BYD Dolphin Surf Test Drive Review 2025

Alex Pratt took a test drive of the BYD Dolphin Surf.

Alex was contacted by Sandicliffe, Loughborough within 1-3 hours of making his initial enquiry and took his test drive on 18th June 2025.

Please provide an OVERALL RATING for the BYD Dolphin

Rate the car on its exterior*

What did you like/dislike like about the exterior?

Well-proportioned and, to my eye, smart and modern. Standard colour, The colour is horrendous in my opinion, I think they call it ‘lime green’ but to me it’s more ‘garish yellow’! Only one of the optional colours appeals to me albeit there are only three choices in total. The wheels are a good size and an appealing design. Overall, a pleasing design but a limited paint choice.

Rate the electric car on its interior

What did you like/dislike like about the interior?

It really is a pleasant and relaxing place to be. I really liked the contrasting seat trim and the overall quality and solidity was impressive. Easy to find a good position with the electric seats and rake & reach steering wheel. The seats were also very comfortable. Usually, I need adjustable lumbar support but it’s not available and I didn’t even notice the lack of it!

The dashboard layout is well thought through and there are physical switches for much used functions. Some of the icons on the central screen are a little small and the BYD party piece of being able to set the screen for portrait or landscape is more gimmicky than useful. The amount of tech features is really welcome and appealing, including the customisable buttons and icons feature. It’s only a four seater so don’t buy if you regularly carry more than four.

Rate the electric car for its tech features

What did you like/dislike about the tech features?

Breadth, usefulness as well as the level of customisation which aren’t lost when the car is turned off. The icons are a little small for many of the frequently used functions but the tech features are impressive overall.

Rate the electric car for how it drives

What did you like/dislike like about how it drove?

Drives very,very well and is very stable and secure. Handling is predictable and reassuring. Braking progressive and also reassuring with regenerative braking being smooth and the lack of a one pedal feature is not a great loss. Safety features work effectively and seamlessly and make the overall driving experience feel very relaxed and securely safe. The suspension keeps the car stable over bad surfaces but can feel a little harsh at times. Overall visibility is good and the highest trim has 360° cameras.

Rate the dealership for their knowledge

Rate the dealership for their professionalism

What specification did you go for?

Top of the range, called Comfort, I think. This has some useful extras compared with the mid-range model so is worth the extra outlay. For a small car it is somewhat expensive in top of the range trim but it’s an excellent package.