I took one for a drive yesterday, I'm looking to downsize my SUV. The Dolphin is about the size of a Corolla but bigger inside. One thing not mentioned in this review is that the front seats can lift quite high, important for older drivers who struggle to get in and out of a sedan-type car. From the research I've done, the WLTP range seems to be quite accurate. The extended model I'm looking at does 427 km per charge which fits in well for a 300 km, each-way, drive I do every month. The blade battery is one of the few that will charge 0-100% without degrading the battery in comparison to other batteries that they don't recommend going over 80%, that 20% of driving is significant.
@@giulianogaia 0-100% was an extreme example. I doubt anyone would want an empty battery or an empty petrol tank :) I can definitely see getting to 20% on my monthly drive though.
@@GlenisRetiredNZ Yes, I agree, I just wanted to point out that according to the BYD seller in order to maximize battery life the ideal would be to recharge 30-100 (not 20-80, contrary to NMC), and once a year go down to zero in order to "reset" the battery (according to him).
I was at my local BYD dealership this week and they can't keep the Atto3 and Dolphin in stock, literally flying off the forecourts! I test drove the Atto3 and within the hour I had ordered one! Such a lovely car to drive, and I love the wacky interior (I know some will hate it) but I'm fed up with the drab black plastic interiors of most cars these days, so it's refreshing to see something different for a change. The massive 15.6" rotating screen is amazing, literally like having a massive ipad on your dash, sure the rotating thing is more of a show off thing but it is very handy in navigation, it gives you almost an entire streets view (sadly though, it is locked to landscape mode using Android Auto, for some reason!?) But it will be so nice having wireless Android Auto, no more faffing around with cables, genius! Plus it will be here within the month, where other ICE manufacturers are looking into 2024 for new orders. I had a sit in the Dolphin and it looks to be an ideal little city car for everyone that doesn't need or want an SUV like car. I regularly carry adult passengers so opted for the bigger Atto3, and I can't wait to get it. Although pricing is a concern for most people, BYD are obviously doing something right despite the cost as they are outselling many legacy manufacturers and thats got to ne good for competition in the sector.
It is so much better than cheapJapanese models sold exclusively in South East Asia market like Toyota Vios, Honda City. Love how the chinese brands do not discriminate, one model for all regions and offer so much better interior quality and fit and finish.
I own an MG4 but have driven a Dolphin and I think the Dolphin is the better car. The lane keep assist is aggressive but equally so on the MG - and isn't that the point anyway? They're both easy enough to turn off, but I think that they re-set after stopping.. Worth doing a comparison, but test them in traffic, how easy are they to park, stop fast. Which is the better commuter car, runabout, shopping trolley. Get your mum or your grand-dad to drive for the tests. The seat height adjustment is a great feature for older shorter drivers. Kudos to you for mugging up on all the battery characteristics, too many reviewers leave that out. BYD can sell every car they produce so they will not be cheap YET.
Don't think carplay works in portrait mode so can't really use waze in that orientation. Maps defo looks good in portrait, don't know why many review hates this features etc.
Always find Nicola's videos very informative and detailed. Plus I love her humour. Usually at least one or two moments to laugh out loud at. I currently drive an MG4 and this Dolphin looks amazing
I took my mum for a test drive yesterday in one and she's tiny, she found it fit her perfectly and when i sat behind her i could practically put my legs straight and I'm 6ft. I then drove it and i didn't struggle adapting to it either. A great all round car so we've put an order in
I absolutely love mine. Ive had it for 4 months and covered 6k and first thing i did was ask byd to change the ling longs tyres!!! I now have continental pro2. I prefer this over previous EVs ive used long term which are the mg4 awful awful dealer back up! The cupra born and niro ev.
You will need to do 2 tests as the Base model Dolphin Active needs to go against the base model MG4 SE Standard Range but that cannot be done until 2024. But will be interesting to see the Design Vs Trophy.
We have a comparison video MG4SE vs Dolphin Active on my channel, where we compare mainly the technical data and the comparison is quite interesting. For me, the winner is... guess! 🤔
This car certainly has a lot going for it. It'll be an interesting head to head with the MG4. I'll wait a while on this one but it's definitely worth checking one out at some point. The 'bing bong' would irritate the hell out of me as well so I'll have to see how irritated I get during the the test.
Had a BYD Atto 3 as a hire car recently. When rotated to vertical, the screen went completely black. It was just cos I was wearing polarised sunglasses. Seems a bit of an oversight and not seen it mentioned anywhere.
Interesting the entry level spec in Australia which is $100AUD cheaper than the MG4 entry level and is under £20k, however I don't know if you get the 70kW motor therefore the mid-level trim in Australia which is $44k AUD approx would come to £24k about. You mention about cheap materials well you want affordability they can't offer you BMW/Audi level interior spec with a £26k price-tag. The Dolphin along with the Seal and Seagull are part of their Ocean series so yes it has an Ocean theme interior. I'm glad we don't live in Victorian Industrial Revolution with colours and boring design so many cars are just like all the others members of the sheep family and boring, BYD I think kicks that out the window and is willing to be bold and different which I like.
@@starfucks5327 phew, thats one hell of a price difference isn't it, for the car coming from the same factory. Cheaper to fly to China, drive the bloody thing back to UK lol.
It’s really easy to turn off the notifications noises, you can change the indicator noise, in Australia this is the cheapest EV available- I have had an Atto3 for over 12 months and am very happy
One thing going for the dolphin is that you can get the more high spec versions also, with the LFP chemistry. The others, even the Tesla, all go to NMC for the upper spec versions. I just dont want NMC in my garage...
over here in Malaysia, the BYD price is not competitive with traditional ICE cars by a wide margin, and the native population don't have the same income power as Europeans or Americans, plus, the charging infrastructure is still poor. They are selling, but not as much as one sees elsewhere in the world.
Actually drove one of these last week out of Exeter BYD. Very impressively built and very comfortable. The two issues I had were a. Regen braking was pretty weak compared to my eNiro (21 model) and b. The lane keep assist on a B road was borderline dangerous and really jerked the wheel between the verge and the central markings. Was not a issue on the motorway or the A30, but was poor on the B3180. If they sorted that it would be fine, but the MG 4 is, I think, better.
It's bewildering. Why does EuroNCAP prioritise preventing the rare falling off the road incident over the increasingly common "LKA almost caused a head-on collision" scenario??
@@ad_fletch because when it works properly, it's good. At the moment it's just a box tick and isn't tested. They are concerned about people turning them off though because they're setting up research into why people disable them.
I have been driving a dolphin for over 500 days. Dolphins are a good car, but in China, the price of dolphins is about 13000 pounds, which is a bit expensive in the UK
Come on man, imagine if all Chinese brands sell their evs in Europe at the same prices they sell in Mainland China, it is either they go broke or the EU governments & legacies go nuts.
I think with that long life time on the battery I think they will be sought after as second hand cars in about 10 years. I am probably getting an MG4 but I want to test drive them side-by-side
Top spec. Dolphin is £1,500 more than base spec. Mini; but you get more included tech & features with the BYD, plus a possible bit better range. And considering the buffers on the battery packs, there’s more on the Dolphin than the Mini, so I suspect the charging curve is on the positive side for the Dolphin. Even though on the top spec. of the Mini it’s slightly greater but you’d have to pay a heck of a lot more, for that bit on top. The one thing BYD has against all its cars in the UK at the moment, is lack of dealerships and service centres. Now you could get a service done by a number of places; but if there’s a part needed within warranty, it’ll be back to a main dealer.
I'm an Hyundai ix20 owner and this model seems to be the same one but electric 😅 Big spaces inside like an SUV but also minimal from the outside.. 👍🏼 BYD
I would be interested to see the BYD close up, as i don't like the cheap finish on the MG4. I also found that the MG4 has soft and horribly unsupportive seats.
@martynmorris8160 The black plastic outside, the rear light cluster (looks nasty like recycled plastic), the door cards, the dashboard, the soft and nasty seats, the gear select dial (on left for LHD cars, not moved to the right), the digital display that wobbles as if loose, the so so budget boot area , the nasty thin floor carpets..... I could list more for sure if I stood there now outside one. It is built as cheap and nasty as a Lada!! Which is actually very annoying because the MG5 fit and finish is better that the MG4.
@martynmorris8160 Good try Mate... No.. I chased the dealer and put my deposit on one last year... I eagerly took the top speck Orange Trophy out as soon as a demo was available. It drove very well... But the fit and finish was shite. Even my wife said "I hope you are not thinking of wasting our money on this thing?" I heard that the MG4 X-power was coming so politely moved my deposit to that. I heard the MG4 X-power was altered internally (different seats etc)... It isn't. Overall I am gutted... The MG4 should be the opportunity for a Chinese brand to show us what quality they can produce in 2023. To me it is 1970s Taiwanese Plastics.... nasty and poorly made... £32,000 for the Trophy.... It doesn't represent £32,000 of well made quality. Yes an Audi A1 costs £32k and has a boĺlax 1.0 ltr engine... but its internal fit and finish is better than MG4. If MG had made the internal and external as tidy as the Audi A1 it would indeed be worthy of being the best value EV in UK. But it is clear that they cut corners and it is only worth the price that MG charge for it in China. In the UK it shouts budget all over. Maybe Volvo XC30 will prove that Chinese can do fit and finish nicely for a decent price?
It has two settings, Standard and High. Standard is virtually nothing at all and High is about the same as automatic transmission in an ICE car, ie, very weak.
The only thing that makes me think about not buying it, and that you didn't mention it's the 88 kW DC charging. On DC chargers it will take a while from 20 to 80% (Guess 35-40 minutes), at least some minutes more than a MG4, which can charge up to 135 kW. But Price, build quality, style, LFP battery and range make it a great car
I'd love an electric car for my driving school but the big problem with them for me is I have no idea who these companies are. It's a shame because they might be just as good if not better than the big names we all know like Ford, but...it's a lot of money to spend and a big risk to take. The 8-year warranty is impressive but people love sticking to what they know and I think that the main problem companies like BYD, Cupra and Polestar have is people are just saying "Who???". You're doing great work on this channel to spread the word and change that!
Sometimes you have to take a chance. I was a very early UK Tesla buyer (2019), and would never go back to internal combustion. A quarter of the fuel costs, no servicing (in 4 years). I am now seriously looking to move to the BYD Seal. Imo though, you must be able to charge at home to realise the benefits. BYD were the worlds 4th largest car seller last month, only 1% behind Honda.
Well, there is a process for all of these new brands (BYD is like at least a decade old, but just arrived to Euro market lately), so yeah definitely is some more risk alongside with opportunity with new brands. Usually they offer better budget products and warranties to attract customers.
You can spend only a short time on the internet to search about BYD and you'll find tonnes of blockbuster information, the largest EV maker in the world, 3rd largest battery maker, also supplier of batteries to Tesla and Toyota!!!
In EV industries, forget about those conventional big car companies. They are just too old to learn the latest technologies of battery, electric motor, sensors and most importantly the software.
Too many bing bongs - the curse of all modern cars! 😩😩 Very frustrating, but actually, as per usual, Nicola does a great review. I have a Dolphin demo and then a Seal demo to trial in a couple of weeks and looking forward to evaluating them for our fleet.
Great review, as always. However, I’d add one more dislike: looks. Given the competition, it’s a shame BYD did such a meh job with the styling - especially the front, which (to these eyes at least) looks horribly dated and bland. Hopefully it’ll look better in the flesh…
I can confirm it looks better in the flesh. I wasn’t expecting much when I took one for a test drive, but it’s a better built car than the MG4 with more features. Screen, software and speakers are MUCH better in the Dolphin. Ride quality of the MG4 feels a little more dynamic but there’s not much in it. It’s just a shame the inside is so busy, not quite as bad in the all black, but it’s a lot. The very large and chunky central tunnel in the front may impinge on some people’s left leg too. Feels a little cramped. Was fine for me because I’m short but my partner has long legs and mentioned it.
I think the BYD Dolphin may appeal to the older generation getting an EV for the first time as its quite a lot cheaper than the Equivalent ID3 but also so is the Volvo EX30
Would like to see one but with only two dealerships covering London, Birmingham and Scotland don't see BYD selling many at least we have a MG dealer in Nottingham. Win for MG in my books
I don't know why DYD is so expensive in the UK. Here is Australia the dolphin is going to sell for $37000, or around £19000. The price is a factor here, it is a cheap electric car with all the bells and whistles, little flaws can be excused because of the price, but if i had to pay £31000, or $65000, why wouldn't i just buy a Tesla
Nbr 1 and 2 on Cons, superficial, 3 and 4 AGREED, 5 well it is a small vehicle but it is funkilicious, ONLY if Fisker had that kind of interior. Hey, girly are you going to review a Fisker ocean or Alaska? Thanks
The price is a shame. If this was closer to £20000-25000 for the entry to top spec then may sell much more. As it is, it's too close in price to more established brands which means as a largely unknown brand in the UK it will struggle to compete.
I did think that when the Atto3 came out it might struggle against the ID3 but it’s the best car I’ve driven all year & the Dolphin was a better drive than the MG4 imo & it’s the UK’s cheapest EV well when we get the smaller battery version
You'd be surprised, I was at my local BYD dealership this week and they can't keep the Atto3 and Dolphin in stock, literally flying off the forecourts! I test drove the Atto3 and within the hour I had ordered one! Such a lovely car to drive, and I love the wacky interior (I know some will hate it) but I'm fed up with the drab black plastic interiors of most cars these days, so it's refreshing to see something different for a change. Plus it will be here within the month, where other ICE manufacturers are looking into 2024 for new orders. I had a sit in the Dolphin and it looks to be an ideal little city car for everyone that doesn't need or want an SUV like car. I regularly carry adult passengers so opted for the bigger Atto3, and I can't wait to get it.
While it costs over $30,000 in Europe, the Chinese price is under $20k. Don't know why reviewers complain about hard plastic on a sub 20k car. Great review though
Ah great so we get the expensive one released first, thats me out of getting one on lease then, as i need a new car by feb but do not want or need the more expensive one
Rough estimate (but close enough) would be to divide the miles by 6.21 then multiply by 10, or multiple the miles by 1.61 just as others have to do in reverse, to calculate from km to miles
@@philhartley7551 , thanks, but it just gets too bothersome and I really like this channel, but I ended up leaving and watched a similar review elsewhere where they used both the old miles and the globally used metric system. So much simpler.
It's all very respectable looking, this. Surely they can use the same platform to also build an ultra-misery spec Tata Nano-style car that's equipped like a Russian youth hostel and only costs ten and six? The "BYD Jellyfish", how's that?
Mg4 price is tempting, even though it's not a perfect car.. this is too expensive for a Chinese EV. Think it will need some heavy discounts to sell. Maybe they don't plan to import high numbers of them to UK?
That's because you might have sit in interiors so far which were just not that nice. In modern EVs, especially when autonomous driving becomes more widely available, the interior space has become a second living room. Large screens, apps and services, surround sound, comfortable seats and fabrics, cupholders. You might not find it important, most Tesla drivers seem to not care about minimalism and cheaper interiors, for instance, but that is the general direction of the industry. In the end quality is also what you should pay for, pure specs are too close together between different models and not as important as people think they are in daily life. Cars easily cost 50k these days, you better get something nice to the touch for that kind of money.
Fantastic review Nicola as always loved the passing comment at the end :) waddeson manor was an amazing location for the launch I was there on the sunday had to drive through massive floods to get there! I think the car we are waiting for is the seagull that’ll be £18k in the UK at my guess & will open the market to new EVs to the masses as it’ll be cheaper than most new petrol cars there aren’t many below £15k now , I loved the Atto 3 that’s the best car I’ve driven this year - the dolphin was great too - I think you do need to do a head to head of the smaller battery cheaper version when we get it versus the MG4 & see what compromise’s it has over this launch edition - the seal is next and that’s up against the Tesla model 3 - if that sells as well as I think it will do BYD have definitely arrived :)
@@ahmadmohamad6384 in the uk it’ll never be that price it is in China & if you look at how much we pay in premium v China prices £18k will be about right - BYD cars are holding their value on autotrader too so it would appear they’ve got it right
We've been told for ages by the likes of Fully Charged that Chinese EVs are coming and will dominate the market with cheap prices - yet here they are, and £30k+?? Hmm
I don't know where Nicola gets her energy from, but it's very entertaining. Got to say, I hate the interior. It's so busy, and I'd rather have fabric over vegan leathers.
I like everything in byd dolphin, except AC charging... soo slow up to 11kw??? This is most important thing when you in supermarket to top up the battery
Did one person design the front and another design the back but never talk to each other? Because the front looks rubbish and dated, yet the rear is quite tidy.
Price is a issue for these to be mainstream as a no name brand in the UK it will not sell well as most will go to the named brands at the same price Thes eneeded to coming in a good few grand chraper
I took one for a drive yesterday, I'm looking to downsize my SUV. The Dolphin is about the size of a Corolla but bigger inside. One thing not mentioned in this review is that the front seats can lift quite high, important for older drivers who struggle to get in and out of a sedan-type car. From the research I've done, the WLTP range seems to be quite accurate. The extended model I'm looking at does 427 km per charge which fits in well for a 300 km, each-way, drive I do every month. The blade battery is one of the few that will charge 0-100% without degrading the battery in comparison to other batteries that they don't recommend going over 80%, that 20% of driving is significant.
Yes, it's really bigger than imagination.
The Byd seller told me it’s better to recharge 30-100 rather than 0-100 with lfp
@@giulianogaia 0-100% was an extreme example. I doubt anyone would want an empty battery or an empty petrol tank :) I can definitely see getting to 20% on my monthly drive though.
@@GlenisRetiredNZ Yes, I agree, I just wanted to point out that according to the BYD seller in order to maximize battery life the ideal would be to recharge 30-100 (not 20-80, contrary to NMC), and once a year go down to zero in order to "reset" the battery (according to him).
it's a very nice supplementary information. Actually, it's kind of most important for those who really care about these mentioned features.
I was at my local BYD dealership this week and they can't keep the Atto3 and Dolphin in stock, literally flying off the forecourts! I test drove the Atto3 and within the hour I had ordered one! Such a lovely car to drive, and I love the wacky interior (I know some will hate it) but I'm fed up with the drab black plastic interiors of most cars these days, so it's refreshing to see something different for a change.
The massive 15.6" rotating screen is amazing, literally like having a massive ipad on your dash, sure the rotating thing is more of a show off thing but it is very handy in navigation, it gives you almost an entire streets view (sadly though, it is locked to landscape mode using Android Auto, for some reason!?) But it will be so nice having wireless Android Auto, no more faffing around with cables, genius!
Plus it will be here within the month, where other ICE manufacturers are looking into 2024 for new orders. I had a sit in the Dolphin and it looks to be an ideal little city car for everyone that doesn't need or want an SUV like car. I regularly carry adult passengers so opted for the bigger Atto3, and I can't wait to get it. Although pricing is a concern for most people, BYD are obviously doing something right despite the cost as they are outselling many legacy manufacturers and thats got to ne good for competition in the sector.
Tbh android auto is superfluous in BYD. Their infotainment is basically stock android. You can sideload any APK into it.
It is so much better than cheapJapanese models sold exclusively in South East Asia market like Toyota Vios, Honda City. Love how the chinese brands do not discriminate, one model for all regions and offer so much better interior quality and fit and finish.
I own an MG4 but have driven a Dolphin and I think the Dolphin is the better car. The lane keep assist is aggressive but equally so on the MG - and isn't that the point anyway? They're both easy enough to turn off, but I think that they re-set after stopping.. Worth doing a comparison, but test them in traffic, how easy are they to park, stop fast. Which is the better commuter car, runabout, shopping trolley. Get your mum or your grand-dad to drive for the tests. The seat height adjustment is a great feature for older shorter drivers. Kudos to you for mugging up on all the battery characteristics, too many reviewers leave that out. BYD can sell every car they produce so they will not be cheap YET.
Thank you for the insightful comment. I'd go for the Dolphin over the MG4 purely for faster AC charging, otherwise the MG4 looks like great value
When I drove the BYD Atto 3 the twisty screen could do split screen, so sat nav at top and easier to glance at, media at lower section.
The screen in portrait mode is for navigation, Waze when you turn the screen is a different beast.
Don't think carplay works in portrait mode so can't really use waze in that orientation. Maps defo looks good in portrait, don't know why many review hates this features etc.
@@badboy250984 new things are scary. usual thing.
Took it for a test drive, such a smooth drive. Interior is sleek and pretty cozy. Love the sporty seats.❤
Always find Nicola's videos very informative and detailed. Plus I love her humour. Usually at least one or two moments to laugh out loud at. I currently drive an MG4 and this Dolphin looks amazing
I'm still waiting on their electric motorcycle called the Prawn.......
The world has not produced a car worthy of Nicole’s super model legs. She is the loveliest of them all!
I took my mum for a test drive yesterday in one and she's tiny, she found it fit her perfectly and when i sat behind her i could practically put my legs straight and I'm 6ft. I then drove it and i didn't struggle adapting to it either. A great all round car so we've put an order in
I absolutely love mine. Ive had it for 4 months and covered 6k and first thing i did was ask byd to change the ling longs tyres!!! I now have continental pro2. I prefer this over previous EVs ive used long term which are the mg4 awful awful dealer back up! The cupra born and niro ev.
You will need to do 2 tests as the Base model Dolphin Active needs to go against the base model MG4 SE Standard Range but that cannot be done until 2024. But will be interesting to see the Design Vs Trophy.
We have a comparison video MG4SE vs Dolphin Active on my channel, where we compare mainly the technical data and the comparison is quite interesting. For me, the winner is... guess! 🤔
I know you have Fina @@siasekWatched it and RWD won over FWD x Artful
This car certainly has a lot going for it. It'll be an interesting head to head with the MG4. I'll wait a while on this one but it's definitely worth checking one out at some point. The 'bing bong' would irritate the hell out of me as well so I'll have to see how irritated I get during the the test.
Had a BYD Atto 3 as a hire car recently. When rotated to vertical, the screen went completely black. It was just cos I was wearing polarised sunglasses. Seems a bit of an oversight and not seen it mentioned anywhere.
Interesting the entry level spec in Australia which is $100AUD cheaper than the MG4 entry level and is under £20k, however I don't know if you get the 70kW motor therefore the mid-level trim in Australia which is $44k AUD approx would come to £24k about. You mention about cheap materials well you want affordability they can't offer you BMW/Audi level interior spec with a £26k price-tag. The Dolphin along with the Seal and Seagull are part of their Ocean series so yes it has an Ocean theme interior. I'm glad we don't live in Victorian Industrial Revolution with colours and boring design so many cars are just like all the others members of the sheep family and boring, BYD I think kicks that out the window and is willing to be bold and different which I like.
I prefer a car with a loud tick when the indicator is on. My current Renault Zoe has a nice loud tick!!
This looks good. The problem is - it’s a car rather than a small camper.!! I think that Build Your Dreams is making a great product.
Comfort trim is £30k, and that's the cheapest available in UK at the moment.
This is not a cheap EV.
This entry-level car is priced at 13000 pounds in China
@@starfucks5327 phew, thats one hell of a price difference isn't it, for the car coming from the same factory. Cheaper to fly to China, drive the bloody thing back to UK lol.
It’s really easy to turn off the notifications noises, you can change the indicator noise, in Australia this is the cheapest EV available- I have had an Atto3 for over 12 months and am very happy
One thing going for the dolphin is that you can get the more high spec versions also, with the LFP chemistry. The others, even the Tesla, all go to NMC for the upper spec versions. I just dont want NMC in my garage...
This will definetely sync for those in Asia especially in Malaysia! This would be the new MYVI!
seagull more like myvi
over here in Malaysia, the BYD price is not competitive with traditional ICE cars by a wide margin, and the native population don't have the same income power as Europeans or Americans, plus, the charging infrastructure is still poor. They are selling, but not as much as one sees elsewhere in the world.
No one pedal and fast charging too slow, really needs 140kw like the MG4 essence.
Looking forward to some comparisons with the ex30 ! Thanks for the vids
Actually drove one of these last week out of Exeter BYD. Very impressively built and very comfortable. The two issues I had were a. Regen braking was pretty weak compared to my eNiro (21 model) and b. The lane keep assist on a B road was borderline dangerous and really jerked the wheel between the verge and the central markings. Was not a issue on the motorway or the A30, but was poor on the B3180. If they sorted that it would be fine, but the MG 4 is, I think, better.
Chris is great at exeter - I can see this selling really well for BYD south west
Funnily, a lethally aggressive lane keep assist is people's main complaint about the MG4
It's bewildering. Why does EuroNCAP prioritise preventing the rare falling off the road incident over the increasingly common "LKA almost caused a head-on collision" scenario??
@@ad_fletch because when it works properly, it's good.
At the moment it's just a box tick and isn't tested. They are concerned about people turning them off though because they're setting up research into why people disable them.
What's the adaptive cruise control like?
I have been driving a dolphin for over 500 days. Dolphins are a good car, but in China, the price of dolphins is about 13000 pounds, which is a bit expensive in the UK
Thanks to all the taxes and tariffs
Come on man, imagine if all Chinese brands sell their evs in Europe at the same prices they sell in Mainland China, it is either they go broke or the EU governments & legacies go nuts.
I think with that long life time on the battery I think they will be sought after as second hand cars in about 10 years.
I am probably getting an MG4 but I want to test drive them side-by-side
The 'party trick' with the rotating screen is for people who like their sat nav in portrait instead of landscape
Vertical position of the screen unblocks the two air vents.
Also good at navi mode
@@xuray6082 good for tiktok
Top spec. Dolphin is £1,500 more than base spec. Mini; but you get more included tech & features with the BYD, plus a possible bit better range. And considering the buffers on the battery packs, there’s more on the Dolphin than the Mini, so I suspect the charging curve is on the positive side for the Dolphin. Even though on the top spec. of the Mini it’s slightly greater but you’d have to pay a heck of a lot more, for that bit on top.
The one thing BYD has against all its cars in the UK at the moment, is lack of dealerships and service centres. Now you could get a service done by a number of places; but if there’s a part needed within warranty, it’ll be back to a main dealer.
I'm an Hyundai ix20 owner and this model seems to be the same one but electric 😅
Big spaces inside like an SUV but also minimal from the outside..
👍🏼 BYD
If you are price sensitive, my suggestion is to wait for BYD Seagull to go public
I would be interested to see the BYD close up, as i don't like the cheap finish on the MG4. I also found that the MG4 has soft and horribly unsupportive seats.
Cheap finish where?
@martynmorris8160 The black plastic outside, the rear light cluster (looks nasty like recycled plastic), the door cards, the dashboard, the soft and nasty seats, the gear select dial (on left for LHD cars, not moved to the right), the digital display that wobbles as if loose, the so so budget boot area , the nasty thin floor carpets..... I could list more for sure if I stood there now outside one. It is built as cheap and nasty as a Lada!! Which is actually very annoying because the MG5 fit and finish is better that the MG4.
I'm guessing you haven't ACTUALLY seen or been in an MG4 then
@martynmorris8160 Good try Mate... No.. I chased the dealer and put my deposit on one last year... I eagerly took the top speck Orange Trophy out as soon as a demo was available. It drove very well... But the fit and finish was shite. Even my wife said "I hope you are not thinking of wasting our money on this thing?" I heard that the MG4 X-power was coming so politely moved my deposit to that. I heard the MG4 X-power was altered internally (different seats etc)... It isn't. Overall I am gutted... The MG4 should be the opportunity for a Chinese brand to show us what quality they can produce in 2023. To me it is 1970s Taiwanese Plastics.... nasty and poorly made... £32,000 for the Trophy.... It doesn't represent £32,000 of well made quality. Yes an Audi A1 costs £32k and has a boĺlax 1.0 ltr engine... but its internal fit and finish is better than MG4. If MG had made the internal and external as tidy as the Audi A1 it would indeed be worthy of being the best value EV in UK. But it is clear that they cut corners and it is only worth the price that MG charge for it in China. In the UK it shouts budget all over. Maybe Volvo XC30 will prove that Chinese can do fit and finish nicely for a decent price?
@@martynmorris8160dude, one of the many complaints of the MG4 is the interior quality is lacking...
Ive ordered one, picking it up Saturday. It ticks all the boxes.
Great Review!!! does the car offer an Electric Sunshade ?
Great review , do you prefer this or the mg4 , cheers
Can I add no.6 no one pedal driving and lack of variable regen.
It has two settings, Standard and High. Standard is virtually nothing at all and High is about the same as automatic transmission in an ICE car, ie, very weak.
The only thing that makes me think about not buying it, and that you didn't mention it's the 88 kW DC charging. On DC chargers it will take a while from 20 to 80% (Guess 35-40 minutes), at least some minutes more than a MG4, which can charge up to 135 kW. But Price, build quality, style, LFP battery and range make it a great car
I'd love an electric car for my driving school but the big problem with them for me is I have no idea who these companies are. It's a shame because they might be just as good if not better than the big names we all know like Ford, but...it's a lot of money to spend and a big risk to take. The 8-year warranty is impressive but people love sticking to what they know and I think that the main problem companies like BYD, Cupra and Polestar have is people are just saying "Who???". You're doing great work on this channel to spread the word and change that!
Sometimes you have to take a chance. I was a very early UK Tesla buyer (2019), and would never go back to internal combustion. A quarter of the fuel costs, no servicing (in 4 years). I am now seriously looking to move to the BYD Seal. Imo though, you must be able to charge at home to realise the benefits. BYD were the worlds 4th largest car seller last month, only 1% behind Honda.
I think Volvo and VW are probably "Big names we all know".
Well, there is a process for all of these new brands (BYD is like at least a decade old, but just arrived to Euro market lately), so yeah definitely is some more risk alongside with opportunity with new brands. Usually they offer better budget products and warranties to attract customers.
You can spend only a short time on the internet to search about BYD and you'll find tonnes of blockbuster information, the largest EV maker in the world, 3rd largest battery maker, also supplier of batteries to Tesla and Toyota!!!
In EV industries, forget about those conventional big car companies. They are just too old to learn the latest technologies of battery, electric motor, sensors and most importantly the software.
Too many bing bongs - the curse of all modern cars! 😩😩 Very frustrating, but actually, as per usual, Nicola does a great review. I have a Dolphin demo and then a Seal demo to trial in a couple of weeks and looking forward to evaluating them for our fleet.
Great review, as always. However, I’d add one more dislike: looks. Given the competition, it’s a shame BYD did such a meh job with the styling - especially the front, which (to these eyes at least) looks horribly dated and bland. Hopefully it’ll look better in the flesh…
The back with the cool tail lights is pretty good. The lines on the side are quite nice as well. The front is so very boring
I can confirm it looks better in the flesh. I wasn’t expecting much when I took one for a test drive, but it’s a better built car than the MG4 with more features. Screen, software and speakers are MUCH better in the Dolphin. Ride quality of the MG4 feels a little more dynamic but there’s not much in it. It’s just a shame the inside is so busy, not quite as bad in the all black, but it’s a lot. The very large and chunky central tunnel in the front may impinge on some people’s left leg too. Feels a little cramped. Was fine for me because I’m short but my partner has long legs and mentioned it.
When the winter , how distance you can drive ?
Been inside & driven the Dolphin...must say much much better than the dull ID3
I think the BYD Dolphin may appeal to the older generation getting an EV for the first time as its quite a lot cheaper than the Equivalent ID3 but also so is the Volvo EX30
@@RobertDodgeThe EX30 looks really interesting but there are none. My dealer doesn't even get a demonstrator until Dec.
@@MrMannakin - Maybe why they are selling loads of Jeep Avengers then - never knew they were that delayed arriving with the dealers.
ID3 is actually designed and manufactured by BYD, but it is designed according to Volkswagen's requirements.
Too bad it won't come to this side of the pond, Nicola. Tsk. I like it. I wished you'd let us hear those indicator sounds -your pet peeve.
Thanks for info. Only the price I think is the problem for me
It’s the cheapest EV in the UK but if price is an issue I’d definitely recommend used there’s lots of 2 year old EVs in the £10-15k area now
The position of the charging port is weird. What's the real world charging speed? Efficiency while testing?
Thought they were not going to put Build Your Dreams on the back only BYD?
That’s the Atto 3. They may drop it on the Dolphin eventually but not yet and this one is non removable
Vertical screen is used for navigation, you can try it, the effect is great
Would like to see one but with only two dealerships covering London, Birmingham and Scotland don't see BYD selling many at least we have a MG dealer in Nottingham. Win for MG in my books
Very pleasantly presented. Balanced viewpoints and great looking vid!
this vs MG4 vs E-Mini vs Leaf would be a winner episode
When do we get the Seagull and the Olli? In Europe. These cars are the ones I´m looking forward to
I don't know why DYD is so expensive in the UK. Here is Australia the dolphin is going to sell for $37000, or around £19000. The price is a factor here, it is a cheap electric car with all the bells and whistles, little flaws can be excused because of the price, but if i had to pay £31000, or $65000, why wouldn't i just buy a Tesla
Nicola, can you do a test drive of BYD Qin L hybrid with 1000 plus miles on one tank of fuel please?
Nbr 1 and 2 on Cons, superficial, 3 and 4 AGREED, 5 well it is a small vehicle but it is funkilicious, ONLY if Fisker had that kind of interior. Hey, girly are you going to review a Fisker ocean or Alaska? Thanks
Ticky ticky bing bong!
Real world comments with real world language is good fun and instantly understood 👍
It is not a mystery going North/South display map in portrait, going West/East display map in landscape.
The price is a shame. If this was closer to £20000-25000 for the entry to top spec then may sell much more. As it is, it's too close in price to more established brands which means as a largely unknown brand in the UK it will struggle to compete.
I did think that when the Atto3 came out it might struggle against the ID3 but it’s the best car I’ve driven all year & the Dolphin was a better drive than the MG4 imo & it’s the UK’s cheapest EV well when we get the smaller battery version
it is not the problem of the vehicle price, it is the problem that you did not earn enough.
buying EVs no longer brand affiliated as everyone knows switching from ICE to EV is a completely new ballgame... maybe apart from you
You'd be surprised, I was at my local BYD dealership this week and they can't keep the Atto3 and Dolphin in stock, literally flying off the forecourts! I test drove the Atto3 and within the hour I had ordered one! Such a lovely car to drive, and I love the wacky interior (I know some will hate it) but I'm fed up with the drab black plastic interiors of most cars these days, so it's refreshing to see something different for a change. Plus it will be here within the month, where other ICE manufacturers are looking into 2024 for new orders. I had a sit in the Dolphin and it looks to be an ideal little city car for everyone that doesn't need or want an SUV like car. I regularly carry adult passengers so opted for the bigger Atto3, and I can't wait to get it.
@@Addixxtion congrats... do you know BYD has ordered 6-8 or their own car carriers to ship across the world?
While it costs over $30,000 in Europe, the Chinese price is under $20k. Don't know why reviewers complain about hard plastic on a sub 20k car. Great review though
❤❤ very well done
Ah great so we get the expensive one released first, thats me out of getting one on lease then, as i need a new car by feb but do not want or need the more expensive one
BYD announced they have made 500,000 Dolphins 👏
Would like to know what the range is in km.
Conversion of miles to km, just multiply by 1.6
Rough estimate (but close enough) would be to divide the miles by 6.21 then multiply by 10, or multiple the miles by 1.61 just as others have to do in reverse, to calculate from km to miles
@@philhartley7551 , thanks, but it just gets too bothersome and I really like this channel, but I ended up leaving and watched a similar review elsewhere where they used both the old miles and the globally used metric system. So much simpler.
@@sandyfordd1843 So don't watch UK-produced videos if you can't be bothered doing simple maths
@colinnich , at least you called it maths, there's hope for you yet.
Great review 👍🏼 Nice car. Can’t get past the name tho. “ I drive a Dolphin! .. it Builds my Dreams” 😂
When will you put it against the MG4?
That's it - it's off my shortlist now. Too many bing-bongs. (Look forward to the MG4 head-to-head!)
I would love to ear the bing-bongs she refers to. Some are livable with, others are downright annoying.
There is nothing like vegan leather, it is either leather or an oil derivative, which isn’t quite sustainable to be fair.
It's all very respectable looking, this. Surely they can use the same platform to also build an ultra-misery spec Tata Nano-style car that's equipped like a Russian youth hostel and only costs ten and six? The "BYD Jellyfish", how's that?
can we get the byd seagull review?
Great video, Nicola 👌😀
I’m no really into EVs 🤷♂️but Nicola what a breath of fresh air with your reviews 😁factual and entertaining 🤣keep up the good work 🙌👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Very closely priced with the MG4. I would rather the MG to be honest.
Yep, like most BYDs, strangely not cheap enough in Europe. Hopefully (Chinese) competition bring the price down.
@@Jajalaatmaar dealer networks
Mg4 price is tempting, even though it's not a perfect car.. this is too expensive for a Chinese EV. Think it will need some heavy discounts to sell. Maybe they don't plan to import high numbers of them to UK?
The mg is cheap as hell inside though i sat in one at a dealers the other day and couldn't believe how cheap things looked and felt
@@Jajalaatmaarbut nearly half the price in China. Somebody’s making a big markup.
Thank you
Can you turn off the touch screen?
Any news on when the EX30 will be reviewed?
maybe 2024
OMG she's good. Nuff said! 😊
I live in the North East of England and have no dealers at the moment are they likely to come to the North East
Arnold Clarke in Shiremoor now has them in stock and available to test drive.
One positive is that you can't see the outside from the inside.
then will the battle come, MG4 64kw VS BYD Dolphin
In total a really nice car, too bad that the front looks so boring. ☹
Designed by Europeans though.
How many of you out there do not spend even a second of your precious time caressing the interior surfaces of your cars? I don’t think I ever have!
That's because you might have sit in interiors so far which were just not that nice. In modern EVs, especially when autonomous driving becomes more widely available, the interior space has become a second living room. Large screens, apps and services, surround sound, comfortable seats and fabrics, cupholders. You might not find it important, most Tesla drivers seem to not care about minimalism and cheaper interiors, for instance, but that is the general direction of the industry. In the end quality is also what you should pay for, pure specs are too close together between different models and not as important as people think they are in daily life. Cars easily cost 50k these days, you better get something nice to the touch for that kind of money.
I caressed the inside of your car for you last night.
And still no carplay or one pedal drive?
Fantastic review Nicola as always loved the passing comment at the end :) waddeson manor was an amazing location for the launch I was there on the sunday had to drive through massive floods to get there! I think the car we are waiting for is the seagull that’ll be £18k in the UK at my guess & will open the market to new EVs to the masses as it’ll be cheaper than most new petrol cars there aren’t many below £15k now , I loved the Atto 3 that’s the best car I’ve driven this year - the dolphin was great too - I think you do need to do a head to head of the smaller battery cheaper version when we get it versus the MG4 & see what compromise’s it has over this launch edition - the seal is next and that’s up against the Tesla model 3 - if that sells as well as I think it will do BYD have definitely arrived :)
£18k for the Seagull is far too expensive. It should start at £12k and the midspec long range with 15" alloys at £15k and the top spec touching £20k.
@@ahmadmohamad6384 in the uk it’ll never be that price it is in China & if you look at how much we pay in premium v China prices £18k will be about right - BYD cars are holding their value on autotrader too so it would appear they’ve got it right
Please read any warranty conditions carefully before praising them.
I have read them - pretty standard
I love the way car manufacturers try to palm off their interiors as "Vegan leather" these days. Why not just call it what it is... plastic.
Nicola keeps insisting that 'there isn’t a straight line in here' (2:45)… 😏 So the rectangular screen doesn’t count or what?
Nice car, 15200$ in China and in Holland suddenly double price 30000€ ... THIS SMELLS!
european price for european standard
We've been told for ages by the likes of Fully Charged that Chinese EVs are coming and will dominate the market with cheap prices - yet here they are, and £30k+?? Hmm
in China this car is sold at the price of 13000£, by the way vw id 3 also is sold at the price of 13-15k£😂
She’s super nice 😊
I don't know where Nicola gets her energy from, but it's very entertaining.
Got to say, I hate the interior. It's so busy, and I'd rather have fabric over vegan leathers.
I like everything in byd dolphin, except AC charging... soo slow up to 11kw??? This is most important thing when you in supermarket to top up the battery
11Kw AC charging is plenty enough - same as RWD Teslas.
What kind of AC speed do you think should be standard?
What car has faster than 11kW?
The interior drives me crazy. It is as if they tried so hard to be different, but they were not.
Did one person design the front and another design the back but never talk to each other? Because the front looks rubbish and dated, yet the rear is quite tidy.
BYD has known it. So... you can see the BYD Seagull.
😂
Too many Bing bongs and has a good shove! All I need to know, thanks Nicola!
Please compare this car against the Hyundai Kona and it’s Volvo equivalent.
Quite fun to watch 😀
Basically these are priced no cheaper than other ev cars of the same size
So much for cheaper EV cars
Portrait screen is better for satnav.
Price is a issue for these to be mainstream as a no name brand in the UK it will not sell well as most will go to the named brands at the same price
Thes eneeded to coming in a good few grand chraper
Deep Purple 💜
Put it against honda jazz or ID3