Measuring 4290mm long, 1770mm wide and 1570mm tall, the Dolphin’s footprint is broadly similar to that of the ID 3, but its styling, to this tester’s eyes at least, makes the BYD look and feel more like a quasi-supermini than a hatchback.
This is good news, because while it’s spacious inside, the Dolphin feels compact from behind the wheel. The driving position is fine, with a good range of movement on the electrically adjusted seats, although they do lack some lumbar support.
There’s no doubting the Dolphin’s practicality. There are plenty of storage trays, cubbies and the door bins are a good size, too.
We particularly liked the small tray underneath the central touchscreen, which proved a handy spot to place a phone or sunglasses. The USB-C ports below the tray are well placed, too.
It’s less wacky inside than the Atto 3, but like its bigger sibling the Dolphin suffers for two reasons: a sickening smell of plastic and overcomplicated technology.
The rotating 12.8in touchscreen is crisp and responds well, but the interface has too many sub-menus and doesn’t use its generous proportions to best effect.
Trying to adjust the temperature on the move requires the dexterity of a heart surgeon: the icons are so small you have to really place your finger to increase temperature or change the direction of the airflow.
Turning off the annoying driver assistance systems, of which there are several, is a chore as well, and is done via equally small buttons and sub-menus.
You can tether your phone to the screen, but it needs to be wired in and it can only be used in landscape mode. It’s responsive and responds to inputs well, but the whole system feels underdeveloped.
Rear accommodation is good, with ample room for passengers over six-foot tall – and the 345-litre boot is impressive for a small hatchback. The standard height-adjustable floor is good, too.
The interior doesn’t feel as cheap as that of the MG 4, with softer materials placed in important areas, like on the door cappings. But it’s let down by the intense smell of plastic. It’s very strong and it doesn’t improve with time.
