BYD DOLPHIN SURF vs Toyota Yaris

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Toyota Yaris Discontinued model
BYD DOLPHIN SURF in South Africa

BYD DOLPHIN SURF

Dynamic EV Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 395,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 55 kW 🔧 135 Nm
VS
Toyota Yaris in South Africa

Toyota Yaris

1.5 XR CVT Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 359,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 145 Nm ⛽ 15.1 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BYD DOLPHIN SURF vs Toyota Yaris: the short answer

DOLPHIN SURF and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context DOLPHIN SURF: current from ZAR 341,900 · Yaris: last listed from ZAR 289,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification DOLPHIN SURF Yaris
Maximum Power DOLPHIN SURF55 kW Yaris88 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque DOLPHIN SURF135 Nm Yaris145 Nm @ 4800 rpm
Engine Size DOLPHIN SURFNot Applicable Yaris1496 cc
Combined Fuel Economy DOLPHIN SURFNot Applicable Yaris15.1 km/l
Ground Clearance DOLPHIN SURF155 mm Yaris160 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

BYD DOLPHIN SURF

Dynamic EV

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Toyota Yaris

1.5 XR CVT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

DOLPHIN SURF

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Yaris

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

DOLPHIN SURF

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Yaris

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec DOLPHIN SURF Yaris
Model Introduced Year 2025 2020
Generation First South African DOLPHIN SURF generation Current generation on Toyota's TNGA-B platform
Facelift History No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026 Regular updates with improved safety and features
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2021
Facelift Version Ending Current 2024
Body Style Hatchback Hatchback
Model Year 2026 2021
Production Status Active discontinued
Segment City Hatchback Hatchback
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle Hatchback
Tare Mass Kg - 1110 kg
Spec DOLPHIN SURF Yaris
Length 3925 mm 4180 mm
Width 1720 mm 1745 mm
Height 1590 mm 1500 mm
Wheelbase 2500 mm 2550 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 155 mm 160 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 120 mm 125 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 0 l 42 l
Boot/Cargo Space 230 l 286 l
Kerb Weight 1280 kg 1110 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1690 kg 1515 kg
Payload Capacity 410 kg 405 kg
Towing Capacity 0 kg 1600 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 4.95 m 5.1 m
Front Headroom 980 mm 991 mm
Rear Headroom 920 mm 940 mm
Front Legroom 1060 mm 1039 mm
Rear Legroom 690 mm 881 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This DOLPHIN SURF and Yaris comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: DOLPHIN SURF 25 vs Yaris 37.

Efficiency index: DOLPHIN SURF 90 vs Yaris 61.

Safety-equipment index: DOLPHIN SURF 87 vs Yaris 98.

Practicality index: DOLPHIN SURF 51 vs Yaris 53.

Ownership-cover index: DOLPHIN SURF not separately scored vs Yaris 43.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

DOLPHIN SURF leads by 2 points

DOLPHIN SURF and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 60% source coverage
61
#1 Evidence leader

DOLPHIN SURF

60% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 90 Check Performance 25
Performance 25
Efficiency 90
Safety 87
Practicality 51
Leads by 2 points
59
#2

Yaris

90% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 61
Safety 98
Practicality 53
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Yaris +12 Efficiency DOLPHIN SURF +29 Safety Yaris +11 Practicality Yaris +2

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

DOLPHIN SURF

Performance 25/100
Efficiency 90/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 51/100

Yaris

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 53/100
Ownership 43/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BYD DOLPHIN SURF leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 59 pts for Yaris

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, DOLPHIN SURF leads. However, Yaris may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

DOLPHIN SURF vs Yaris questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.