BYD just dropped the Dolphin G. Overnight. In Europe.
It is the brand’s smallest plug-in hybrid to date, and maybe most interestingly, the first car BYD actually designed with Europe in mind. Not adapted. Not rebranded. Designed.
At 4.16 meters long, it looms larger than the competition. Bigger than a Toyota Yaris. Bigger than a VW Polo. Bigger than the Peugeot 208 in every metric except height, presumably, because they didn’t say, but you know. It’s also about 10cm wider than all three.
It sits just under its cousin, the facelisted Dolphin EV. That one is longer. This one? Stubbier. Widen out. Shorter stance.
Under the hood, well, under that surprisingly short, stubby bonnet, lies the mystery meat combo. A petrol engine. An electric motor. Together they promise a range of 1000km. Maybe more. BYD says “at least.” We take it on faith for now.
Expectations run high for the drivetrain to mirror the Atto 2 DM-i. That model exists in Europe but skips Australia entirely. Odd.
The Atto 2 has two flavors.
- The base: 1.5L four-cylinder plus a motor. 122kW combined. A tiny 7.8kWh battery. That gets you about 39km on electric alone under WLTP rules. Not a lot. Just enough for the post office, maybe.
- The beast: 156kW. Same torque. A larger 18kWh battery. That bumps EV range to a claimed 88km. Actually usable.
But BYD stays quiet. Deliberately. No specs on the Dolphin G itself yet. Silence is a tactic, surely. Or maybe just laziness. Launch hits in June. We wait.
Sales in the UK and Continental Europe start soon. Next few weeks, actually. Customers get their keys late summer.
Check the photos. Hankook tyres. A “G” embroidered on the headrests. Small touches. Human touches.
So… coming to Australia? 🇦🇺
Doubtful. The production angle kills it. The Dolphin G will be built in Hungary. Right there in Europe. BYD loves its regional supply chains.
Shipping a Europe-made car to the other side of the planet makes no financial sense. BYD wins on price. Always. If you pay for shipping, the value prop crumbles.
We wait. Again.
