New BYD Dolphin G: UK's smallest plug-in hybrid to arrive this year
BYD’s first model designed for Europe will be a combustion version of its cheapest EV...
On sale Autumn 2026 Price from £17,000 (est)
The plug-in hybrid small car market is practically non-existent at the moment, but BYD is determined to change that with an all-new combustion-engined version of its smallest electric city car, in the form of the BYD Dolphin G DM-i.
Due to be unveiled over the coming weeks ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, the Dolphin G will serve as the ICE counterpart to the Dolphin Surf, an electric small car, rivals of which include the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5. The new model, however, will occupy a very sparsely-populated space in the market as a PHEV. Most similarly-sized electrified rivals, such as the Honda Jazz, Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris, use regular hybrid set-ups without the need to plug in.
The Dolphin G is powered by the same 'DM-i' set-up as in the recently-revealed BYD Atto 2 DM-i small SUV. That means it’ll combine a 1.5-litre petrol engine generator with an electric motor driving the front wheels and a battery. According to BYD, the Dolphin G is capable of achieving 621 miles using both the battery and petrol engine, though further details haven't yet been announced.
In the Atto 2 PHEV’s most potent form, it produces up to 208bhp, with an official electric-only range of 55 miles. However, due to the Dolphin G’s compact size, it could have some smaller figures from a lower-capacity unit.
It’ll be the first BYD model designed specifically for Europe, unlike its other cars, which are adapted from models already on sale in China. As such, the Dolphin G could possibly be manufactured at BYD’s new factory in Hungary.
Prices have yet to be confirmed, but we’d expect the Dolphin G to be even cheaper than its EV counterpart, which currently starts at £18,675. That would put the Dolphin G among the cheapest cars on sale, undercutting even non-electrified rivals like the Clio and MG 3.
BYD will also launch the Ti7 seven-seater later this year – a Land Rover Defender-sized off-road-ready SUV featuring plug-in hybrid power.
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