The BYD Dolphin G DM-i is designed for customers seeking an accessible compact car that combines the zero-emissions ability of a pure EV with the ultimate long-distance flexibility of a hybrid. BYD's Super Hybrid with DM technology delivers an EV driving experience, with strong, smooth acceleration from its front-mounted electric motor and enough range from its Blade Battery to complete daily commutes without any need for petrol at all.
When it's required to tackle longer journeys, the BYD Dolphin G DM-i intelligently manages its hybrid system to achieve flexibility beyond the capabilities of conventional ICE-powered superminis, achieving weighted fuel consumption (with the battery fully charged) of as little as 1.4L/100km and up to 1040km of range on a full charge and a full tank of petrol. This blend of efficiency and long range is unique to the B-segment, making the first car developed by BYD specifically for Europe a genuine breakthrough in the accessibility of sustainable new-energy mobility.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li commented: "The European B-segment is one of the most important parts of the market, and with Dolphin G DM-i, we want to redefine what customers can expect from a compact car in the electric era. By bringing long electric range, intelligent hybrid technology and advanced digital features into an accessible compact vehicle, we are making sustainable mobility smarter, more practical and available to many more people across Europe. When we bring so many standout qualities and new features to such an important sector of the market here, you can see why we say, 'It's not a car, it's a BYD!'."
BYD's first B-segment hatchback has all the design qualities to strike a chord with European customers. With a length of 4160mm and a width of 1825mm, it has a planted stance that suggests sportiness and stability, while also making it easy to manoeuvre and park in urban situations. Its overall dimensions - 170mm shorter than the ATTO 2 DM-i SUV and firmly in the heartland of European superminis - make the Dolphin G DM-i BYD's most compact DM-i Super Hybrid model.
The front end features the latest evolution in BYD's ocean-influenced design, with soft curves and neat integration of the Super Hybrid powertrain's air intakes in the lower bumper, along with sharper near-vertical creases towards the edges, strengthening the look and making the car appear wider.
Along the sides there's a single shoulder line that rises from the front wing towards the tail, and clean lower-door surfacing that helps to 'pinch' the car's visible waistline. There's also an interesting 'kick' motif after the rear-door shut line, playing with the C-pillar to create a sense of upwards movement and draw attention to the 'floating' roof design. The alloy wheels - 16-inch on Active and Boost, 18-inch dual-tone on Comfort and 18-inch gloss-black on Sport - all help to give the Dolphin G a more dynamic look.
At the rear, there's a full-width bar housing the BYD badging and LED tail-lights, as well as a sculpted lower bumper and a subtle roof spoiler that also houses the third brake light.
Inside, the focus is on space, simplicity and ease of use. The dashboard has clean horizontal lines designed to increase the visual width, with vents for the automatic air conditioning seamlessly integrated at either corner. The 8.8-inch digital instrument panel is incorporated into the sweeping cross-dashboard lines, while the infotainment screen (either 10.1in or 12.8in) sits proud of the fascia for easy access. The gear selector is mounted on the steering column, freeing up space between the front seats for a dual-level storage area, complete with a cubbyhole divider and a cupholder and, on most versions, a wireless smartphone-charging pad. A simple line of buttons at the base of the dashboard controls key functions like the windscreen demister and the vehicle driving modes.
Clever packaging and a wheelbase measuring 2610mm - longer than any of the BYD Dolphin G DM-i's conventionally powered rivals - delivers best-in-class packaging, with excellent space for five adults and a boot capacity that exceeds those of most full-sized family hatchbacks from the class above, at 425 litres, including a discreet 45-litre compartment beneath the floor. This total can be expanded to 1225 litres by folding down the 40:60-split rear seats, and the boot sides feature fixed hooks for keeping shopping bags secure.
SUPER HYBRID WITH DM - AN EV EXPERIENCE WITH LONG-RANGE BACKUP
The Dolphin G DM-i harnesses the potential of BYD's self-developed Super Hybrid with DM technology to offer substantial gains in efficiency, range flexibility and performance. Unlike traditional plug-in hybrid systems, BYD's DM architecture is EV-led, meaning the high-torque electric motor drives the wheels in most situations. This gives the car the quiet, responsive driving experience of a pure-electric vehicle, and allows the Xiaoyun 1.5-litre petrol engine to run as efficiently as possible and keep the Blade Battery charged.
Super Hybrid's 'DM-i' designation stands for 'Dual Mode Intelligence', although this simplifies a configuration that includes two electric motors (one a drive motor, one a generator motor), a petrol engine and constant management by power control units to deliver the required mix of performance and efficiency. There are indeed two modes - 'EV mode' and hybrid 'HEV mode' - but the second of these can operate in several ways.
In 'EV mode' the car operates like a pure-electric vehicle, relying totally on battery power and not turning on the petrol engine until the battery's charge level is depleted. It uses only the electric drive motor, which can itself be used to recoup energy that would otherwise be lost during braking, to help recharge the battery.
When the driver selects 'HEV' or 'Hybrid mode', or the car activates this itself due to a depleted battery, the 'Intelligence' systems take over to flick between five configurations, depending on factors including the state of charge and the driving situation.
- When there's a demand for efficient high-speed running, the electric drive motor can drive the wheels using power from not only the battery but also the generator motor, which is itself powered by the petrol engine.
- When performance demands are reduced and the battery is lower on charge, only some of the generator motor's power is provided to the drive motor, with the rest being fed through to recharge the battery.
The system also includes a clutch between the engine and the wheels that can engage to allow the three remaining configurations - again, all selected by the vehicle's intelligent controllers, without any input required from the driver.
- Under hard acceleration, the petrol engine can combine with the electric drive motor to drive the wheels.
- Equally, if the system decides the petrol engine is producing more power than required, it can use some of this to drive the wheels and divert the rest to the electric motor to feed back into the battery.
- Finally, when the demand at the driven wheels is equal to the petrol engine's power, it drives the wheels without the battery discharging or recharging at all.
In the BYD Dolphin G DM-i, the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor produces 163PS (120kW) and 210Nm alone, allowing a 0-100km/h acceleration sprint in just 8.3 seconds. This performance means the Dolphin G DM-i is as capable on empty country roads and motorways as it is in urban traffic.
Two sizes of Blade Battery are offered in the Dolphin G DM-i. Active versions feature a 7.42kWh capacity for 40km of WLTP Combined pure-electric range and a combined total range of 1020km. Boost, Comfort and Sport editions have an 18.3kWh Blade Battery, extending the pure-electric range to 105km and the combined total range to 1040km, while also lowering CO2 emissions from 60g/km to just 32g/km.
Active models have a 3.3kW on-board charger that can refill the battery completely from 15% in just under three hours. Boost, Comfort and Sport versions increase this power to 6.6kW and include a 39kW DC charging capability that takes the 18.3kWh battery from 10% to 80% in just 26 minutes.
FOUR TRIM LEVELS - ALL WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECH AND FEATURES
The BYD Dolphin G DM-i is being offered with a choice of three core trim levels and an extra Sport edition that adds a distinctive look to the range-topping version. The line-up starts with Active, which features the smaller 7.42kWh Blade Battery for 40km of EV-only range and a combined total range of 1020km. It sits on 16-inch alloy wheels and features front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime-running lights.
Inside, the extensive list of cabin features includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with intelligent voice control and smartphone integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), an 8.8-inch digital instrument panel, auto air conditioning, fabric upholstery, six- and four-way adjustability on the driver's and front passenger's seats respectively, and a pair of front USB ports.
Moving up to Boost level switches the Blade Battery to a larger 18.3kWh capacity, stretching the BYD Dolphin G DM-i's pure-electric range to 105km and its combined total range to 1040km. This version gets a larger 12.8-inch infotainment screen and brings heating on the front seats and steering wheel, auto dimming on the rear-view mirror, electrically folding side mirrors, multi-coloured ambient cabin lighting, a 15W wireless smartphone-charging pad, rear air vents, rear USB charging ports and a more powerful eight-speaker audio system.
Boost also introduces Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), another clever feature for the supermini class that allows external devices - everything from a coffee machine or a laptop to fairy lights or even a portable grill - to be powered away from home.
The BYD Dolphin G DM-i Comfort introduces high-end features, many of which are more commonly offered on cars from the C-segment and above. These include a widescreen head-up display, a panoramic roof with electrically adjustable sunshade, exterior-mirror 'puddle lights', a mix of fabric and vegan leather upholstery, electric adjustment and electrically adjustable lumbar support on the driver's seat, and a 360°-view camera, along with larger 18-inch alloy wheels. The infotainment system is also upgraded with Google integration, bringing Google maps and Google assistant, plus the ability to install additional applications like games and media streaming services.
Finally, the BYD Dolphin G DM-i Sport builds on Comfort specification with design-led features for an even sharper look. It gets discreet badging, a darker style of 18-inch alloy wheels and a unique two-tone cabin treatment, complete with a motorsport-style suede finish on the seat panels.
BIG-CAR SAFETY FEATURES ARRIVE IN THE SUPERMINI CLASS
BYD is resolutely committed to safety, and despite its compact dimensions, the Dolphin G DM-i features a comprehensive array of driver-assistance features. All versions get front and rear parking sensors as standard, while the Active and Boost editions have a rear-view camera as well, and the Comfort and Sport models boost this feature to a 360° view for all-round visibility.
Driver-assistance tech on all trim levels includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Cruise Control, Emergency Lane Keeping Assistant and Lane Departure Assist, Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Cross Traffic Brake, Blind Spot Detection, a Driver Monitoring System and Door Opening Warning.
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