If you’ve been asking for a plug-in hybrid version of the BYD Dolphin, then you’re in luck—sort of. The Chinese carmaker announced that the Dolphin G DM-i is real and will launch later this year…in Europe.
We don’t have too many details on the new electrified hatch, but BYD did confirm that it can deliver over 1,000km of driving on a full charge and a single tank of gas. If other DM-i models can tell us anything, we can also expect a 1.5-liter generator and a battery between 8kWh and 13kWh. A front-mounted single-motor setup has also been confirmed for the hybrid Dolphin.
For context, the Seal 5 DM-i and the Sealion 5 DM-i use those same powertrains and tout similar performance. It also wouldn’t be too surprising if BYD decided to turn this Dolphin into a hot hatch and added a turbocharger to the generator for some extra oomph.
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This new Dolphin also gets a redesigned look. Up front, the headlights are much thinner and a lot sharper, while the black garnish has also been scrapped. The hood seems to have been stretched out to get that Sealion 6-like nose. Since this new hatch has to accommodate an engine, it is likely longer than its fully electric counterpart. However, there are no official dimensions yet as of writing.
The wheels also don a new blacked-out finish, which looks a lot cleaner than the two-tone design on the fully electric Dolphin. Overall, it gives a much sportier impression, especially in this bright orange color.
Peeking inside, there also seems to be color-matching accents embossed onto the seats. And that’s about all we know from the initial photos and details released. While we wait for the Dolphin G DM-i to officially launch, let us know if you’d like to see this debut in the Philippines.
