BYD has expanded the line-up for its Dolphin compact electric hatchback with new entry-level trims that slash £4k off the opening pricing.

Pricing for the BYD Dolphin now starts from £26,195

The Active and Boost grades sit below the existing Comfort and Design models, cutting pricing to £26,195 and £27,165 respectively.

The new trims feature a smaller 44.9kWh version of the BYD Blade battery compared to the existing 60.4kWh pack. It’s good for a WLTP range of 211 miles for the Dolphin Active and 193 miles for the Boost.

The Active comes with a 95hp motor and a 7kW onboard charger and has a maximum charging speed of 65kW via a DC charger. The Boost model is paired with a 176hp motor,  comes with an 11kW AC three-phase onboard charger and has the same 65kW DC maximum charging speed.

All models in the Dolphin range feature vehicle-to-load technology, delivering a 3.3kW external discharge as a mobile power station.

BYD said the appealing pricing would make electric mobility accessible to more consumers.

Michael Shu, general manager and managing director of BYD Europe and the International Cooperation Division, said: “BYD is convinced that high-tech electric mobility should be available and accessible for everyone. Therefore, we ensured that BYD Dolphin is not only intelligent and technology advanced, but also attractively priced.”

BYD’s Corsa Electric rival also features distinctive ‘playful’ design aesthetics with versatility, agility and an abundance of standard equipment.

The Dolphin offers seating for five, with ergonomically designed vegan leather sports seats, including heated front seats with electric adjustments. The rear seats can be split 60:40 to expand the 345-litre boot to 1,310 litres. The vehicle also includes over 20 storage spaces.

All models feature driver assistance technology such as forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and rear cross traffic brake, lane departure prevention and emergency lane keeping assist.

Other features include adaptive cruise control and intelligent cruise control and a panoramic camera, while lighting features such as high beam assist, adaptive front headlights and follow me home tech also come as standard.