3 days ago
Hyundai Inster vs BYD Dolphin Surf: cool urban EVs go wheel-to-wheel for the crown
Barely 12 months ago, the chances of getting your hands on a small electric car were pretty slim. One or two contenders were around, but more choice at this end of the market – especially where simple, clean EV powertrains designed for urban use make the most sense – will always be welcome. Advertisement - Article continues below
Two such options have arrived recently: one from a brand that's in a fantastic run of form, the other from a manufacturer that has burst onto the UK market and introduced a range that grows more comprehensive by the month. Hyundai has been one of the best car makers this decade, with its Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric both winning our New Car Awards Car of the Year crown in the past five years.
Its latest electric car is significantly smaller than either of those champions, but not when it comes to personality; the Inster is a quirky-looking electric vehicle that stands out even among some very distinctive new rivals.
Here, it faces off against BYD's Dolphin Surf. The brand's arrival in the UK market has been largely promising, but so far its cars have never quite hit the highs to top their class. Could its smallest and cheapest contender yet be about to change all of that? Model: Hyundai Inster 02 Price: £26,755 Powertrain: 49kWh battery, 1x e-motor, 113bhp 0-62mph: 10.6 seconds Test efficiency: 3.8 miles/kWh Official range: 223 miles Annual VED: £195
The Inster is the smallest member of Hyundai's EV line-up, arriving just before the firm's largest EV offering, the Ioniq 9. This little-and-large pairing bring the total number of models to five, giving buyers a very comprehensive range to choose from. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Its size will no doubt make the Inster an ideal choice as the second vehicle in a two-car family, although alongside some of its similarly sized rivals, the prices look a touch high, ranging from £23,505 to £28,755. In 02 trim, as tested here, it costs £26,755.
There aren't many cars on sale measuring just 3.8 metres long that offer up so much space inside, and the clever details which allow that to happen start right at the front of the Hyundai Inster's cabin.
As with the larger Ioniq 5, the Inster has a column-mounted shifter that allows more space to be freed up between the front seats. Storage space is mounted either on the tall dash area or, in the case of the cup-holders, sitting in an upholstered section integrated between the front seats.
We think the sweet spot in the Inster range is the 02 model, giving the best balance between value and standard equipment. At almost 27 grand, it's still pricey, but it makes more sense than the Inster Cross.
In addition to its chunky SUV-inspired looks, this brings a sunroof, a surround-view monitor and extra driver- assistance tech, but costs a full £2,000 more than the 02. At that point, it's bringing the Inster's price very near to £29,000, which draws it very close to significantly more substantial cars. Model: BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort Price: £23,950 Powertrain: 43kWh battery, 1x e-motor, 154bhp 0-62mph: 9.1 seconds Test efficiency: 3.9 miles/kWh Official range: 193 miles Annual VED: £195
BYD has adopted an aquatic theme for most of its car names so far. In other markets, this newcomer is known as the Seagull, but that wasn't fancied in the UK. Instead, it's called the Dolphin Surf – and not to be confused with the slightly larger Dolphin compact EV. The Surf is priced very keenly, starting from £18,650, but that buys a model with both a relatively small 30kWh battery and a modest 87bhp power output. The version we're testing here, with a 43.2kWh pack and 154bhp, costs £23,950.
Nobody can accuse the Dolphin Surf of being short of driver-assist tech, because adaptive cruise control, emergency lane-keep assist and traffic-sign recognition are all standard. There's also a driver-monitoring system fitted on all cars – and it's one of the worst we've had the displeasure of using. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Peering around an approaching corner, a lingering look in one of the mirrors, looking just beyond the bonnet line for an upcoming speed bump; these are just some of the situations that caused the BYD to bark 'Keep eyes on road!' at us when on the move.
Even though this is BYD's cheapest car in the UK, there's been no skimping on the eye-catching tech. Just as with its larger siblings, the Dolphin Surf gets a rotating touchscreen. At the push of a button (either on the steering wheel or the 10.1-inch display itself), the screen electrically rotates from a landscape to a portrait layout. It may impress your mates for a moment or two, but beyond that, it's a bit of a gimmick – especially when the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems that most drivers will use only work in landscape mode.
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For such small cars, this pair ride with remarkable compliance, easily making them feel grown up enough to live with every day. The BYD's tiny turning circle makes it great to drive in town, but its steering response and feedback have plenty of room for improvement. The Hyundai's natural-feeling steering makes it more fun to drive than the BYD, but the Dolphin Surf is quieter at motorway speeds.
When it comes to battery capacity, the Inster steals a march on its rival with a 49kWh unit – 5.8kWh more than the BYD. However, the Dolphin Surf's electric motor delivers more performance. Figures of 154bhp and 220Nm beat the Hyundai by a significant 41bhp and 73Nm, so even though the BYD is the heavier car, it still accelerates from 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds, 1.5 seconds quicker than the Inster.
In our hands, the Dolphin Surf proved to be the more efficient of this pair – if only just – achieving 3.9 miles/kWh to the Inster's 3.8 miles/kWh figure. Thanks to its larger battery, the Hyundai can travel further on a single charge, though; when we tested both models until they ran out of charge, the Hyundai covered 184 miles before it reached zero, while the BYD managed just 168 miles.
The Inster lets drivers choose between vast interior space or a decent boot, thanks to a sliding rear bench. With that in its rearmost position, knee and head room are superb, but the boot is a modest 238 litres. With the bench moved forward, there's 351 litres, but knee room drops behind the BYD and its 308-litre boot. Given that the Hyundai is smaller than its rival on the outside, its packaging is very impressive.
Blind-spot monitoring is only offered on the top-spec Inster Cross, but other versions get lane-keep and lane-follow assist as standard. The on-board safety tech contributed to the Hyundai's four-star rating when it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2025. The body hasn't evaluated the Dolphin Surf yet, but every BYD tested by NCAP so far has got a maximum five-star rating, which bodes well for the brand's smallest car.
Hyundai finished 20th out of 31 in our 2025 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey for brands – not outstanding, but largely consistent with what the Korean firm achieved in 2024. BYD's first showing in our survey wasn't a strong one; it beat only MG on the way to 30th place. At least both marques here provide strong warranties, with Hyundai owners getting five years' cover and BYD drivers six years'.
Most of what BYD has offered in the UK so far has been competent yet fairly unremarkable, but the Dolphin Surf is its best offering yet. In a segment where value really matters, BYD has delivered a competitively priced, well equipped small EV, that blends plenty of performance, interior space and maturity for its asking price. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Character and fun aren't high on its list of qualities, but that won't bother value-focused buyers. An efficient powertrain and a long warranty hold more appeal for those choosing a car with their head. That value gives the BYD the edge over the Hyundai in this contest.
Buy a new BYD Dolphin Surf now
If we take price out of the equation, then the Hyundai Inster is the superior package in this contest. More spacious, better to drive and boasting a fantastic range for a car of this size, there's a huge amount to appreciate.
However, it's not enough to overcome the difference in price between these two models, and value for money plays a big part in the overall result at the smaller, more affordable end of the market. The Inster is a more desirable, characterful product than the BYD Dolphin Surf, so those who can stretch the budget will be getting hold of a cracking small car.
Buy a new Hyundai Inster now Our choice Hyundai Inster 02 BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort Price from/price as tested £26,755/£26,755 £23,950/£23,950 Powertrain and performance Powertrain 1x electric motor 1x electric motor Power 113bhp 154bhp Torque 147Nm 220Nm Transmission Single-speed/fwd Single-speed/fwd 0-62mph/top speed 10.6 secs/93mph 9.1 secs/93mphh Usable battery capacity 49kWh 43.2kWh Official range 223 miles 193 miles Test efficiency/range 3.8mi/kWh/184 miles 3.9mi/kWh/168 miles Charging 85kW (10-80% in 30 mins) 85kW (10-80% in 30 mins) Dimensions Length/wheelbase 3,825/2,580mm 3,990/2,500mm Width/height 1,610/1,610mm 1,720/1,590mm Rear knee room 694-907mm 640-862mm Rear headroom/elbow room 941/1,312mm 890/1,316mm Boot space (seats up/down) 238-351/1,059 litres 308/1,037 litres Boot length/width 510/958mm 561/745mm Boot lip height 764mm 713mm Kerbweight/towing weight 1,325kg 1,390kg Turning circle 10.6 metres 9.9 metres Costs/ownership Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000 miles) £11,275/42.14% £10,200/42.59% Depreciation £15,480 £13,750 Insurance group/quote/VED 23/£658/£195 19/£732/£195 Three-year service cost £312 £0 (five years) Annual tax liability std/higher rate £160/£320 £143/£287 Annual fuel cost (10,000 miles) £684 £660 Basic warranty/recovery 5yrs (unlimited miles)/1yr 6yrs (94k miles)/4yrs Driver Power manufacturer position 20th 30th NCAP Adult/child/ped./assist/stars 70/81/70/67/4 _ (2025) TBC Equipment Metallic paint/wheel size £600/17 inch £650/16 inch Parking sensors/camera F&r/yes F&r/360-degree Spare wheel/Isofix points Repair kit/two Repair kit/three Keyless entry & go/powered tailgate Yes/no Yes/no Leather/heated seats No/yes Artificial/yes Screen size/digital dashboard 10.25 inch/yes 10.1 inch/yes Climate control/panoramic sunroof Yes/no Yes/no USBs/wireless charging Three/yes Two/yes Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Wired/wired Yes/yes Blind-spot warning/head-up display No/no Yes/yes Adaptive cruise/steering assist Yes/no Yes/yes
Buyers can add the Tech Pack (£500) that includes a three-pin plug socket for powering accessories, plus a digital key which lets users lock and unlock the car with their smartphone. A £500 black contrast roof is an option.
There aren't any options for Surf buyers; gaining more kit means spending more cash on a higher trim level. There are only four colours available, but at least the retina-burning luminous 'Lime Green' is fairly cheerful.
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