BYD Dolphin Active

Overview

Meet the 2025 BYD Dolphin Active, the plucky electric hatchback shaking up the European market. It’s the entry-point to BYD's funky 'Ocean Aesthetics' range, aiming to make EV ownership seriously accessible. For a starting price of just €29,990, the Active trim packs a surprising amount of character and tech into a compact, city-friendly package. It’s not about neck-snapping performance but delivering a smart, efficient, and stylish daily driver that’s perfect for navigating tight city streets and handling the school run with zero emissions and plenty of flair.

What's New for 2025?

As one of the newest electric contenders landing on European shores, the 2025 BYD Dolphin Active represents the brand's latest push into the affordable EV segment. For this model year, the focus is on establishing the Dolphin line-up, with the Active trim serving as the highly competitive starting point. It brings BYD's impressive Blade Battery technology and a generous level of standard equipment to a price point many thought was years away. While not a refresh, its 2025 arrival itself is the big news, challenging established players with its compelling value proposition right out of the box.

Design & Exterior

The Dolphin Active is all about fun, modern styling. Inspired by its aquatic namesake, the car features smooth, flowing lines and a friendly face. As the entry-level trim, it keeps things simple and clean but still looks sharp. Its compact dimensions make it a dream for city parking, measuring 4290 mm in length, 1770 mm in width, and 1570 mm in height. While higher trims get flashier two-tone paint jobs and larger wheels, the Active’s single-tone look and neat alloy wheels give it a smart, understated appearance that’s undeniably contemporary.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Step inside, and the Dolphin Active’s cabin is a pleasant surprise. The design is playful, with swooping lines and soft-touch materials that feel a cut above its price tag. The party piece is the standard 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system, which is snappy and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Passenger space is generous for a hatchback, thanks to a long 2700 mm wheelbase. For your stuff, you get a practical 345-litre boot, which expands to a massive 1310 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s no frunk, but cargo room is impressive.

Performance & Driving Experience

The Active trim is geared for comfort and efficiency over outright speed. Its front-wheel-drive setup is powered by a 70 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor delivering 180 Nm of torque. This gets you from 0-100 km/h in a leisurely 12.3 seconds, which is perfectly adequate for city driving and motorway cruising. The driving experience is relaxed and quiet, with a soft suspension that soaks up bumps nicely. It’s not a hot hatch, but with its light steering and multiple regenerative braking modes, it’s an incredibly easy and pleasant car to pilot through urban environments.

Range, Battery & Charging

Powering the Dolphin Active is a 44.9 kWh usable LFP Blade Battery, a key piece of BYD tech known for safety and durability. This setup delivers a Green Cars Compare estimated real-world range of 289 kilometres, with an excellent efficiency of 6.44 km/kWh. Charging is straightforward via its CCS Type 2 port. At home on a 7 kW AC wallbox, a full charge takes about 6.5 hours. On the road, it can pull up to 65 kW from a DC fast charger, getting you from 30-80% in around 30 minutes. It even includes Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability as standard!

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

Safety is a massive win for the BYD Dolphin, which proudly wears a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Crucially, the Active trim doesn't skimp on the good stuff. It comes impressively equipped as standard with a comprehensive suite of driver aids. This includes Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist. Even more impressive for an entry-level model, it also gets Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Speed Limit Control, making it one of the best-equipped cars for safety in its class.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

BYD offers a seriously competitive warranty package in Europe, boosting the Dolphin’s value-for-money credentials. Owners are covered by a comprehensive 6-year / 150,000 km new vehicle warranty, providing excellent peace of mind. The all-important high-voltage battery gets an even better deal, with an 8-year / 200,000 km warranty that guarantees it will retain at least 70% of its original capacity. This robust coverage underscores BYD's confidence in its Blade Battery technology and makes the Dolphin Active an even smarter long-term purchase.