The BYD Dolphin review: Here’s what we’re missing out on in America

China's BYD doesn't mess around. It began life as a battery company that eventually realized it could branch out into electrified cars. And so it did. Today, BYD is outselling rival giants and has cars on the road almost everywhere, except the US. Its eyes are firmly set on conquering the electric vehicle sector, but it will sell you a hybrid if you're not quite ready to take on life with a battery EV full-time.

Being a thoroughly modern car company, BYD will sell you cars in various shapes and sizes and across a wide price range, though the bigger you go, the higher the price tag becomes. With popular sentiment starting to turn against this second gilded age, the super-lux stuff won't suit everyone. That's where BYD's smallest car, the Dolphin, comes into play.

Small is, of course, a relative term. An original ...