2026 BYD Dolphin G DM-i PHEV: Up to 105 km EV Range, From EUR 28,990

The BYD Dolphin G DM-i is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) hatchback that BYD calls its first model developed specifically for Europe, and it is the most compact car in the company's DM-i Super Hybrid family. BYD revealed it on 11 June 2026, opened orders in Germany, the UK and other European markets during the summer, and is showing it on its stand in Hall 6 at the Paris Motor Show, which runs from 12 to 18 October 2026. It pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a front electric motor and a Blade battery of either 7.42 kWh or 18.3 kWh, giving 40 km or up to 105 km of WLTP electric range and up to 1,040 km combined. BYD Germany lists the entry Active at €28,990, including VAT and excluding delivery charges, and the UK press reports GBP 23,990 for the same trim. The car is 4,160 mm long, so it is aimed at the European B-segment of superminis rather than at the compact SUVs that dominate BYD's plug-in range.

Performance & Specs

The Dolphin G DM-i is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) built around BYD's DM-i system, in which the electric motor does the driving and, according to UK reports, the petrol engine works mainly as a generator. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder makes 70 kW (95 PS, about 94 hp) and 120 Nm. The front electric motor makes 120 kW (163 PS, about 161 hp) and 210 Nm, which is also the stated maximum system torque. Combined system output is 129 kW (176 PS, about 173 hp) in the Active and 156 kW (212 PS, about 209 hp) in the Boost, Comfort and Sport, according to BYD's European press release. (PS is the metric horsepower, about 1.4 percent smaller than the imperial hp used here.) BYD quotes 0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h, and the car drives the front wheels only. UK outlets print the same figures as 0-62 mph in 8.3 seconds and 112 mph.

The efficiency numbers depend heavily on the battery. With a charged battery, BYD gives a weighted combined WLTP fuel consumption of 2.6 L/100 km for the Active and 1.4 L/100 km for the other three trims, which corresponds to 60 and 32 g/km of CO2. With an empty battery, the figures are 4.3 L/100 km for the Active and 4.5 L/100 km for the larger-battery trims (102 g/km on BYD Germany's page). The fuel tank holds 42 L. As a sanity check on the range claims, 42 L at 4.5 L/100 km is about 930 km, and adding the 105 km of electric range lands at roughly BYD's 1,040 km combined figure; for the Active, 42 L at 4.3 L/100 km plus 40 km matches the quoted 1,020 km.

Powertrain	PHEV (plug-in), 1.5 L petrol + front motor, FWD
Power	156 kW (212 PS / 209 hp) system
Torque	210 Nm (motor and system maximum)
0–100 km/h	8.3 s
Battery	18.3 kWh Blade (LFP)
Range	Up to 105 km electric, up to 1,040 km combined (WLTP)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,160 mm
Width	1,825 mm
Height	1,575 mm
Wheelbase	2,610 mm
Boot	425 L / 1,225 L seats folded

The Dolphin G DM-i measures 4,160 mm long, 1,825 mm wide and 1,575 mm high on a 2,610 mm wheelbase and seats five. CarNewsChina reports that it is 130 mm shorter and 55 mm wider than the European Dolphin battery-electric hatchback. BYD gives the boot as 425 L with the rear seats up, including a 45 L underfloor compartment, and 1,225 L with the seats folded; the French BYD page also prints a figure of 380 L in its interior section, so the 425 L number from BYD's press release is the one used here. Kerb weight is 1,440 kg for the Active and 1,555 kg for the larger-battery trims, and the suspension is MacPherson struts at the front with a torsion beam at the rear. Wheels are 16-inch on the Active and Boost and 18-inch on the Comfort and Sport.

Charging & Battery

The Active carries a 7.42 kWh Blade battery with a 3.3 kW on-board AC charger, and BYD quotes 2.8 hours for a charge from 15 to 100 percent. It has no DC fast charging at all, so it is charged only from a wallbox or socket. The Boost, Comfort and Sport use an 18.3 kWh Blade battery with a 6.6 kW AC charger (2.9 hours from 15 to 100 percent) and DC charging at up to 39 kW, which BYD says takes the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 26 minutes. These are modest figures by BEV standards, but they fit a plug-in hybrid whose petrol engine removes any range pressure. The larger-battery trims also offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) output of 3.3 kW as standard. The Blade battery uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry.

Design & Interior

BYD describes the exterior as ocean-inspired, in line with the Dolphin name: a short, rounded nose with a slim light signature, an integrated rear spoiler and signature LED lighting at both ends. The press photographs show a compact hatchback with a black lower air intake, small vents in the front bumper and a dark roof on the pictured cars. Paint choices are Skiing White, Time Grey, Obsidian Black and Ocean Blue, with the Orange Sunset shown in the pictures, and the Sport is offered only in the Orange Sunset or Ocean Blue pearlescent finishes. Inside, the Active has a cloth interior, the Boost adds a vegan-leather steering wheel and heated seats, the Comfort has a vegan leather and cloth interior, and the Sport uses black vegan suede with orange or blue accents. The Boost and above add multi-colour ambient lighting, rear air vents and rear USB-C ports.

Technology & Features

Every Dolphin G DM-i has an 8.8-inch digital driver display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, over-the-air updates, BYD's "Hi, BYD" voice assistant and an NFC smartphone key. The Active has a 10.1-inch touchscreen; the Boost and above have a 12.8-inch screen with a wireless phone charger, and the Comfort and Sport add Google built-in services, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera and a panoramic roof. BYD says these are unusual features for the B-segment, and the head-up display and NFC key are the ones it highlights in its press material. The Boost, Comfort and Sport also have heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, and the Comfort adds an electrically adjustable driver's seat.

Safety & ADAS

BYD's specification lists adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, an emergency lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, forward and rear collision warnings, cross-traffic alerts with braking, blind-spot detection and a door-opening warning among the driver assistance systems, together with front and rear parking radars, a driver monitoring system and a child presence detection function. Standard passive safety includes driver, front-passenger, side and curtain airbags, ISOFIX and i-Size mounting points and a tyre pressure monitoring system. BYD does not publish an automated-driving level for the car, and no Euro NCAP rating was available in the sources checked as of October 2026. The Active comes with a rear-view camera, and the Comfort and Sport add the 360-degree camera.

Available Versions

Pricing & Availability

In Germany, BYD's own pages give a recommended price (UVP) of €28,990 including VAT (plus delivery charges) for the Dolphin G DM-i Active, and the Autozeitung reported the Boost at €31,990, the Comfort at €33,490 and the Sport at €34,490 in July 2026. The headline €18,990 that circulated at the June launch is not a list price: CarNewsChina and netzwelt reported it as the Active price after a BYD bonus and possible state subsidy, and BYD's German pages do not itemise it. The state E-Auto-Praemie 2026 is paid by the BAFA to private buyers of cars first registered from 1 January 2026, with a 36-month holding period and no legal entitlement; BYD says the maximum for hybrids is €4,500, which depends on household income and number of children, and the Verbraucherzentrale describes the base grant for plug-in hybrids as €1,500 with a threshold of 60 g/km CO2 or 80 km of electric range; BYD lists 60 g/km for the Active and 32 g/km for the other trims, and the BAFA decides whether a given car qualifies. BYD's own E-Bonus runs from 1 October to 31 December 2026, and BYD's German page does not state its amount for this model.

In the UK, EV Powered and autoevolution report prices of GBP 23,990 for the Active, GBP 26,990 for the Boost, GBP 28,490 for the Comfort and GBP 29,490 for the Sport, without saying whether they are on-the-road prices; Electrek prints the Sport as GBP 29,940, which looks like a transposed digit. BYD UK offers 0% APR on a 36-month conditional sale with a 30 percent deposit for orders placed from 1 July to 30 September 2026, and UK deliveries were scheduled to start in September 2026. BYD France lists the Active at €23,990, the Boost at €26,990, the Comfort at €28,490 and the Sport at €29,490 including VAT, with a €2,000 customer advantage on the first 300 Active orders placed in October 2026, and gives a six-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty and an eight-year or 250,000 km battery warranty. Production is reported by CarNewsChina and autoevolution to be at BYD's plant in Szeged, Hungary, but BYD's own press release does not name a factory.

How It Compares

The Dolphin G DM-i is a different kind of small car from most of its rivals, because it is the only one here that can be plugged in and still carries a petrol engine. The MG3 Hybrid+ SE is a full hybrid (HEV) with 191 hp and a UK price of GBP 19,995, so it is about GBP 4,000 cheaper than the Dolphin G Active at GBP 23,990, but it cannot run on mains electricity and has no electric-only range to speak of. The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid 130 is another full hybrid, with 129 hp, and its GBP 27,445 on-the-road price in the UK includes road tax and fees, so it is not on the same basis as the BYD figures and sits close to the Boost at GBP 26,990. The BYD Dolphin Surf is a battery-electric (BEV) car with only 87 hp and up to 322 km of WLTP range, starting at €19,990 in Spain, so it suits a buyer who can charge at home and rarely drives far. The Dolphin G fills the gap between that car and the hybrids, and its 105 km of WLTP electric range on the larger battery is enough for most daily trips. The comparison mixes UK, German and Spanish prices because each car is listed in its own home market.