BYD DOLPHIN SURF scores maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating

• World Urban Car of the Year score standout result for compact-EV safety
• Strong performance in all four key areas of evaluation
• Adult and Child-occupant protection draw praise

08 September 2025 - BYD’s DOLPHIN SURF has earned a maximum five-star safety rating in the latest round of tests by independent organisation Euro NCAP. The reigning World Urban Car of the Year, which went on sale across Europe in the spring, picks up the top rating with strong scores in all of the four key areas, making it even more of a standout offering in the compact-EV class.

The DOLPHIN SURF’s performance in Europe’s most stringent evaluation shows how the company’s comprehensive all-round approach to technology means customers of even BYD’s most accessible model in Europe do not need to make compromises on safety. Euro NCAP’s own definition of the five-star score is “overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with state-of-the-art crash avoidance technology”.

The official test report notes good protection in the side-barrier test and more severe side pole impact, with the DOLPHIN SURF awarded maximum points in this part of the assessment and a five-star 82% verdict for Adult Occupant protection overall. Child Occupant protection receives an even stronger endorsement, meanwhile, with a score of 86%.

In the other two areas of the test, focusing on other road users and safety-assistance systems, the DOLPHIN SURF’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performs well in reactions to cyclists, and has a good response to motorcyclists – helping the car to a 76% score in the Vulnerable Road Users section. And in the final area of the test, Safety Assist, Euro NCAP awards a 77% score, notes how the AEB is good in reaction to other vehicles, and credits both the driver-monitoring technologies and the lane-departure support system.

The overall five-star result is a standout score in the compact-EV class, leaving the DOLPHIN SURF unmatched by any of its obvious rivals.

Executive Vice President of BYD Stella Li said: “BYD is a technology company and the 120,000 engineers in our R&D division are constantly pushing to innovate and deliver better products for customers. The DOLPHIN SURF has already shown how this commitment delivers an accessible EV with no compromise on technology or features. It’s particularly challenging to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP score on a more compact vehicle, but this test result shows that with DOLPHIN SURF, there is also no compromise on safety. The DOLPHIN SURF will continue to be a game changer that breaks down barriers to new-energy vehicle adoption.”

The DOLPHIN SURF’s five-star verdict is the eighth such rating earned by BYD since the brand’s arrival in the European passenger-car market in 2022. The DOLPHIN, ATTO 3, SEAL, SEAL U and SEAL U DM-i, TANG and SEALION 7 have also all earned five-star scores, with the last of those vehicles matching the highest ever score for Child Occupant protection.