BYD Dolphin Comfort/Design

Overview

The 2025 BYD Dolphin, particularly in this cracking Comfort/Design trim, is muscling into the European compact EV scene with serious intent! It’s a vibrant hatchback that blends cheeky styling with a surprisingly spacious interior and a boatload of tech. Key highlights for this version include the larger 60.4 kWh battery and a peppy 150 kW motor. New, it’ll set you back around €32,990, while pre-owned examples are appearing near €27,449. It’s giving established rivals a real run for their money, offering a compelling package of range, features, and fresh design.

What's New for 2025?

For 2025, the Dolphin Comfort/Design continues to ride the wave of its recent European launch, bringing its already impressive kit to the forefront. As a relatively new entrant, major overhauls aren't on the cards yet. Instead, BYD focuses on delivering this well-specced model, which debuted in 2023, consistently. Expect the same zesty performance, clever tech like the rotating screen, and the inherent benefits of BYD's Blade Battery technology. It’s more about solidifying its strong initial offering than a complete revamp this year, keeping it fresh and competitive.

Design & Exterior

The Dolphin Comfort/Design certainly makes a splash with BYD's "Ocean Aesthetics" design language. It’s modern, a bit quirky, and surprisingly aerodynamic for a hatch. This trim often boasts stylish two-tone paint options and snazzy alloy wheels that make it pop. Upfront, you get sharp LED headlights, and the rear features a distinctive through-type LED taillight. Dimension-wise, it’s a tidy package: 4290 mm long, 1770 mm wide (excluding mirrors), and 1570 mm tall, making it a doddle to park in tight city spots.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Step inside the Dolphin Comfort/Design, and you're greeted by a surprisingly airy and modern cabin, often featuring funky colour accents and decent quality materials, including vegan leather seats on this trim. The party piece is the 12.8-inch rotating central touchscreen, complemented by a compact digital driver display – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are usually standard. Passenger space is generous for its class. Cargo-wise, you get a practical 345 litres in the boot, expanding to a hefty 1310 litres with the seats down. A frunk isn't part of the deal here, though.

Performance & Driving Experience

This Dolphin Comfort/Design isn't just a pretty face; it’s got go! With its 150 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor sending 310 Nm of torque to the front wheels, it zips from 0-100 km/h in a brisk 7.0 seconds. Top speed is a respectable 160 km/h. Around town, it’s nippy and responsive, making urban driving a joy. The ride is generally comfortable, soaking up bumps well, and various regenerative braking modes allow for efficient one-pedal driving antics. It’s surprisingly fun and competent for a daily driver.

Range, Battery & Charging

The Comfort/Design trim packs BYD's renowned 60.4 kWh usable Blade Battery, delivering a Green Cars Compare estimated real-world range of 363 km – pretty solid for city hops and longer jaunts. Efficiency is rated at a keen 6.01 km/kWh. For charging, the standard 11 kW AC on-board charger will juice it up fully in around 6 hours. Hook it up to a DC fast charger via its CCS Type 2 port, and it can slurp power at up to 88 kW, taking it from 30-80% in roughly 29 minutes. Handy Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) is typically standard too!

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

Safety is a big tick for the BYD Dolphin, having already bagged an impressive 5-star rating from Euro NCAP. The Comfort/Design trim comes absolutely packed to the gills with standard driver-assistance systems. You can expect features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and often a 360-degree camera system. This comprehensive suite makes for a reassuringly safe and stress-free driving experience, which is fantastic at this price point.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

BYD typically offers a competitive warranty package in Europe for peace of mind. Expect a general vehicle warranty around 6 years or 150,000 km. The crucial Blade Battery often gets even better cover, usually 8 years or 200,000 km, with a guarantee against excessive degradation (e.g., to 70% state of health). Powertrain components are usually well covered within these terms. As an EV, routine maintenance is generally simpler and less frequent than petrol counterparts, contributing to lower running costs and good reliability prospects, especially with that robust battery tech.