BYD has lifted the covers off of the new Dolphin G DM-i, a car that essentially becomes its first proper global offering. With it, the auto brand looks to take on the regional players across markets; whether that be Chery and Tata in Asia, Tesla in the States, VW and Toyota in Europe, among others.
It is a VW Polo-sized plug-in hybrid hatchback, which means there’s an electric motor working the front wheels as well as a petrol engine in there. Pricing? Tipped to start under £20,000 (US$27,000 per direct conversion).
Sure, take a long, hard look at it and you’ll immediately realize the Dolphin G DM-i looks a lot like the Atto 2. And it looks like BYD has purposely used the Atto platform and fitted it with the Super Hybrid with DM technology for two key reasons: it meets key regulations for global use, and second, BYD could simply save some cash by using a platform that’s so well known by now.
The biggest selling point? A range of over 621 miles (1,000 km) on a full charge and a full tank of petrol. While we don’t yet know the specifics behind the DM-i system, it’s widely rumored that it will be largely based on the one found on the Atto 2 DM-i, which uses a 1.5-liter normally aspirated gas engine for the ICE motor.
So far, all that we do know is that it will sport a front-mounted single-motor setup. Interestingly enough, BYD’s Seal 5 DM-i and the Sealion 5 DM-i make use of those same powertrain setups, so expect a fairly similar performance.
As for the battery, it is expected to come with two LFP battery pack options – 7.8 kWh and 18 kWh, exactly like the Atto 2 DM-i. It will arrive as a sibling to the Dolphin Surf, BYD’s smallest and most affordable all-electric car sold in global markets.
The PHEV measures 164 in (4,160 mm) in length by 72 in (1,825 mm) in width, which effectively places it perfectly in the European B-segment category. Up front, it gets thin, sharp headlights with a hood that seems to be stretched out, akin to the Sealion 6.
The wheels are blacked out, which gives it a nice sporty feel, especially with that orange paint scheme in the promo shots. The same color-matching accents are carried over inside the cabin as well. As for the features and other performance metrics, BYD seems to be holding those close to its chest for the moment.
The Dolphin G DM-i is set to go on sale in Europe in the coming weeks, with deliveries slated for later this summer. Keep in mind, it comes from a carmaker that overtook the likes of Tesla, Kia, and others to become the best-selling EV brand in the UK, Australia, and a few other global markets in the first quarter of this year.
Source: BYD
