BYD Dolphin vs Vauxhall Corsa Electric: why this Chinese electric car is a game-changer

The BYD Dolphin offers excellent levels of tech and space for the price of a small hatchback. Carwow’s senior reviews writer Mario Christou has pitched it against the UK’s most popular hatchback, the Vauxhall Corsa, to see if it can shake up the establishment

Gone are the days of Chinese cars being a rare, curious sight on our roads; they’re more popular than ever, and the BYD Dolphin is one of the biggest sellers of the bunch. It’s priced to compete with small hatchbacks while offering the space and standard kit of bigger, more expensive cars; properly disrupting the market.

Especially considering it’s not much more expensive than the battery-powered version of one of the UK’s best selling cars, the venerable Vauxhall Corsa.

Carwow’s expert reviews team has tested the Corsa Electric and Dolphin together to see if it’s worth taking a punt on the BYD’s value for money charm, or if the Vauxhall’s tried-and-true formula is the one to go for.

BYD Dolphin vs Vauxhall Corsa Electric: interior, practicality and technology

Take a look inside the cars and it’s as though they’ve been designed on different planets. Where the Corsa Electric is rather dull and drab inside, the Dolphin is more akin to a spaceship than it is a vehicle with four wheels.

Neither is particularly luxurious, but the Dolphin’s wild design and party-piece rotating infotainment screen do give it the edge when compared to the rather dreary, plain Jane Corsa dashboard. The Vauxhall has better seats though; not only are they more comfortable but they have retro, stripy centres as standard.

The Dolphin has the edge when it comes to interior space, and by a long way at that. Four adults can comfortably fit into the BYD, where leg space is very tight in the back of the Corsa – especially behind a tall driver. The Dolphin’s boot is around 100 litres bigger than the Corsa’s too; all-in-all a much more practical choice.

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BYD Dolphin vs Vauxhall Corsa Electric: driving and electric range

Both cars are rather similar to drive, but the Corsa Electric has the Dolphin edged out on comfort, and it’s ever so slightly more entertaining on a country road – though neither is fun to drive. Where the Dolphin really crashes through sharp potholes and over rough roads, the Corsa does a better job of absorbing blows when driving around town.

They’re more evenly matched on the motorway, with both cars doing a good job of insulating you from wind and road noise. The 201hp Dolphin has the legs on the 136hp Corsa Electric though, giving you more confidence when getting up to speed or overtaking.

It’s worth spending a couple of thousand pounds extra for the more powerful Corsa Electric with the larger battery, offering a claimed 246-mile range. With the 4.4mi/kWh efficiency we achieved in our tests, you’ll be able to get over 220 miles in the real world.

The Dolphin’s larger battery offers 265 miles of range and 4.0mi/kWh is achievable on the road – offering over 240 miles of range in reality. The Corsa will be slightly cheaper to run than the Dolphin, but that bit of extra range is worth it for peace of mind if you have a long commute.

BYD Dolphin vs Vauxhall Corsa Electric: prices and verdict

The BYD Dolphin has a simple range made up of only two trim levels: Comfort and Design. There isn’t much difference between them, but Design cars feature privacy glass, heated and ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and a wireless phone charger on top of the very well-equipped Comfort model.

All Dolphins come with heated, electrically adjustable seats, 360-degree cameras and three ISOFIX child seat anchor points as standard – from just over £30,000.

The Corsa Electric, meanwhile, starts at a fraction under £29,000 in entry-level Yes trim, equipped with manual seats, a heated steering wheel and rear parking sensors. You’d have to opt for the Corsa Ultimate for all the possible standard features, but even at £34,445 it comes nowhere near the Dolphin for kit.

BYD offers a six-year/93,750-mile warranty on the Dolphin, which eclipses the Corsa Electric’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty – even with unlimited mileage in the first year.

All things considered, the BYD not only offers better value for money than the Vauxhall, but it’s more practical and easier to live with too. It’s a no brainer, really, so long as you can deal with the Dolphin’s generic looks.

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