BYD DOLPHIN G DM-i Plug-in Hybrid Specs and Details Released

As we reported back in May, BYD are extending their Dolphin range with the Dolphin G DM-i supermini, bringing a third Dolphin car to the small car family consisting of the Dolphin, Dolphin Surf and now the Dolphin G.

For a car that’s just 4,165 mm in length, it’s the smallest plug-in hybrid on sale in the U.K. giving access to plug-in benefits for customers looking for a small car with a big range and super-low commuting costs.

Yet, despite its small size, the Dolphin G hits big on space with 425 litres of boot space, including a 45 litre compartment that sits below the boot floor. Storage extends to 1,225 litres with the back seats folded down.

Battery, Charging and Range

And in another first, the BYD Dolphin G DM-i is available with two battery options, depending in trim level. The entry level Active trim gets a 7.42 kWh LFP Blade battery and AC charging only, but on the WLTP test cycle, the EV only range is 25 miles, with recharging speeds rated at 2 hours and 48 minutes.

Step up to Boost, Comfort or Sport trim and the battery capacity increases significantly to 18.3 kWh with charging available in both AC and DC standards. Plug into a home charger and it will recharge in 2 hours 54 minutes, and on a DC Rapid charger that reduces to 26 minutes, ideal for a motorway stop on a long journey.

BYD claims the combined range for the Active - using a full tank of petrol and a fully charged battery - is 633 miles whilst the Boost, Comfort or Sport trims can go for 646 miles, thanks to the larger battery.

Trims

Boost introduces Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), another first for the supermini plug-in hybrid class, allowing external devices – from a coffee machine or a laptop to fairy lights or even a portable grill – to be powered by the cars traction battery when out and about. The maximum power demand is rated at 3.3 kW.

Climbing the trim ladder and the DOLPHIN G DM-i Comfort introduces 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 gets native Google integration, bringing Google maps and Google assistant, plus access to the app store for games and media streaming services. It also means the car updates overtime bringing with it map changes and new or improved features.

Sport trim builds on Comfort with enhanced design elements such as 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.

Hybrid Powertrain

If anyone is wondering what the 'DM-i' designation stands for, it’s 'Dual Mode Intelligence'. What this translates to underneath the bonnet is two electric motors (one a drive motor, one a generator motor), and an efficient petrol engine with all three powertrains requiring a constant management to provide a mix of performance and efficiency.

Two modes are available 'EV mode' and hybrid 'HEV mode' with HEV mode operating in several ways.

EV mode runs on the battery alone driving the wheels via its motors with regenerative braking recouping energy that helps to recharge the battery and continues to improve efficiency.

HEV mode activates itself due to a depleted battery, and the 'Intelligence' systems take over to seamlessly flick between five configurations. HEV mode is explained as follows:

1) At high-speeds the electric drive motor will drive the wheels using power from both the battery but also the generator motor, which is powered by the petrol engine.

2) When the battery is low on charge, some of the generator motor's power is provided to the drive motor, with the rest being fed through to recharge the battery.

3) Under hard acceleration, the petrol engine can combine with the electric drive motor to drive the wheels.

4) 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.

5) 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.

Combined, the Dolphin G produces 176 PS or 212 PS - depending on whether it has the smaller or larger battery - and 210Nm allowing for a 0-62mph sprint in just 8.3 seconds, which is a very usable lump of power and torque around town and on the motorways.

Safety

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 add a 360° camera 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.

Colours

The DOLPHIN G DM-i is being offered in a choice of four metallic colours – Skiing White, Time Grey, Obsidian Black and Ocean Blue – along with a solid Oxford White and a pearlescent Orange Sunset. Active, Boost and Comfort versions come with either a black or grey interior, while Sport customers can pick black and orange or black and blue.

Summary

The DOLPHIN G DM-i adds a unique selling point to the super-mini class with it’s plug-in hybrid powertrain and choice of batteries depending on trim options. It can also add vehicle-to-load, which is another first in this class with a PHEV powertrain.
That should allow for a best-of-both words situations, where the likes of the new the Nissan Micra is limited to 257 miles of range, the plug-in hybrid allows for extended travel with the convenience of a petrol engine and a super-long range that will outlast nearly all bladders, camels aside.
It also means that commuting can be done inexpensively if using an off-peak tariff to charge it. Whether all this goodness translates to sales will depend on the price, which is yet to be confirmed. If BYD gets that right, it could have a hit on its hands.

On Sale

Order books for the DOLPHIN G DM-i are now open, with the first cars expected to be delivered to customers in early autumn.

About the Author

Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.

You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb or YouTube @REV-EV.