BYD Dolphin Surf review: Riding the wave of affordable EVs

June 18, 2025 Matt Allan

We drive the BYD Dolphin Surf to see if it has the right balance of value and performance to compete in the growing affordable EV segment

BYD has already made an impact in Europe with mid-size-to-large models such as the Seal and Sealion 7. However, it’s settling for nothing less than world domination and now wants a slice of the rapidly expanding affordable EV market, which is where the Dolphin Surf comes in.

Originally named the Seagull (no, we don’t know why either), it’s the brand’s entry-level model, sitting below the larger Dolphin hatchback and priced between £18,500 and £24,000. That sees it straddle the gap between the super-budget Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03, and models such as the Renault 5, Citroen E-C3 and inbound Fiat Grande Panda.

But does occupying that middle ground help or hinder BYD’s ambition of nabbing itself a slice of yet another segment?

Design, interior and technology

The Dolphin Surf doesn’t get off to a great start. A kinder person would call its exterior design “quirky”. I’d call it downright awkward. For a car that’s longer than a Renault 5, it looks stunted. Like it’s been crushed front-to-back and side-to-side, leaving it oddly short, narrow and tall.

There’s also a lot of “design” happening on quite a small body. The theme is set by the short, pointed nose and angled bumper design which, in isolation, work pretty well. There are, however, a lot of creases and folds along the sides, including a contrasting black strip that makes the car look even narrower. The comically large roof spoiler doesn’t help with the Dolphin Surf’s peculiar proportions.

BYD dolphin Surf aerial view — The Dolphin Surf’s exterior looks are likely to split opinions

The interior is more successful. There are some touchpoints where the budget price shows through but, on the whole, it’s got a similar solid look and feel to the rest of the BYD range. It definitely feels more robust than a Dacia Spring, although more expensive rivals are more stylish and interesting.

It’s also thoughtfully laid out, with a useful two-level centre console housing a wireless phone charger and large open storage space underneath with USB ports and a 12V socket.

The Dolphin Surf’s longer wheelbase means it’s able to offer more rear space than a Spring, R5 or E-C3. It’s still on the tight side but there is at least a gap between front and rear seats. There’s also competitive boot space, with a decent 308 litres, including under-floor cable storage.

Unsurprisingly for a BYD, there’s a 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen in the centre of the dash, and you rely on this for most functions. There are physical controls beneath it but you can’t adjust things like fan speed or temperature using them – they’re effectively just on/off switches.

byd oplhin surf interior — The Dolphin Surf’s interior is spacious for the class but relies too much on the touchscreen

Instead you can use the irritating voice control or a sub-menu with no temperature display and two unlabelled sliders for a single-zone system. Or you can try your luck dragging three fingers across the screen, which gives helpful temperature settings of L1 to H8. If only there was some sort of standardised measure of temperature that car makers could employ…

That issue, along with having to dig into multiple menus to deactivate the dreadful driver “assistance” systems, highlights a common theme across BYD’s range. The tech isn’t half as clever or helpful as its designers think it is.

Battery, motor and performance

The Dolphin Surf is available in three trims which each bring different powertrain combinations.

Entry level Active models get a 30kWh battery with a 137-mile range and a 87bhp motor. That’s more powerful than a Spring but with a similar range. The T03 is not only more powerful but also offers 30 miles more range for £2,000 less.

Above that basic model, Boost spec uses the same motor but a bigger 43.2kWh battery that means a 200-mile range but a 0-62mph time of 12 seconds.

My test car was a range-topping Comfort with the same 43.2kWh battery and a 154bhp motor. The added power cuts the 0-62 time down to a more respectable 9 seconds but drops the range to 193 miles.

My driving impressions are limited to a fairly short and low-speed journey through the residential streets of suburban London. While this is certainly where the Dolphin Surf will spend most of its time, it makes it difficult to form a full opinion of its broader capabilities.

byd doplhin surf driving image — 154bhp is plenty for a small city car

What our low-speed adventure around Muswell Hill showed is that there’s plenty of poke from the 154bhp motor to keep up with the cut and thrust of urban traffic. If you’re planning to venture beyond the city this is probably the one to go for, but for purely urban motoring, I suspect the 87bhp version would be sufficient.

The Dolphin Surf is also fairly well set up to deal with urban road surfaces. It soaks up the endless speed bumps calmly and mostly copes with manhole covers and sudden surface changes that litter the roads of any city. Every so often, though, a pothole will catch it out.

The steering doesn’t have the engaging feel of something like a Renault 5 but it’s light enough for city use without feeling utterly disconnected. I’d be interested to see how it feels at speeds in excess of 30mph, though.

The two battery sizes come with different charging speeds. The smaller battery maxes out at 65kW, while the larger one reaches 85kW. In either case, a 10-80% charge should take around 30 minutes. Both are better than a Spring or T03, but the Renault and Citroen will refill their larger batteries faster.

Price and specification

The most basic Active trim level starts at £18,605 – around £2,500 more than the Leapmotor T03 and £3,500 more than a Spring. For that you get 15-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, keyless entry and start, vegan “leather” upholstery and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and auto-dipping headlights are also standard across the range.

The Boost model is then £21,950 while the Comfort starts at £23,950 – £1,000 more than an entry-level Renault 5 and £2,000 more than the E-C3. The French pair are unquestionably more desirable and offer comparable range and quicker charging. Countering that, the top-spec BYD offers more space and power.

Boost models add 16-inch alloys, electric seat adjustment, rain-sensing wipers and folding wing mirrors to the basic spec. On top of that, the Comfort gets LED headlights, rear privacy glass, heated seats, 360-degree parking camera and wireless phone charging. It’s a strong specification but one that the most basic and similarly priced Renault can match.

Be aware, too, that if you don’t want Lime Green paint (and you really don’t) then you’ll have to pay an extra £650 for black, white or blue.

Verdict

If you can get past the ungainly looks and poorly thought out infotainment, the BYD Dolphin Surf is a decent city car that offers good value at its entry point.

It feels like a more complete, composed car than the Dacia Spring or Leapmotor T03. If you can live with the relatively short range of the Active trim, it makes sense as an more mature alternative to those.

Above that, it’s still a solid option that feels well suited to life on the UK’s clogged city streets. However, in its higher trims it’s competing against more competent and stylish rivals where its cheap and cheerful appeal doesn’t stand up so well to scrutiny.