Say hello to…
…the BYD Dolphin Active, the entry-level version of the family hatch from new Chinese entrant BYD. BYD launched the Dolphin range with just the Comfort and Design versions and now, a year later, is adding the lower cost version. As a recap, the Dolphin is a family hatchback that will rival the MG 4, Volkswagen ID3, Smart 1, Nissan Leaf and an increasing number of other EVs.
The BYD Dolphin is available in four specification levels in total that not only impact the equipment, but also the power of the motor and the size of the battery. So the Active version is distinctly different in power and range to the higher level specifications.
- Active
- Boost
- Comfort
- Design
Active includes a 44.9kW battery and a 95hp motor and standard equipment includes a heat pump, 16-inch alloys, metallic paint, auto lights, powered door mirrors, powered vegan leather seats, infotainment screen, two front USB sockets, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, cruise control and digital driver’s display.
Boost includes a 44.9kW battery and a 176hp motor, the only additional equipment over Active are 17-inch alloys.
Comfort cars are powered by a 204hp motor linked to a 60.4kW battery, additional equipment includes power-fold door mirrors, heated front seats, two rear USB sockets and an uprated stereo.
Design uses the same motor and battery as the Comfort model but adds a panoramic roof, privacy glass and wireless phone charger.
Is The BYD Dolphin Active Suitable For My Fleet
BYD will be pushing at an open door in terms of fleet as by offering an electric car in the fleet heartland of the family hatchback. As you’d expect from a new Chinese brand, it undercuts the list price of established brands such as Volkswagen with the ID 3 and Vauxhall with the new Astra EV and the P11D of the new Active version is £26,000. The new Active version means the Dolphin undercuts its main rival the MG4 by around £1000. However, the MG4 has a more powerful motor.
In terms of practicalities, the Dolphin has an impressive amount of room inside. The rear seat legroom is particularly good with enough room for tall adults. The boot is on a par with the rest of the class at 345 litres, but it does have a split floor which allows for flat loading at bumper height.
If there’s a weak point for fleets it’s the maximum charge speed, which at 65kW on the Active, is not great. The best rivals are above 100kW. And while a smaller batter means 10-80% charge times aren’t bad, you won’t add as many miles in the time.
Leasing A BYD Dolphin Active
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the entry-level BYD Dolphin for £326 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Maintenance costs are forecast at £30 a month on the same basis, according to Gensen Reports. And the Class 1A NIC comes in at £7 a month.
Driving A BYD Dolphin Active
Much of the Active is very similar to the rest of the Dolphin range.
Get in and the first impression is one of good quality materials. The 12.8-inch infotainment screen is impressively bright and hi-res and the software is usefully logical.
While the look and feel of the interior is mostly very good, the central controls below the screen are difficult to operate and don’t feel as good quality in term of their fit as they feel slightly loose. The only difficulty with the infotainment screen is resetting the energy consumption trip computer. It is possible, but only for the past 50 miles.
Driving the Dolphin Active, is all about comfort. The ride is good on British roads and the suspension is set up to be soft. The pay-off is the way the car goes round corners. There’s plenty of body roll, but this isn’t such a bad thing. We’re not talking about a sporty car here and the car also feels stable at motorway speeds.
The Active version also fixes the issue of front wheel scrabble under power – such as pulling out at junctions -that the higher specification and higher power versions suffered from when we drove them a year ago.
BYD say this isn’t just down to the Active’s lower power output, 95hp versus 176hp or 204hp, but also reworked traction control and a new tyre supplier.
The fact the Active ‘only’ has 95hp isn’t an issue and in fact suits the car better than the higher powered motors. The shove of the electric motor makes the Dolphin feel more nippy than the 0-60mph time of 12.3 would have you believe.
The Dolphin offers a single level of brake regeneration over the zero-resistance regular mode. It doesn’t offer one-pedal driving, but the regen on offer is easy to adapt to and blends well with the physical braking when you come to a stop.
The Active is usefully efficient too. Even with a relatively small 44kWh battery real-world range should be close to 200 miles. We were achieving 4.2 miles per kWh without any particularly ‘eco’ driving. At this level range should go to 185 miles.
Overall, the BYD Dolphin Active is the one to pick from the Dolphin line-up and offers great value for those looking for a sensible family EV.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The BYD Dolphin Active
As a high value, low cost electric family hatchback the BYD Dolphin Active is the pick of the range.
BYD Dolphin
- Model: Dolphin Active
- Power: 95hp
- Torque: 180Nm
- Max speed: 93mph
- 0-62mph: 12.3s
- Official range: 211 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- BIK tax band 2023/24: 2%
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