BYD Dolphin

The Dolphin's interior places a high priority on comfort, with bucket-backed seats up front for improved lateral support during abrupt turns and vegan leather upholstery throughout. Its whimsical dashboard, with its two-tone color scheme and complementary trim, is where it shines. 

The Dolphin's rotating central touchscreen infotainment and central control system, which can be oriented either vertically or horizontally, together with its fully digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, are among its most striking features.

Its e-Platform 3.0 makes the most of available space, maximizing head and legroom in the back seats and offering a respectable amount of trunk storage. Additional creature comforts include speaker systems, climate control, wireless chargers, docking ports, and extra storage spaces scattered around the car.

Its rounded top, low bonnet, big front windscreen, and snub front bumper—which is branded with the company's brand logo—make it resemble a bottlenose dolphin with LED headlights acting as "eyes." This little hatchback with five doors is 4.29 meters long, 1.57 meters high, and 1.77 meters wide.

In addition, it has a very unique closed grille front fascia with a broad air intake on the lower spoilers, which adds a sporty touch and serves as a cooling element for the motors. Its sides, upper and lower, are elegantly curved inward before flinging forth toward the back doors, giving it a fin-like appearance that fits in well with its nickname.

The Dolphin's marine-inspired look is completed with integrated visor-like LED rear lights with a unique "wave" design, a sturdy back bumper with air intake vents, two-tone alloy wheels in chrome and black, and a modest roof spoiler.

The Dolphin has drawn appreciation for its smooth ride, particularly when traveling at slower speeds because of its suspension's ability to cushion the impact of potholes and other irregularities in the road. It's more of a mixed bag in terms of handling. It is responsive, fluid, and nimble at slower speeds. When traveling at greater speeds, the Dolphin does have some body rolling, particularly around curved or uneven roads. Its handling also becomes less seamless overall.

The BYD Dolphin's efficiency and compact design are made possible by its single permanent synchronous electric powertrain, the BYD e-Platform 3.0, which houses the motor, motor controller, transmission, and other electronics in one single unit. 

The 94 HP, 180 Nm "standard" variant is the only one offered in the Philippines. Despite this restriction, it can nevertheless go from 0 to 50 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, giving it a top speed of 130 km/h. Recharging its 44.9 kWh battery is a breeze with a 7kw AC charger as part of the package.

An average at-home AC charge takes eight hours to complete and 23 minutes to fully charge, but the Dolphin can be charged from 10% to 80% in less than 40 minutes using its regular DC fast-charging option (60kW/h). According to its stated NEDC range, the Dolphin has a maximum operating range of 405 km when fully charged.

Other than side airbags on the rear passenger side of the car, the BYD Dolphin has all the basic safety equipment of a typical mid-tier SUV. Given its price range, the vehicle’s numerous safety features make up for this one small flaw. 

It also comes with additional safety features, such as an Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), stability and traction controls, a Hill Start Assist system (HSA), and a 360° Panoramic Camera System, making it quite feature-packed for a budget offering. 

The BYD Dolphin is a good option if you're searching for an entry-level EV that is dependable, feature-rich, and reasonably priced. It offers great value and performance for the money.