BYD has added a new five-seat option for the Dolphin Surf along with a new 12.8in touchscreen infotainment screen for the top spec Comfort model. 

These and a range of other updates have been announced for European markets, but there’s no word yet on how the tweaks will impact the UK lineup of the Dolphin Surf. 

BYD Europe says that the four- and five-seat versions of the car will be sold alongside each other, giving buyers the choice of added space or practicality. 

Other changes include the addition of heated front seats to the mid-range Boost trim and the introduction of fabric upholstery to the two lower trims, replacing the current vegan leather that’s offered. 

The gear selector has also been moved from the central part of the dashboard underneath the infotainment screen to a stalk on the steering column. 

The entry level Active model still uses a 30kWh Blade battery for a range of 137 miles (220km), while the Boost and Comfort trims feature a larger 43.2kWh pack for 200-mile (322km) and 193-mile (310km) ranges respectively. 

Keep an eye on Electrifying for more information on UK specification and pricing when the updates are announced. 

Second-generation Seagull revealed in China

Interestingly, while BYD tweaks the Dolphin Surf to keep it fresh in Europe, BYD has just revealed the new second-generation version of the car – called the Seagull in its home market. 

The new version is a much bigger proposition, arguably jumping a class in size from city car to supermini. 

The Dolphin Surf was already slighter longer in Europe than the Seagull in China, but the new second-generation version is another 200mm longer yet (425mm longer than the version it’s directly replacing in China), 100mm wider and 20mm shorter. 

Underneath that new metal is where the interest lies – the e-motor has been moved to the back, powering the rear wheels, with room for a significant frunk underneath the bonnet. 

The battery is a new 800V LFP number with BYD’s latest Flash charging tech. Still small, with 30kWh and 39.2kWh options, but BYD says it can get from 10–97% in nine minutes. 

Range is apparently 199 miles (320km) and 261 miles (420km) respectively on the optimistic CLTC test used in China, so would be less under the European WLTP rules. 

Rumours suggest it could be sold in China for less than £12,000, which means an incredible amount of tech for the money. When it will arrive in the UK is of course anyone’s guess at this point.