2026 BYD Dolphin Surf: Five Seats, 322 km WLTP, EUR 24,490 in Spain

BYD's most accessible European electric car has gained a middle rear seat. The 2026 model-year Dolphin Surf, announced by BYD Europe on 28 September 2026, adds five-seat versions that will be sold alongside the original four-seaters, together with a larger 12.8-inch Google-equipped screen on the top Comfort trim, a heated steering wheel, a steering-column gear selector and a new Skiing White paint. The powertrains, batteries and charging hardware are carried over unchanged: 65 kW (88 PS, about 87 hp) in Active and Boost, 115 kW (156 PS, about 154 hp) in Comfort, with WLTP ranges of 220 km, 322 km and 310 km. BYD Spain has published its price list: the five-seat Boost costs EUR 24,490 and the five-seat Comfort EUR 26,990, a EUR 350 premium over the four-seat equivalents. All figures in this article are for the European specification, not the Chinese-market car.

Performance & Specs

The Dolphin Surf is front-wheel drive with a single front-mounted motor. Active and Boost share a 65 kW motor, which BYD rates at 88 PS, about 87 hp (PS is the metric horsepower, roughly 1.4 percent smaller than the imperial hp). BYD quotes 0-100 km/h in 11.1 seconds for Active and 12.1 seconds for Boost, and Spanish and German outlets (motor.es, carwow.es, nextpit.de) list 175 Nm of torque for this motor; BYD's own release gives a torque figure only for Comfort. The Comfort version uses a 115 kW motor, quoted as 156 PS or about 154 hp, with 220 Nm and a 0-100 km/h time of 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 150 km/h on every version in BYD's launch specification.

One figure needs care. The Spanish site carwow.es prints 9.1 seconds for the 65 kW Boost, but BYD's global release, BYD Spain's own page and the Israeli and UK launch coverage all give 12.1 seconds for Boost and reserve 9.1 seconds for the 115 kW Comfort, so the article uses BYD's numbers. The press release states that the motors and Blade Battery are unchanged for the 2026 model year but does not restate weights, so the 2025 launch figures are the latest available for the four-seaters: BYD listed kerb weights of 1,294 kg (Active), 1,370 kg (Boost) and 1,390 kg (Comfort). No kerb weight has been published for the five-seat versions.

Powertrain	Single-motor front-wheel-drive BEV
Power	65 kW (88 PS / 87 hp) Boost; 115 kW (156 PS / 154 hp) Comfort
Torque	175 Nm Boost (third-party sources); 220 Nm Comfort (BYD)
0–100 km/h	12.1 s Boost; 9.1 s Comfort
Battery	43.2 kWh Blade Battery (LFP)
Range	322 km Boost; 310 km Comfort (WLTP combined)

POWERTRAIN TYPE	Single-motor BEV on e-Platform 3.0
HORSEPOWER	Active and Boost 65 kW (88 PS / 87 hp); Comfort 115 kW (156 PS / 154 hp)
ACCELERATION	0-100 km/h in 11.1 s (Active), 12.1 s (Boost), 9.1 s (Comfort)
TOP SPEED	150 km/h
DRIVETRAIN	Front-wheel drive
BATTERY	30 kWh (Active); 43.2 kWh (Boost, Comfort)
ELECTRIC RANGE	220 km (Active); 322 km (Boost); 310 km (Comfort), WLTP combined
COMBINED RANGE	Not applicable (BEV)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	3,990 mm
Width	1,720 mm
Height	1,590 mm
Wheelbase	2,500 mm
Boot	308 L (1,037 L seats folded, four-seat car)

The car is 3,990 mm long, 1,720 mm wide and 1,590 mm tall on a 2,500 mm wheelbase, dimensions that BYD says suit narrow city streets while the e-Platform 3.0 layout delivers cabin space closer to a class above. The new rear seat is the headline change: the second row now has three positions, and each occupant gets an adjustable headrest. BYD says the four- and five-seat versions will be offered alongside each other for the foreseeable future, depending on market requirements and sales patterns. In Spain the third seat is an option only on Boost and Comfort; the entry-level Active stays a four-seater.

Boot space is quoted at 308 litres for the 2026 model year. In the 2025 four-seat specification BYD gave 1,037 litres with the rear seats folded, and a full folded-seat figure has not been published for the five-seat car, though BYD still cites 308 litres in its September 2026 text. The boot cover that is now standard, the 20 storage areas listed at launch and the storage space beneath the boot floor for charging cables remain part of the practicality story. Three ISOFIX points, two in the rear and one on the front passenger seat, were listed at launch.

LENGTH	3,990 mm
WIDTH	1,720 mm
HEIGHT	1,590 mm
WHEELBASE	2,500 mm
CARGO VOLUME	308 L (1,037 L seats folded, four-seat car at launch)

Charging & Battery

The Dolphin Surf uses BYD's Blade Battery in two sizes: 30 kWh in Active and 43.2 kWh in Boost and Comfort. BYD quotes WLTP combined ranges of 220 km, 322 km and 310 km. At launch BYD also listed WLTP city ranges of 356 km, 507 km and 460 km. Dividing the rated capacity by the combined range implies roughly 13.4 to 13.9 kWh per 100 km, a back-of-envelope figure rather than an official consumption rating. Maximum DC charging is 65 kW for Active and 85 kW for Boost and Comfort, and BYD says 10-80% takes about 31 minutes on the larger battery. At launch BYD gave 25 minutes for 30-80% on Active and 22 minutes on the larger pack.

Three-phase AC charging at 11 kW is standard on every version, and BYD quotes 3.5 hours for a full charge on Active and just over 4.5 hours on Boost and Comfort. Vehicle-to-load output of up to 3.3 kW was listed as standard at launch. The charging claims are BYD's own and depend on the charger, temperature and state of charge.

BATTERY	30 kWh (Active); 43.2 kWh (Boost, Comfort), BYD Blade Battery (LFP), rated capacity
AC CHARGING	11 kW three-phase, 0-100% in 3.5 h (Active) or just over 4.5 h (Boost, Comfort)
DC FAST CHARGING	65 kW (Active); 85 kW (Boost, Comfort)
DC 10-80% TIME	About 31 min (Boost, Comfort), per BYD

Design & Interior

The exterior carries over its single-arch profile, six-strip light signature and full-width tail-light bar. The 2026 model-year changes are in the colours and wheels: Skiing White joins Lime Green, Obsidian Black and Ice Blue, and Active versions now ride on the same 16-inch alloy wheels as Boost and Comfort, replacing the 15-inch steel wheels. Inside, the cabin gains a blue finish alongside the original black and grey treatment. Active and Boost now use fabric upholstery, while Comfort keeps vegan leather.

The most noticeable change for the driver is the gear selector. It moves from a rocker dial at the front of the dashboard to a stalk on the steering column, which frees dashboard space, and the other stalk now handles indicators, lights and the windscreen wipers. The steering wheel has a new design and is heated on Boost and Comfort. BYD calls this a standout in the class, a claim not tested here. Boost versions also add heated front seats, all versions have climate control, and the front USB sockets are now a pair of Type-C ports instead of the earlier Type-A and Type-C pairing.

Technology & Features

The range-topping Comfort now carries a 12.8-inch central touchscreen with Google built-in, which gives access to Google Assistant, Google Maps navigation and the Google Play Store for additional apps, and its digital instrument panel grows from 7 to 8.8 inches. BYD describes the screen as the largest in the compact-hatchback segment, again a claim from the manufacturer. The September 2026 release describes no screen change for Active and Boost; at launch in 2025, all versions had a 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a customisable shortcut bar and a "Hi BYD" voice command.

Other launch-specification features include NFC keyless entry through a sensor on the door mirror, app-based pre-conditioning, rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera on every version, and on Comfort a 360-degree camera, LED headlights, wireless phone charging and rear privacy glass. Equipment can differ by market, so buyers should check the local price list.

Safety & ADAS

BYD says 75 percent of the e-Platform 3.0 body is high-strength steel, and the Blade Battery passes the nail-penetration test. Every Dolphin Surf has driver and front-passenger airbags plus side and curtain airbags, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, an emergency-call function and child safety locks. The ADAS suite is standard on all versions. Euro NCAP awarded the Dolphin Surf five stars in 2025, with 82% for adult occupants, 86% for child occupants, 76% for vulnerable road users and 77% for safety assist; that test was carried out on the 2025 four-seat car, before the five-seat version existed.

ADAS LEVEL	Driver assistance package standard (no SAE level stated by BYD)
ADAS FEATURES	Intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure assist, intelligent high-beam control, tyre-pressure monitoring, eCall, child safety locks

Available Versions

VERSION	POWER	TORQUE	0-100	TOP SPEED	DRIVETRAIN	BATTERY	EV RANGE	COMBINED RANGE	PRICE	KEY DIFFERENCES
Active (4-seat)	87 hp	175 Nm	11.1s	150 km/h	FWD	30 kWh	220 km	—	EUR 20,140	65 kW (88 PS), 65 kW DC; 16-inch alloys, fabric seats; four seats only; Spain list price
Boost (5-seat)	87 hp	175 Nm	12.1s	150 km/h	FWD	43.2 kWh	322 km	—	EUR 24,490	65 kW (88 PS), 85 kW DC; heated steering wheel and seats; four-seat Boost EUR 24,140; Spain list price
Comfort (5-seat)	154 hp	220 Nm	9.1s	150 km/h	FWD	43.2 kWh	310 km	—	EUR 26,990	115 kW (156 PS), 85 kW DC; 12.8-inch Google screen, vegan leather; four-seat Comfort EUR 26,640; Spain list price

Pricing & Availability

BYD Spain has published a 2026 model-year price list. The recommended retail prices for the peninsula and the Balearic Islands are EUR 20,140 for the four-seat Active, EUR 24,140 and EUR 24,490 for the four- and five-seat Boost, and EUR 26,640 and EUR 26,990 for the four- and five-seat Comfort. BYD Spain also shows lower campaign prices (for example EUR 22,780 for the five-seat Boost) and an advertised entry price of EUR 12,605 for the Active that stacks campaigns, the Plan Auto scheme, financing and an energy-saving certificate (CAE); those are promotional and depend on conditions. BYD Spain says the new four- and five-seat versions are for now reserved for its dealers, with the online configurator coming soon.

BYD's September 2026 release says the 2026 model-year car will reach its European dealer network during the second half of the year, adapted to local sales strategies, and gives no prices. In the UK, Electrifying reported on 2 October 2026 that there was no word yet on how the update would affect the UK line-up. The UK list prices published at the June 2025 launch were GBP 18,650 for Active, GBP 21,950 for Boost and GBP 23,950 for Comfort, all four-seat, and the dealer group Arnold Clark lists Active from GBP 17,995 on an undated page, so UK buyers should check the current BYD price list. In Israel, the importer Shlomo Motors sells the Dolphin Surf as a four-seater in Boost and Comfort trims. The May 2025 launch prices of NIS 114,990 and NIS 123,990 are still shown on Israeli listings, and no five-seat version or updated 2026 pricing for Israel has been published that we could find.

How It Compares

The two closest small-EV rivals that are already on sale or opening orders in Europe both have more power. The Geely E2 Pro makes 85 kW (114 hp) from a 35 kWh battery with a 252 km WLTP range and costs EUR 21,490 in Belgium, with an early-bird price of EUR 19,490. The Volkswagen ID.Polo Trend also has 85 kW (116 PS, 114 hp), with a 37 kWh battery, up to 334 km WLTP according to VW (ADAC lists 323 km for the Trend) and a German price of EUR 24,995. Against them, the Dolphin Surf Boost has the largest rated battery of the three at 43.2 kWh (BYD quotes rated capacity, VW usable capacity) and a range of 322 km, close to the ID.Polo, but only 65 kW, a 12.1-second 0-100 km/h time and the smallest boot at 308 litres, against 375 litres (plus a 70-litre front boot) for the E2 and 441 litres for the ID.Polo. Prices are national list prices in three different markets, so they are a guide to positioning, not a like-for-like comparison. The Dolphin Surf's case rests on its larger battery, its standard three-phase AC charging and the new heated steering wheel and optional fifth seat.