car news car tests

Haters and fans

There are always mixed feelings around cars from China . There are haters and fans. One thing you have to give the Chinese: they are incredibly good at developing new models and technologies quickly and well. Charging EVs with more than 1,000 kW? That is already a reality in China. Offering an EV at a bargain price? Also a checkmark, because this BYD Dolphin Surf has a price of about 9,000 euros in China. You read that right. Less than 10,000 euros! In the Netherlands, that’s 22,990 euros.

BYD Dolphin Surf: sales hit

By the way, know that this BYD has been sold in China and South America since November 2023. In China the model is called BYD Seagull and in South America the model listens to the name Dolphin Mini. In Europe, the small city car appears in showrooms as Dolphin Surf. Since its introduction in 2023, the model has already sold 930,000 units worldwide, including 170,000 units in the first quarter of 2025. So this little BYD is a great success. This is mainly due to its competitive pricing. Unfortunately, we don’t notice much of that in the Netherlands, because for many people even 23,000 euros will still be too much. Although this Dolphin Surf is favorably priced compared to its competitors. Cars have simply become very pricey.

BYD DOLPHIN SURF (2025): this EV costs 9,000 euros in China! – REVIEW – AutoRAI TV

Dolphin Surf Dimensions

This Dolphin Surf was also developed super-fast. This was made possible by the modular e-Platform 3.0 that is the basis for many BYD models. Time for some facts. The BYD Dolphin Surf has a length of 3,990 mm, a width of 1,720 mm and a height of 1,590 mm. The wheelbase has a length of 2,500 mm, resulting in ample interior space.

Luggage space

The luggage compartment capacity comes out to 308 liters. Do take into account a higher lift threshold. Those who fold down the backrest of the rear seats in a 50/50 ratio have access to 1,037 liters. Point of attention – literally – is the sharp angle of the tailgate. Make sure not to bump your head on this flap when the tailgate is in the highest position. Inside the car itself there are twenty additional storage spaces. The charging point is incorporated into the right front screen. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) with 3.3 kW output is standard. Handy, because that way you can also power other devices on location.

Cheerful colors

It’s fair to say: that BYD Dolphin Surf is a cheerful little cart. Especially if you order it in a good color. There is a choice of Lime Green, Apricity White, Ice Blue and Polar Night Black. Lime Green is the base color, by the way. Nice! Polar Night Black, Apricity White and Ice Blue are available for an additional cost of 650 euros. As standard, the car is on 15-inch alloys, but the Boost and Comfort versions have 16-inch alloys.

Interior BYD Dolphin Surf

The interior looks hip and combines a rotatable 10.1-inch touchscreen with analog pushbuttons. All versions of the car also have Isofix attachment points in the back seat. The BYD Dolphin Surf also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a voice assistant called “Hi BYD. As a driver, you look out at a 7.0-inch display. That too is standard, as is a center armrest, power window controls, air conditioning and navigation. The top version also has a wireless phone charger on the center console.

Structure buttons too smooth

What else does the interior have to offer? Analog push buttons for operating the automatic (D, N, R, P), driving modes, air conditioning and windshield defogger. Here we do like to place a comment: the structure of these buttons is very slippery, giving you little feeling of what exactly you are doing. The car – regardless of version – also has an 18W Type A and 60W Type C USB charger. A nice feature is that this BYD Dolphin Surf is nice and spacious inside. Even in the back you can sit as an adult just fine. The seats are even on the longer side. We have seen that differently in the past. Even the headroom is still good if you are about 1.85 meters tall.  

Safety features

Then we should mention the driver assistance systems. All versions of the Dolphin Surf have smart cruise control, a collision prevention system, lane assist and high beam assist. Tire pressure monitoring is also present. Systems such as a rearview camera and traffic sign recognition are also standard. The top Comfort version has a 360-degree camera system. A simple swipe on the display takes you to the quick menu where you can easily disable speed warning and lane-keeping assist. Saves annoyance on the road. This car may be called Dolphin Surf, but there are no flippers behind the wheel. As a driver, you have no influence on the car’s regenerative braking power. The car controls that itself. So one-pedal-driving is not in the cards.

How does the BYD Dolphin Surf drive?

On this component, the Dolphin Surf scores many points. The car drives maturely, very maturely even. The suspension has fine damping and the seats also keep you well in place. Moreover, it is also fairly quiet on board, except on the highway at speeds above 100 km/hr. Then you experience a lot of wind noise around the side mirrors. This is something you can live with, of course, because you also have to remember that this is an A-segment hatchback. You can’t expect everything for this money. One thing is certain: the suspension has been developed with care and attention and deserves a big thumbs up. The steering is okay. In the middle position we experience a somewhat sticky feeling. Still, this will not be a problem for most people.

Three versions BYD Dolphin Surf

There are three versions to choose from: Active, Boost and Comfort. Easy to remember, by the way, because this is an ABCs. The higher the letter in the alphabet, the richer the equipment. How much range and power the BYD Dolphin Surf has depends on which version you choose. Our feeling is that you’re better off leaving the base Active version, as it has a 30 kWh battery and a WLTP driving range of 220 kilometers. That leaves about 150 kilometers in practice.  

Boost

If you go for the second version (Boost), you already get a 43.2 kWh battery with 322 kilometers of driving range. The Active and Boost have an electric motor with an output of 65 kW and 175 Nm of pulling power. Good for a 0-100 time of about 11 to 12 seconds.  

Comfort

Do you go for the Comfort? Then you immediately benefit from an extra powerful electric motor of 115 kW (156 hp) and 220 Nm of torque. That sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds. And you can feel it! The top speed is 150 km/h in all versions. The Comfort reaches 310 kilometers on a full charge of electricity (WLTP).

Charging time and weights

Charging time depends on the version. The Active can fast charge up to 65 kW (DC) versus 85 kW for the Boost and Comfort. In all cases, fast-charging the battery from 10 to 80 percent takes about 30 minutes. Normal charging can be done with 11 kW 3-phase. The vehicle weights then. Useful information, since you have to pay road tax for a BEV, too. The BYD Dolphin Surf Active weighs 1,294 kilograms empty, the Boost weighs 1,370 kilograms and with the Comfort we’re talking 1,390 kilograms. The car has a maintenance interval of 30,000 kilometers or every 24 months, whichever comes first.

Prices

Finally, the pricing. The BYD Dolphin Surf will be available from mid-June at all BYD Stores in the Netherlands and can be ordered in three versions: Active, Boost and Comfort. Recommended retail prices start at 22,990 euros for the Active, 24,990 euros for the Boost and 26,690 euros for the luxury Comfort version. Our gut says we’d rather leave the base version because of its smaller battery. Go at least for the Boost and if possible for the Comfort. Because that extra powerful electric motor just drives very nicely.

Conclusion review BYD Dolphin Surf

At these prices, the BYD Dolphin Surf is not the very cheapest, but in return the car has excellent handling. Okay, a lot of wind noise arises around the side mirrors on the highway and the steering is sticky around the center position, but the suspension feels very mature and has fine damping. In addition, this car is – especially in this segment – above average in space. Also, 6 years to 150,000 kilometers is nice. So BYD very definitely has a strong offering with this Dolphin Surf. It is one of the most mature cars in this segment, with excellent soft- and hardware. This car leaves a splashy impression on us.