Opinion: The BYD Dolphin Surf is here to shake up the small EV market
June 11, 2025 by Mario Christou
Car changing is a big deal
Senior reviews writer Mario Christou gets behind the wheel of the BYD Dolphin Surf at the UK launch event in London, and it makes a promising first impression
BYD produces some of the most desirable Chinese cars on sale in the UK, and the Dolphin Surf is its attempt at taking the small electric hatchback market by storm. It’s well equipped, striking to look at and fun to drive, but it doesn’t feel quite as polished as some of its alternatives such as the Renault 5, Hyundai Inster and Citroen e-C3.
Think of the Dolphin Surf as a small Big Mac meal at McDonalds, instead of a medium. You still get the burger, and it still hits the spot, but there’s a bit less of everything else. It’s cheap too, but not quite as cheap as the Saver Menu Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03.
Where its larger BYD counterparts have fairly generic styling, the Dolphin Surf genuinely looks like nothing else on the road. It’s incredibly angular, with small LED headlights at the top of a pointy front end and sharp creases all along the car’s flanks.
A high-set rear light bar and sporty rear bumper complete the ‘designed by a ruler’ look; it really is a funky looking little thing, especially in the vibrant lime green paint finish.
The interior isn’t quite as quirky, but it’s clearly laid out and more interesting to look at than in some larger, more expensive alternatives. The dash top features a gradient diamond motif, and the leading edge of the dashboard curves underneath the central 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment display.
As with the larger BYDs, it can rotate between from landscape to portrait orientation – unless you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – and there’s a smaller 7.0-inch driver’s display too.
The infotainment screen has clear graphics and it’s responsive to the touch, but it’s a bit grabby when you’re trying to swipe and it’s not the easiest to use. You can adjust the temperature and fan speed with a three-finger drag, but the temperature isn’t marked out in degrees for some reason.
There’s loads of room in the Dolphin Surf, with plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustability as well as a big storage cubby between the seats and in the doors. The back is spacious too, even for tall occupants, but it’s the material quality that lets it down, and while the boot is a good size with under-floor storage, it’s an awkward shape.
Everywhere that’s not trimmed in neoprene-esque fabric is made from very hard, scratchy plastics. That’s pretty typical for a cheap, small hatchback, but it’s more obviously on display in the Dolphin Surf than in the Fiat Grande Panda, for example. Fit and finish is pretty good, otherwise.
Entry level Dolphin Surf Active models feature a small battery and up to 137 miles of range. The mid-spec Boost claims 200 miles of range, where the top of the line Comfort version offers slightly less at 193 miles thanks to its more powerful motor.
The Dolphin Surf is both easy to live with and fun to drive. Around town it’s a doddle to place on the road and thread through width restrictions thanks to its superb forward visibility, though over-the-shoulder visibility is poor.
It is quite jiggly over rough roads and sharp bumps and dips though, and you can feel quite shaken around. Twisty roads are quite enjoyable, with good acceleration and decent feel through the steering wheel, but motorways are noisy affairs with a lot of wind and tyre noise in the cabin.
BYD has come in strong with the Dolphin Surf’s price, with the entry-level Active model starting at just over £18,500. That’s fantastic value compared to some alternatives considering it comes with vegan leather-trimmed seats, the 10.1-inch phone-mirroring infotainment, rear view camera and adaptive, lane assist cruise control.
You’ll have to pay a few thousand pounds more for the mid-range Boost model with a bigger battery and more range, but you also get 16-inch alloy wheels, electric front seats and electric folding mirrors for that. Top spec cars have the same battery but twice as much power, as well as 360-degree parking cameras and tinted rear windows.
The Dolphin Surf is particularly great value when you compare it against the Renault 5, which starts at almost £23,000 for the entry-level model. The base spec Citroen e-C3 and Hyundai Inster are around the same price, too, and the top-spec Dolphin Surf is better equipped than either.
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