BYD Dolphin Surf

FIRST UK DRIVE Chinese brand has big plans for its smallest EV against European supermini rivals

- Alex Ingram

THIS is the BYD Dolphin Surf, the latest marine mammal-themed EV from the brand. It's the smallest BYD car to reach UK shores and its starting figure of £18,650 is a few hundred quid less than the base-spec petrol-powered Renault Clio.

BYD is pitching the Dolphin Surf at the B-segment, which has recently blossomed with a great range of capable and likeable small electric cars, including the Citroen e-C3, which costs from £22,095.

The £18,650 BYD’s powertrain specs are fairly modest, with the 87bhp Active model offering an official 137-mile range courtesy of its 30kWh battery. That’s enough for on-paper acceleration to match the e-C3: 0-62mph takes 11.1 seconds.

But to get specs that run the Citroen close, buyers will need to step up to the Boost. This has a 200mile range, thanks to a 43.2kWh battery. It uses the same motor (which due to the heavier battery, dulls the performance slightly), and at £21,950, its price is similar to the entry-level e-C3's.

Here, we're driving the £23,950 Comfort model. This uses the Boost’s 43.2kWh battery, but it powers a stronger 154bhp e-motor. This trims the 0-62mph time down to 9.1 seconds, but also knocks seven miles off the official range.