2024 BYD Dolphin review: Australian first drive

The most affordable electric car in Australia, the BYD Dolphin, is here – and it starts at just $38,890 plus on-roads.

That will get you into the lower-output, smaller-battery Dynamic model – which, with a 0-100km/h time of 12.3 seconds, sounds about as dynamic as a brisk walk to the toilet.

The more expensive Premium model tested here is the go for those who want a bit more range, a lot more poke, and a couple of extra features, too. And at $44,890 plus on-roads, it’s still very affordable for a compact EV.

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JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing and features
• Safety
• On the road
• Key rivals
• Should I put it on my shortlist?
• Specifications

Pricing and features

It might be cheap, but it’s also super well-equipped for the money.

The entry-level Dynamic comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, a panoramic glass roof, 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay, satellite navigation and digital radio, a six-speaker sound system, wireless phone charging, four USB ports, a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster, power adjustable front seats with heating, fake leather trim, and keyless entry and start.

The Dynamic grade has a 44.9kWh battery pack, allowing it a WLTP-rated driving range of 340km, and a single electric motor at the front axle that produces 70kW and 180Nm.

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Spend the extra $6000 for the Premium model and you get a few extra colour-coded bits and more paint choices, 17-inch alloy wheels and a different rear suspension package – multi-link rather than torsion – along with more grunt and range.

The Premium model upgrades to a 60.4kWh battery rated to 427km (WLTP), while the motor delivers 150kW and 310Nm – good for a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds… a bit more like what you’d expect of an EV.

There’s AC charging at a maximum rate of 6.6kW, and DC charging varies between the grades – 60kW for the Dynamic, 80kW for the Premium.

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Buyers get a six-year / 150,000km warranty, but there are some stipulations about certain components that’ll require a deep-dive into the fine print.

Battery warranty is an eight-year / 160,000km cover. Servicing intervals are 12 months / 20,000km, and there’s an eight-year capped-price plan for an average of $299 per visit.

There’s no spare wheel, but you do get a decent 345-litre boot space, bigger than a GWM Ora (228L). Space in the cabin is decent, too, but a panoramic sunroof means taller rear-seat occupants suffer for headroom.

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Safety

It may be affordable, but there haven’t been any corners cut on safety spec here.

The BYD Dolphin achieved the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating against the strictest criteria to date (2023 date stamp), so it has all the gear you’d expect.

Standard is autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, and there’s lane-keeping and emergency lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, ‘intelligent’ speed sign recognition, driver attention alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert with braking, front cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera and parking sensors, and plenty more, including seven airbags.

That camera system is a sweet inclusion for urban-dwellers. Some of the other tech? Not so much…

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On the road

The best compliment that can be paid to the BYD Dolphin is that it’s a great urban car.

If you live in a city, or will use it as a second car for daily duties in the burbs, then you’ll be well served – for the most part.

But if you find yourself on the freeway, or on a twisty road in the bush, you’ll quickly learn why the ‘ideal city car’ tag might also be a backhanded compliment.

That’s because the Dolphin’s chassis setup is flummoxed by bumpy roads, wobbling and lurching over bumps and never offering a whole lot of confidence, primarily due to its tragically underdamped rear suspension.

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It’s a shame, because it seems to have a fair feel to the steering, although swapping out the LingLong Comfort Master tyres for some more reputable rubber would provide an instant improvement to the handling. At least the thing is easy to park.

But even half-throttle acceleration in the dry can cause the front tyres to spin and squeal, such is the shortness of grip on offer – so go easy on the go-pedal.

As you’d expect, there’s a decent amount of poke from zero, if only it could get the grunt to the ground. And it’s otherwise reasonably refined, with quiet-enough progress around town.

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Oddly, there’s no single-pedal driving mode in the Dolphin, and the brake pedal feel is squelchy at the top of the pedal.

Just note, too – this car is best operated with the lane-keeping and emergency lane-keep tech systems disabled… which you’ll need to do every time you drive it. Plus, you might want to turn off the speed-sign recognition system, otherwise it beeps incessantly (albeit far less annoyingly than a Kia or Hyundai).

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Key rivals

The best alternative is the rear-drive MG 4 which, by comparison, is a joy to drive. Prices start from $38,990 through to $59,990 for the manic X-Power model.

Another option would be the GWM Ora, which starts at $39,990 and tops out at $51,990 for the yet-to-arrive GT version. It’s stylish, but not as practical as the others.

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

If you live urban and don’t give much of a hoot about driving dynamics, sure. But for the keen driver there are better choices, even if those alternatives don’t come with the same level of spec offered with the Dolphin.

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