BYD launches Dolphin G, its first car built for Europe

BYD Debuts Dolphin G DM-i Plug-In Hybrid in Europe With 646-Mile Range

BYD has launched the Dolphin G DM-i, its first car developed specifically for European buyers, offering a combined driving range of up to 646 miles from a full battery and fuel tank. The compact plug-in hybrid hatchback went on sale this month across European markets, with deliveries expected to begin in early autumn 2026.electrek

A Supermini With Super Hybrid Tech

The Dolphin G DM-i is powered by BYD’s fifth-generation Super Hybrid system, pairing a 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors — one driving the front wheels and the other serving as a generator to charge the battery. Higher-spec models equipped with an 18.3 kWh Blade Battery deliver up to 65 miles of pure electric range, while the entry-level Active trim uses a smaller 7.42 kWh unit offering around 25 miles on electric power alone.bitauto

All versions produce 161 horsepower from the front-mounted electric motor and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 8.3 seconds. BYD says the system is “EV-led,” meaning the electric motor drives the wheels in most conditions, with the petrol engine acting primarily as a range-extending generator.autoexpress

The car is available in four trims — Active, Boost, Comfort, and Sport — with pricing in France starting at €23,990. In the UK, where it will be the smallest plug-in hybrid on sale, Autocar expects the larger-battery version to start at around £23,000, with the base model potentially undercutting that at around £20,000. That would position it as a direct competitor to the Volkswagen Polo, Renault Clio, and Toyota Yaris.youtube

Europe Strategy in Focus

The Dolphin G launch comes as BYD reshapes its European production plans. Executive Vice President Stella Li told Reuters on Tuesday that the company’s Hungarian factory in Szeged will begin assembling cars in the fourth quarter of 2026, while a previously announced plant in Turkey has been put on hold indefinitely. “Hungary is the number one priority right now,” Li said.reuters

BYD logged a nearly threefold increase in European sales in January 2026, reaching over 18,000 new registrations, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company is also expanding its dealer network, aiming for 2,000 points of sale across Europe by year-end.supercarblondie

Competing on Cost and Range

At 4,160 mm long, the Dolphin G sits squarely in the B-segment — the same territory as Europe’s best-selling superminis — but offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain where rivals typically rely on mild or full hybrid systems. BYD claims weighted fuel consumption as low as 1.4 liters per 100 km with the battery fully charged on higher trims, and CO2 emissions as low as 32 g/km.youtube

Orders are open now across several European markets, with the car set to make its UK public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.eletric-vehicles