New BYD Dolphin G alternatives: what will this £24,000 PHEV be going up against?
July 10, 2026 by Jamie Edkins
Plug-in hybrid cars are a tempting option if you want a slice of EV life, but aren’t ready to fully commit to an electric car. You can do all your local journeys on electric power, but then have the backup of a petrol engine when you want to go further afield.
The thing is, whereas there are small, affordable EVs popping up left, right and centre – just look at the Renault 5 and MG4 Urban – there aren’t any small hatchbacks with plug-in hybrid engines. Until now.
BYD has just launched the new Dolphin G, and it’s the cheapest, smallest PHEV on sale in the UK right now. It’s the same size as a Renault Clio, and starts from just under £24,000. Here’s a rundown of the Dolphin G’s specs, along with 5 alternatives you could also consider.
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New BYD Dolphin G price and specs: everything you need to know
The new BYD Dolphin G starts from £23,990, and there are four different versions on offer: Active, Boost, Comfort and Sport.
The basic Active model will do up to 25 miles on electric power alone, and comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and fabric upholstery. Upgrading to the Boost gets you a larger battery with up to 65 miles of electric range, power-folding mirrors, heated front seats and a larger 12.8-inch screen. It costs £26,990.
Comfort models cost £28,490, and add vegan leather seats, exterior puddle lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, up from 16-inches, a Google-based infotainment system and a 360-degree camera system.
The Sport model adds suede-like seat inserts with contrasting piping and black alloy wheels. It costs £29,490.
Out of these models, we’d go for the Comfort. The Google-based infotainment software makes it a breeze to operate, and the 360-degree camera system makes tight car parks much less stressful.
You can check out our review of the Dolphin G for a full rundown of what it’s like inside and out on the road, but here’s a short summary.
The Google-based infotainment software is excellent, with apps like Google Maps and Spotify built in. You also get a massive 425-litre boot, beating the Renault Clio hybrid by more than 100 litres, but the high loading sill makes it hard to haul heavy items in.
We managed to get 69mpg during our tests, which is impressive considering the hybrid battery wasn’t charged. It’s decent to drive as well, if a little bit jiggly over rough surfaces.
But what are the other cars you could be considering? Well it’s tricky to say. If you want a cheap PHEV, you’ll have to look at much larger and more expensive SUVs. You could also look at hybrid-powered small cars, or check out more premium plug-in hybrids on the used market. Here are five alternatives to the BYD Dolphin G.
BYD Dolphin G alternatives
1. Renault Clio
The Renault Clio is one of our favourite small hybrid cars. You can get a top-spec version for £25,995, or save yourself £3,343 by buying one through Carwow, and this gets you adaptive cruise control, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a 360-degree camera.
We like the Clio’s posh-feeling interior and easy-to-use Android infotainment system. It also has a massive boot for a small car, although it’s still dwarfed by the Dolphin G’s. The BYD is roomier in the rear seats too, but the Clio is brilliant to drive and you’ll easily get 60mpg from the hybrid version.
2. Toyota Yaris
In terms of fuel economy, the Toyota Yaris is the hybrid hatchback to beat. It’ll do up to 70mpg according to official tests, and that number’s not a pipe dream either. We’ve got up to 66mpg from it in real-world testing.
The Yaris is also good fun to drive, but the interior is a bit dull, and the rear seats are cramped. We’d go for the Yaris Excel, because it comes with a 10.5-inch infotainment system, power-folding mirrors and keyless entry. It starts from £28,645,but if you want to save some money then you can get a nearly-new example through Carwow for as little as £24,000.
3. MG HS
The MG HS is one of the cheapest plug-in hybrid cars on sale when you buy one through Carwow. The list price may be £2,500 more than a Geely Starray – it costs £32,495 – but you can get one through Carwow for as little as £25,995.
That makes it a hugely tempting alternative to the Dolphin G, because it costs about the same while offering a lot more interior space and up to 75 miles of electric range. It may be a bit firm over bumps, but with adaptive cruise control, a 12.3-inch infotainment system and a reversing camera as standard, you’re getting a lot for your money.
4. Chery Tiggo 4
The Chery Tiggo 4 is astonishingly cheap. It starts from just under £20,000, and for that you’re getting a hybrid SUV with roomy rear seats and loads of standard equipment. Through Carwow, you can save £1,840 on the top-spec Summit model, bringing it down to £20,155.
That means, for only £160 more than the basic car, you get heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, surround-view cameras and wireless phone charging. It may have vague steering, and there’s an odd hump in the boot floor which hampers practicality, but the Tiggo 4 is so cheap to buy that it’s easy to overlook this.
5. Used Audi A3 eHybrid
If you fancy something a bit more premium, you could check out some used offerings. We found this 2023 Audi A3 eHybrid in sporty-looking S Line Competition trim for £24,840. It’s got just over 15,000 miles on the clock, and comes with heated leather seats, cruise control and a digital driver’s display.
We love the A3’s solid, posh-feeling interior, and it’s comfortable to drive. You should get around 40 miles of all-electric range on a full charge as well. However, the BYD is better-equipped and it has a six-year warranty for peace of mind.
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