Summary
The BYD Dolphin Surf is a small electric city car that was launched in the UK in the summer of 2025. Despite the name, it’s a different car from the larger BYD Dolphin.
In China, this car is called the BYD Seagull, part of the company’s ongoing ‘Ocean’ naming series. However, BYD’s marketing department (probably wisely) decided that European customers are not really as fond of seagulls as Chinese customers and the name could be a hindrance, so we get the name Dolphin Surf. In some other markets, it’s called the Dolphin Mini instead.
The BYD Dolphin Surf falls into the city car category, so it’s about the same size as small EVs like the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03. Like these two rivals, the Dolphin Surf was designed as a dedicated EV, rather than being adapted from a petrol car, so there’s more cabin and boot space than you’d expect from such a small car.
The Dolphin Surf is offered in three trim levels – Active, Boost and Comfort – with a very competitive list of standard equipment at each level. Pricing in the UK ranges from about £19K to £24K. That makes it slightly more expensive than the Dacia and Leapmotor, but cheaper than European rivals like the Fiat 500e.
Initial media reviews have been mixed, with generally average-to-low scores from most reviewers. It has been praised for its space and levels of standard equipment, but criticised for a perceived lack of quality. The first local media drives took place around a short urban route in London, so we may see score change (for better or worse) once media titles have spent more time with the car on a wider range of local roads.
As of September 2025, the BYD Dolphion Surf holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%. It achieves top marks for its low running costs, zero tailpipe emissions and BYD’s excellent new car warranty offering. However, the overall rating is dragged down by the Dolphin Surf’s poor media review scores. We also don’t have Euro NCAP safety rating data at this time, so this could affect the rating when it is published.
Key specifications
Body style: Small five-door hatchback
Engines: Single electric motor
Price: From £18,650 on-road
Launched: Summer 2025
Last updated: N/A
Next update due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Featured reviews
“In the BYD Dolphin Surf, buyers have the option of a truly affordable electric vehicle without any significant compromises – it’s likely to become a popular model on UK roads.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6.9 / 10
Read full review
The Car Expert
Andrew Charman, Stuart Masson
“The BYD Dolphin Surf squeezes a lot of useful equipment and space into a small package, but the interior quality is lacklustre.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
Read full review
Carwow
Mario Christou
More reviews
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The roomy and compellingly-priced BYD Dolphin Surf is arguably the Chinese brand’s most convincing model yet.”
Author: Ellis Hyde, Steve Walker
Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“BYD Dolphin Surf? Stupid name, right, but who cares when it’s a spacious, comfy and well-equipped city-focused EV priced at £19K. Subjectively, it’s nowhere near as interesting as a Hyundai Inster or a Renault 5 (or a used BMW i3), and it’s not as cheap as a Dacia Spring, but it does have an awful lot going for it. And we expect that its particular set of skills will make it another BYD that flies off the shelves. It’s a perfectly reasonable zero-emissions runabout.”
Author: Mark Nichol
Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Comfort 43kWh
Score: 8 / 10
“If the BYD Dolphin Surf doesn’t attract the attention of fleets for its looks, interior space, and high levels of standard equipment, the affordable list pricing surely will.”
Author: Martyn Collins
Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The BYD Dolphin Surf isn’t quite as roomy or zippy as an Inster, but it feels much more of a quality product than rivals from Dacia and Leapmotor and – dare we say it – Fiat. Crucially, though, it ticks many boxes: assured handling, perfectly decent performance, good range and good space. BYD’s best car? Quite possibly.”
Author: Jake Groves
Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“BYD’s electric march across Europe continues, and the new Dolphin Surf might just be its most relevant model yet. It’s the brand’s eighth pure-electric model in under three years, but this one lands firmly in the sweet spot: small, practical, efficient and affordable.”
Author: Vicky Parrot
Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Comfort
Score: 9 / 10
“The BYD Dolphin Surf is a game-changing EV: starting from just £18,650, the electric city car is well designed, great to drive, and very efficient in real-world driving.”
Author: Paul Clarke
Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The name is a bit silly, but the BYD Dolphin Surf is impressive, especially considering how cheap yet well-equipped it is. This is probably the best BYD to make it to the UK so far.”
Author: Matt Robinson
Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The BYD Dolphin Surf might just be the Chinese firm’s best car yet. While other models we’ve tested have been underwhelming considering their strong pricing, the Dolphin Surf is cheap to buy yet polished and well-equipped considering how little it costs.”
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Impressively equipped and roomy electric supermini.”
Author: Luke Wilkinson
Read review
The Independent
Score: 8 / 10
“The BYD Dolphin Surf is a talented little car with a grown-up feel. We like the drive, the tech and the space. But it has entered a market brim-full of talent and charm, which will make life tough for the little BYD.”
Read review
The Telegraph
Score: 6 / 10
“The Chinese firm largely succeeds in its aim to attract youth to its smallest EV, although older drivers may question its value for money.”
Author: Alex Robbins
Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“One of Britain’s cheapest EVs has loads of equipment. We wish they’d spent that money elsewhere, though.”
Author: Paul Horrell
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of September 2025, the BYD Dolphin Surf has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of September 2025, the BYD Dolphin Surf has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Dolphin Surf is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 177 miles | C |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 4 m/KWh | C |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 16 | A |
Based on initial analysis, the BYD Dolphin Surf has very low running costs in terms of its electrical efficiency and insurance group ratings.
However, we don’t yet have verified five-year service and maintenance costs, so our running cost score is currently incomplete. As soon as we have more information, we’ll publish it here.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The BYD Dolphin Surf is a brand-new car, so we won’t have enough reliability data to generate a reliability rating for some time.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Dolphin Surf, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the BYD Dolphin Surf
BYD’s new car warranty is better than average and better than rival brands in a similar price bracket as the Dolphin Surf.
The duration is six years, with a limit of 93,750 miles. In addition, there’s an eight-year/125,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
Warranty on a used BYD Dolphin Surf
- Given that the Dolphin Surf is a new car only launched in 2025, the first cars won’t reach the end of their new car warranty until 2031 (unless they hit the 93,750-mile limit before that)
If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the BYD Dolphin Surf
As of September 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the BYD Dolphin Surf. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local BYD dealer.
Awards
Significant UK trophies and awards that the BYD Dolphin Surf has received
2025
- World Car Awards – Best Urban Car
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the BYD Dolphin Surf, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Current models: BYD Dolphin | Dacia Spring | Fiat 500e | Hyundai Inster | Leapmotor T03
Discontinued models: SEAT Mii Electric | Skoda Citigo-e | Volkswagen e-Up
The electric city car market has started really growing in the mid-2020s after years of not really going anywhere. Inspired by the success of its fellow Chinese small cars, the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03, the Chinese-market BYD Seagull was rebranded as the Dolphin Surf for its European launch.
More information
More news, reviews and information about BYD at The Car Expert
Buy a BYD Dolphin Surf
If you’re looking to buy a new or used BYD Dolphin Surf, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a BYD Dolphin Surf
If you’re looking to lease a new BYD Dolphin Surf, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a BYD Dolphin Surf
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
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Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
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Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
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