BYD has unveiled the Dolphin G, a compact electric car rival aimed at Europe’s small-car market, and says it will target a price of £23,000 to £25,000. The new hatchback is the first BYD model developed specifically for Europe and the only B-segment car on the market with plug-in hybrid powertrains.
That makes it a direct challenge to long-established sellers such as the Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris, two models that define the class BYD wants to shake up. The company is trying to give buyers a familiar-size hatchback with the option of driving in EV mode or hybrid mode, while keeping the price below many mainstream rivals. That combination is why the Dolphin G is being watched so closely by European buyers and competitors alike.
Stella Li, who has pushed BYD’s expansion abroad, described the company’s advanced PHEV technology as packaged smaller than rivals, and the Dolphin G is the clearest sign yet of that strategy reaching down into a mass-market segment. The car measures 4,160mm in length, making it slightly longer and wider than the Clio with a stretched wheelbase, and it uses BYD’s latest Ocean styling with an active air intake on the front grille. Its boot holds 425 litres including an underfloor compartment, which should help it compete in a class where practicality matters as much as pricing.
Under the bodywork, the Dolphin G uses BYD’s Super Hybrid system in its latest 5.0 version, the first time that setup has appeared in Europe. The powertrain combines a 128bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors, one producing 161bhp as the drive unit and the other acting as a generator. Buyers will be able to choose Active or Comfort versions: the Active model delivers 173bhp with a 7.2kWh battery and 25 miles of electric-only range, while the Comfort model makes 209bhp, uses an 18.3kWh battery pack and can run for 65 miles on electric power alone. BYD says the Comfort version can manage 646 miles in total and returns combined fuel consumption of 202mpg.
There is a catch, though. BYD says the Dolphin G is made for Europe, but it will still be built in China at first, with production at its new factory in Hungary set to follow later. The company also says the car will not be sold in China or South America, underscoring how sharply this launch is aimed at one region. For now, the biggest unanswered question is when the Dolphin G will actually reach European showrooms, even as BYD uses the model to push its hybrid technology into one of the continent’s busiest car classes.
