The small B-segment plug-in hybrid hatchback BYD Dolphin G from the Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) was spotted testing on public roads in China recently. It is built for the European market. Reportedly, its global debut will happen in June 2026, and then its public appearance may take place in July 2026 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
In the spy shots coming from Chinese media, the car is highly camouflaged, yet reveals a few details about its exterior and design. Upfront, it gets slimmer LED headlights as a modern touch and for better visibility, and a clean bumper design for an uncluttered front view.
On the side, it gets semi-recessed mechanical handles for entry and exit doors for better practicality and large alloy wheels to ensure better grip and bold road presence. Get bold-conventional body-coloured ORVMs (outside rear-view mirrors) for ensuring better aerodynamics.
The rear gets modern full-width through-type zigzag LED taillights with the ‘BYD’ lettering in the centre that connect with the LED taillamps at both ends; the lighting setup creates a wide stance for the back of the car and makes it eye-catching. An integrated roof spoiler is also visible at the rear, which ensures the car remains stable even at high speed.
As the car is yet to be revealed, all details, including specifications and features, are still pending. Dimensionally, it is expected to be introduced with a length of 4.3 metres and a wheelbase of around 2.7 metres, slightly longer than its main competitors that are the Volkswagen Golf, Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris.
The hatchback will offer a spacious five-seater cabin with a standard 2-3 seating configuration. behind the rear seat, it is set to get a large boot space for carrying luggage. Like nother mass-market hatchbacks, it will also feature rear-seat folding to extend cargo space.
Its interior is expected to be quite spacious with ample legroom, headroom and shoulderroom for rear seating passengers, ensuring better comfort. The dashboard is all set to be equipped with a large touchscreen infotainment system and a driver display that shows all the crucial driving data on the screen.
The powertrain is yet to be confirmed, but reports suggest that it will be powered by BYD’s latest DM-i plug-in hybrid system. Its set-up is most expected to be similar to the BYD Atto 2 DM-i. Under the hood, it will get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and two electric motors, one main and another generator, on the front axle featuring a FWD drivetrain.
The Chinese media’s report, which itself leaked the spy shots, mentions that the PHEV variant is expected to feature a compact LFP battery, offering an electric-only range of 90 km, and the combined range, meaning when the battery is fully charged and even the fuel tank is full, is over 1,000 km. Its electrical architecture is most expected to be 800-volt, supporting ultra-fast DC charging.
Notably, the regular BYD Dolphin has been available for sale in the Chinese market from 2021 in three editions that are Vitality, Fashion, and Knight, whose prices are 99,800 yuan, 109,800 yuan and 125,800 yuan, respectively. Its length is 4,280 mm, its width is 1,770 mm, and its height is 1,570 mm. The wheelbase is 2,700 mm, and the ground clearance is 130 mm.
It is available with a pure electric powertrain that is built on BYD e-Platform 3.0 with the FWD drivetrain. Offered with two LFP battery packs that are 45.12 kWh and 60.48 kWh, whose CLTC-range range is 420 km and 520 km, respectively. Its interior gets a 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, wireless charging pad and much more.