BYD has just launched two new trim levels of its Dolphin electric hatchback in the UK. The new Active and Boost models sit below the Design and Comfort versions and prices now start from a very competitive, £26,195. This means that the Dolphin is now cheaper than the MG4, which costs £26,995 and also even, the basic edition of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric.
These two new trims utilise a smaller battery pack than the other versions, with a 44.9kWh pack, compared to 60kWh in the higher ranking models. The battery is naturally one of BYD's in-house blade battery packs, meaning they are designed to be super durable, long lasting and utilise LFP, which doesn't use cobalt. Range is quoted at 211 miles for the Active trim and 192 miles for the Boost version.
The base trim Active model comes with an impressive amount of kit as standard too, with LED headlights, 12.8-inch touchscreen which rotates and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also, 360-degree camera for parking and keyless entry and start.
These new trim levels use one electric motor, just like the other versions seen before but on the Active it makes 94bhp and 180Nm of torque, while on the Boost that increases to 174bhp and 260Nm of torque.
Charging speeds here are rated at 65kW for DC fast charging and 7kW AC. However, AC charging on the Boost does increase that to 11kW AC.
Every model of the BYD Dolphin is also fitted with a heat pump as standard, which will ensure effecient energy consumption when temperatures get cold.
Source: BYD
