BYD is preparing to open bookings for its second car in Australia.
The Dolphin will go on sale on June 22, at which point the brand’s dealership says it will be Australia’s “most affordable high-quality electric vehicle of all time”.
When it arrives, it will go up against the GWM Ora hatchback, along with the upcoming MG 4.
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Chinese market dolphin
In China, the Dolphin sells for the equivalent of $25,000 before on-road costs. In Australia, it is expected to cost between $30,000 and $40,000.
The Dolphin rides on BYD’s new 3.0 EV-only platform, with MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear, and disc brakes at each end plus regenerative braking.
All BYD Dolphins in China come with six airbags, ISOFIX anchors, cruise control, remote start, LED headlights, alloy wheels, 12.8-inch rotary touchscreen with voice control, over-the-air updates and vehicle-to-load compatibility.
Only the flagship 130kW grade in China comes with driver assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition – which we expect will be standard in the local car.
When it lands, the Dolphin will sit below the Atto 3 in BYD’s range.
Despite only launching locally late in 2022, the BYD brand has established itself as the electric car leader Down Under. So far in 2023 it has sold 4664 cars, all electric.