Test BYD Dolphin Surf: Small Chinese really big

The BYD Dolphin Surf, which is just 3.99 meters long and 1.72 meters wide, is somehow cuddly and yet also striking. The angular design of the Chinese city runabout has something about it and stands out well even in the rather boring eggshell white of the test car. The four-seater is also available in much more upbeat and bright colors. Then the cheeky silhouette with the raised plastic planking, the eye-catching front lights and, above all, the cheeky roof spoiler at the rear of the small car would probably stand out even better. Even so, it is an eye-catcher on the streets of Zurich.

There is enough space in the front, but there should be a little more legroom and headroom in the rear. At 308 liters, the trunk isn't exactly huge, but it's enough for everyday use and even a slightly larger shopping trip. If necessary, the two rear seats can be folded down to create up to 1037 liters of storage space, which is enough for a week's shopping. The seats with their vegan leather upholstery are really comfortable and also nice to look at. The little Dolphin Surf also impresses with its 10.1-inch central display for infotainment and navigation, which can be rotated at the touch of a button.

But the BYD is very focused on safety. As soon as you turn your gaze briefly to the central display, you are warned. "Watch out!" says the nice lady from off-screen as soon as the small surveillance camera in the A-pillar notices that the driver is not looking at the road. Well-intentioned, but a little overcautious and overzealous, so it soon becomes a little annoying. But it doesn't matter, after all, most driver assistance systems can be switched off and the otherwise often intrusive cruise warning system is also very restrained in the Dolphin Surf. Overall, in addition to driver and front passenger airbags, curtain airbags and front side airbags, as well as intelligent cruise control, an automatic emergency braking system, lane departure warning and automatic high beam control, the Chinese car certainly scores highly in terms of occupant protection.

The handling of the four-seater is also impressive. The 115 kW/156 hp and 220 Nm of the electric drive are easily sufficient for the front-wheel drive vehicle, which weighs just under 1.4 tons. In terms of range, you can also plan longer trips without too many charging stops. The 43.2 kWh drive battery allows a WLTP range of up to 310 km. As our short test showed, the figures are quite honest and just under 300 kilometers can actually be achieved. This means that the electric car not only has a trunk capacity of 308 liters, but also an electric range of around 308 km in everyday use - a funny coincidence.

If you still want more range, you should order the BYD as a "Boost". This variant is also equipped with the large drive battery, but has a slightly less dynamic electric drive (65 kW/88 hp), which should be enough for an electric range of up to 322 km. If you often drive in the city and not on freeways, it should even be up to 510 km according to WLTP. Incidentally, the same electric drive is also available in the entry-level "Active" version, but in combination with a smaller 30 kWh battery. This has an impact on the price: the "Active" version of the Dolphin Surf is available from CHF 20,990, while the "Comfort" version of the BYD costs at least CHF 28,990; however, compared to other electric vehicles - also in terms of range - this is still a fair offer.

Expert opinion: BYD Dolphin Surf "Comfort"
The BYD is a cheeky little electric car with a long range at a fair price, making it an ideal city car for longer journeys.
Advantages
+ Good workmanship, rotating central display
+ Convincing drive and good range
+ fair price
Disadvantages
- Overzealous driver assistance systems
- Legroom and headroom in the rear