BYD Dolphin Surf

BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort Review

The BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is a genuinely impressive small electric car for the money. It is spacious enough for four adults, has a useful boot, feels quick enough for everyday driving and comes loaded with equipment that would normally be reserved for much more expensive models. Around town it is quiet, nimble and incredibly easy to live with, while the 43.2kWh battery gives it enough real-world range to handle commuting and occasional longer journeys without feeling overly restrictive. It is not perfect. The ride can become unsettled on rougher roads, motorway refinement is only average and some of the driver assistance systems feel intrusive or poorly calibrated. The lack of proper one-pedal driving is also a missed opportunity. Even so, the Dolphin Surf succeeds because it feels like a proper, usable electric car rather than a budget compromise. The Renault 5 remains the more desirable and polished choice, but the BYD is one of the strongest value-for-money electric cars currently available.