BYD DOLPHIN

The BYD Dolphin is one of the most exciting new cars to reach our shores this year, not because of its performance or looks, but because of its price. At $159,888, it is (at the time of writing) the most affordable EV you can buy right now.

- KENNY YEO

• SECONDS 12.3 0-100 KM/H
• KW 70 POWER (CAT A COE)
• KM 340 RANGE (WLTP)

It’s a small hatchback that takes up about the same space as a Honda Jazz, or somewhere between the size of a Volkswagen Polo and Golf. And yet, it’s based on the same platform as the larger Atto 3. And that means it gets EV modernities like an 800volt architecture for faster charging and BYD’s Blade batteries that are supposedly smaller, lighter, safer, and friendlier to the environment. The styling is quite generic and therefore inoffensive. Though, to my eyes, there’s a whiff of Toyota GR86 about the front bumper. There are angles and creases – particularly on the sides – that give it a more aggressive vibe than its innocuous-sounding name might suggest. Certainly, the available colours are quite interesting and uncommon: Sand White, Maldive Purple, Coral Pink, and Urban Grey. The test car is Maldive Purple, which, to my eyes, is lilac.