Present in France for less than three years, BYD has until now been noticed more for its announcements than for its sales volumes. However, the Chinese manufacturer is getting serious with its Dolphin Surf. This 100% electric city car comes at a bargain price without any cheap features, as this very first test drive proves. With it, European manufacturers, particularly the French, have cause for concern...
The most
- - Price/performance ratio
- - Rich equipment
- - Convincing presentation
The least
- - Average motor skills
- - Autonomy to be checked
- - Regenerative braking needs improvement
It's a symbol that speaks volumes. When it arrives in Europe, and particularly in France, at the end of 2022, the Chinese manufacturer BYD aims to succeed there with its high-end models sold at reasonable prices and with an exaggerated "Build Your Dreams" logo displayed prominently on the back of its cars. Less than three years later, demonstrating that Chinese manufacturers listen to criticism and know how to adapt, a simple BYD logo has become sufficient, and it is now with products better calibrated to our markets that the Chinese giant, the world's leading manufacturer of electrified cars (hybrid and 100% electric), intends to gain momentum.
If its strategy also involves its European presence, with a factory and a research and development center whose location has been formalized in Hungary, this plan must above all be accompanied by a product offering worthy of the name. It was therefore necessary to create a "symbolic model," and the Dolphin Surf is this model. Having already sold over 930,000 units—a large portion of which have been sold in its home country since its launch in April 2023—the model, also known as the Seagull or Dolphin Mini depending on the market, is now arriving in France and is set to make a big splash. Behind its rock-bottom prices lie features that are far from cheap.
The BYD Dolphin Surf is designed to appeal to the European market.
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| The BYD Dolphin Surf has a sharp look. © BYD |
The world is big, and we don't all drive the same cars, depending on our customs and cultures. But sometimes, certain models reach a consensus, and this is the case with the BYD Dolphin Surf. At 3.99 m long, the Chinese electric city car has a size perfectly suited to the European market, even if its narrowness (1.72 m) and substantial height (1.59 m) give it a touch of an MPV— a slightly outdated type of car in our countries. However, as the design is modern, perhaps highlighted by bright colors, the appeal is greater. It's also worth noting that the design has been managed since 2017 by the German Wolfgang Egger, who has worked at Audi and Alfa Romeo, and BYD is learning quickly. Don’t think that this Dolphin Surf disappoints when you open the door. It features a modern interior, both in terms of form—with the central touchscreen gadget (10.1 inches here and standard) that switches from vertical to horizontal on demand and in terms of content, with materials that are far from low-end. In short, at first glance, this small, low-cost Chinese car is not at all repulsive; far from it.
Very rich equipment, but not a very fun interior.
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| Dashboard of the BYD Dolphin Surf. © BYD |
Following the Japanese pioneers, then the Koreans who used this technique to seduce the European motorist, the Chinese are also applying the principle of rich equipment. From the basic version, multimedia screens are delivered as standard, along with rear parking assistance (cameras and sensors), manual air conditioning, cruise control, and even a hands-free key. In the top-of-the-range Comfort model, like our test vehicle, it feels luxurious, featuring 360° cameras for easy parking, 100% LED headlights, and even an induction charger. Surprisingly, from the second level of finish (Boost), which is expected to be the most popular in our country, you can benefit from electrically adjustable front seats. The upholstery across the entire range is dressed in a leatherette that doesn’t look cheap. In short, BYD makes a strong impression, particularly since, as already mentioned, the materials and assemblies give a robust feeling, starting with the covering that imitates Alcantara. One could quibble and wish that, for a small car intended to deal with everyday life and its traffic jams, the interior could be more colorful to brighten the atmosphere. However, to have fun while stopped, the multimedia system offers a karaoke function.
Habitability of the BYD Dolphin Surf
At 3.99 m long, the Dolphin Surf is clearly not intended to be the biggest car in the household. Nevertheless, it pleasantly surprises with its welcoming sense of space. While it is not particularly surprising at the front, it is so at the back, with plenty of room to stretch your legs—a quality not linked to a very generous wheelbase. With 2.50 m between the axles, it is 4 cm shorter than that of a Renault 5 (which is not very spacious at the back) or a Citroën ë-C3. In this respect, BYD's choice to focus on a "monovoluminizing" silhouette pays off, especially since the feeling of space on board is amplified by generous headroom. However, there is still a downside. While the trunk, with its announced 308 liters, is enough for a week's shopping—including a tray in the floor for storing charging cables—it is far from huge. In this respect, the BYD Dolphin Surf reflects its origins, as the Chinese are accustomed to prioritizing rear passenger comfort over cargo capacity.
Is the BYD Dolphin Surf fun to drive?
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| The BYD Dolphin Surf makes for a good city car. © BYD |
If you are a regular reader of L'Automobile Magazine, you know that we have had a hard time with certain BYDs (Dolphin, Atto 2, and Atto 3) while also recognizing the qualities of other models (Seal U, Seal). Based on the same technical base as the first cars mentioned here, the Dolphin Surf proves, with performances a notch above, that Chinese manufacturers know how to take criticism into account. Without losing a certain flexibility in terms of adjustments to the ground connections, allowing it to present a good level of comfort, the Dolphin Surf proves to be sufficiently rigorous not to scare the European motorist at the first bend. Certainly, this little one is far from being the most fun and precise to drive in its category, but its uncomplicated nature is reassuring. In addition, BYD also equips it with steering that is not too filtering, again a guarantee for the driver of a relationship of trust with their car. On the other hand, while the brake pedal is pleasant to use, the level of regenerative braking is hardly impressive for an electric car, knowing that there is no one-pedal driving. Finally, even if it is far from being catastrophic, there is still one point where the Chinese manufacturer needs to work: traction. During strong acceleration, and not only on wet roads, it is not uncommon to hear the front wheels screaming under the assault of the electric mechanics, which undoubtedly proves too muscular here for urban use.
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| The BYD Dolphin Surf is a new model in the range. © BYD |
Flagship of the Dolphin Surf range, the top-of-the-range Confort finish is obviously the best equipped, with the largest battery (43.2 kWh compared to 30 kWh in the basic version), and also the most powerful, with an electric block developing 115 kW or 156 hp. This is a lot and perhaps too much in a small everyday car, especially since the intermediate Boost finish is certainly less powerful (88.4 hp) but offers, with the same accumulator, more autonomy (+12 km or 322 km under the WLTP homologation cycle). We will probably have to wait to verify this during a future test; but between already rich equipment and €2,000 less to spend (or €23,990), it seems that this last choice is the most pragmatic.
The autonomy of the BYD Dolphin Surf
While small electric vehicles are far from flawless on long journeys, as our tests have already proven, their range will be more than sufficient for everyday use. With 220 km for the base version, under €20,000, and more than 300 km for the two larger battery options (43.2 kWh versus 30), the Dolphin Surf will be able to provide the same services in a home (work, children, shopping) as a thermal city car. However, we will still wait to verify all this with our certified measurements, especially since the Dolphin Surf adopts LFP chemistry accumulators, which are sensitive to temperatures, particularly cold temperatures. In any case, the Chinese manufacturer announces up to 11 kW of charging power accepted in alternating current and 85 kW (65 kW with the 30 kWh) on a fast charging terminal in direct current. Values far from record, but sufficient for a car of this size and intended for everyday use.
BYD Dolphin Surf Review: A Good Deal, Not Just for Its Low Price
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| The BYD Dolphin Surf could harm our French cars. © BYD |
As we've already detailed here, the Dolphin Surf should be a real pain for European electric city cars like the Fiat Panda, Citroën Ë-C3, and the Renault 5, with its rock-bottom prices and rich equipment. But this Chinese car is also a formidable rival, being very pleasant to live with and to drive. With it, BYD has undoubtedly found its Trojan horse.
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