stays wonderfully quiet most of the time, and you’ll only really hear it groaning when you put your foot down fully on the motorway. The handoff between electric driving and hybrid mode is completely seamless. Keep in mind that once the battery drops below about 20 percent, you can no longer force it into pure EV mode, and the car’s hybrid logic takes over automatically.

Clever charging and impressive efficiency

The battery options make all the difference here. If you opt for the larger 18.3 kWh battery, you get an electric range of up to 65 miles according to official tests, which means you can easily cover most daily commutes entirely on electricity while keeping the petrol engine in reserve for longer trips. There is also a smaller 7.42 kWh battery version that manages 25 miles of electric range.

During real-world testing in a mix of city driving, country lanes, and motorways, I managed an impressive fuel consumption of 69mpg, starting out the route with just a 30 percent battery charge. That rivals the hyper-efficient Toyota Yaris. Even if you drain the battery completely, BYD claims it’ll still return a highly respectable 62mpg.

When it comes to topping up, the larger battery supports up to 39 kW DC rapid charging, meaning it can zip from 10 to 80 percent charge in just 26 minutes, which is good for a small PHEV.

Final Verdict: A surprising amount of sense

So, what’s the final verdict on China’s plug-in answer to the Renault Clio? It’ll start from around £30,000 when it goes on sale in the summer, and the BYD Dolphin G is a car without any real competition. That is precisely what makes it so interesting.

It’s a plug-in hybrid tailored perfectly for people who want to do a lot of electric driving on their daily commute but want the security of a petrol engine to cover long distances without any added stress. It might be a car that absolutely no one was actively crying out for, but it makes a surprising amount of sense for everyday life.

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