BYD Dolphin 2024 Australian Review | A Cheap EV: Should You Buy or Pass? | Drive.com.au
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A city-friendly electric car with a big driving range and low asking price will appeal to many Australian urbanites. We crunch the details on the latest electric car to arrive in Australia.
00:00 BYD Dolphin
00:47 Pricing & Specifications
03:07 Interior
08:49 Baby Seat
09:41 2nd Row
11:11 Boot
12:33 Charging & Range
13:14 On-road Driving
17:40 Safety
18:05 Summary
#Dolphin #BYDdolphin #affordableEV
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I have driven an Atto 3 since October 2022. Very happy with my choice with no issues
I might be the only person who thinks the dolphin looks nice and cute
Yes, it is a very attractive/appealing car. We love ours ❤
Agreed, it's a handsome little car. I prefer it over the Atto 3.
You didn’t mention the voice assistant. To me that was one of the ways to bypass clunky menus and touch screen distractions. We bought the Ora and I was disappointed the Australian spec didn’t come with the voice assistant (the one I test drove in the UK did and it was great).
Bought a 2023 Corolla hybrid (ZR) in Jan, just sold it. Realised the complexities of having two drive systems (petrol and electric) means twice the maintenance of a single drive system. Was a nice car, but I also realise it will lose significant value as more electrics like this and the BYD Dolphin enters the market…. 5 years from now, the Corolla will not hold value when we are getting $30k electrics that only use $20/week in electricity costs (Corolla was still $40-$45 per fill) I’d recommend avoiding the hybrids and considering either an electric, or holding your existing car for another 2 years. The market is about to change significantly.
Hope you are right, currently holding out for a cheap EV something like the BYD Seagull if it comes to Australia would be great.
Can’t believe someone bought one! Toyota want ridiculous money for their cars and they all suck to drive
interesting your opinion, however while I am not a Toyota fan, especially the Corrolla we have just spent a half day in a KONA Hybrid, after waiting for the full EV., which is not released yet. Very impressed with the Premium. But can we buy one, NO as the waiting list is 6-9 months. 😢😢😢😢 last time we bought a Hyundai EVERY colour and variant were at the main dealers, and there were discounts. When are we going back to being a buyers market.
We picked our Dolphin up a week ago. The same model Premium reviewed here but in Pink for my wife. Pretty much agree with the review completely. Only things I’d say is I’d call it a CUV, it’s longer, wider and taller than a Mazda CX-3 with far more back seat space so I think that makes it a crossover. Around town it’s brilliant and the combination of LFP battery and better interior comforts made it our pick over the MG4. With the FBT exemption it’s also very cheap
I think you Made the Right Decision
I though MG4 was also LFP battery in the standard range. Essence is the other type though.
Hi is second row cool enough in sunny australian weather?
@@renbangbprd7236 I’m in Melbourne so I can’t comment, sorry
@@jcollishaw Ohh, I see
Very interesting battle in Aust between this car vs MG4. Comfort vs Driver's car. In China the BYD Dolphin out sales the MG4 more than 30:1
I like the BYD Dolphine better than the MG4
I’m in the market for an EV, and I found this review very balanced and helpful. Thanks.
Jumped in one at chadstone. Was very impressed
The Atto 3 has a much more handsome "face" but I do like the interior of the Dolphin over the Atto. Their first attempt for the western market just looks too goofy inside for my tastes. But at the end of the day I chose the MG4 over this because a) it was available first b) The MG4 has much better styling than either BYD and c) the MG4 looked to be the better on road performer of the two which does seem to be the case.
With tyres, mine in the uk were replaced to hankook as the linglongs were awful! I love my dolphin and prefer it over my old mg4 Kia Niro and cupra born. Oh and the 60 on the trip has achieved 6.4 seconds with the better tyres
Thats a big difference for acceleration. I thought the better tyres would just affect handling in both dry and wet conditions.
@@androidone4808 nope the old ones even spin up in eco mode.
The SD card slot isn't for maps as you mentioned, you can play load music & videos from an inserted card. Unlike the chinese version, if the Dolphin came with the outward facing dashcam (you can purchase the camera module and fit it as the cable is already there) it records to the card if you had one inserted.
I remember car has a 360 degree cameras perhaps has recording too? There's pseudo 360 degree view of car while driving including underneath the car as well There are those cameras build in, it should IMHO to have recording capability otherwise it's a waste
Thanks for the tip, thinking about maps was presumptuous of me - Sam
@@james_l4337 I think only the front camera has recording.
@james_l4337 The 360 degrees is great but it does not record. You can fit the dashcam module that's in the chinese model (I have), but it's only forward facing
@@TeslaARM Thank you for the info. Australia dolphin seller website does not have option of cam installed, so I guess it will be own dashcam module purchase... Or hopefully there be cam module seller & fitter for dolphin and/or instructions for the install. Thank you for letting me know. Tesla excel in this surrounding safety feature, that's a clear win in this area for Tesla unfortunately there's no model 2 hatch with safe LFP yet.
Just test drove one of these and came back very impressed. You do get a lot of car for your money in the premium version, it really does feel like a top of the range hot hatch
Missed a big one the battery on this vehicle prefers to be fully charged. While the mg4s prefer to be changed to 80 percent and let's be honest your buying a battery that operates as a car!
The base model MG4 'Excite' has a 51kwh LFP battery which can safely be charged to 100% repeatedly. But they use NMC batteries for variants with larger batteries (64 & 77kwh), and they are best only charged to 80% capacity...and yeah 80% of 64kwh is 51kwh, so why bother with the larger battery?
@@taswegian62you can charge to 100% when you need to
@@Visbalalam Correct but they will wear out quicker. BYD blade battery tech is superior to NMC.
I can see the Dolphin crushing it in Fleet sales.
Looks to be pretty good. Probably compares more with the MG4 Essence grade than the excite.
very good vid! congrats from Brazil
Glad you liked it!
Love the glasses, what brand are they?
Good review, thank you.
I have been driving my Atto 3 for more than a year, heated seats and AC have been controlled via voice commands all the time.
Have you done any long trips at HWY speeds like 100 kmph or there about? How was the actual driving range?
@@frazergeno4557 Not really, it is mainly used for commute, 70 km a day with about 30 km on M2 and M7. Drove to and from Newcastle once, about 250 km on M1, went from 100% to 45%.
@@frazergeno4557100kmph should be fine, >110kmph is when it started eating the range, no EV is safe from thes
The saddest thing is that I bought it for 40k in Sydney but my high school mate bought it for RMB 110k which is about 23k in Aussie dollars.
Chinese models have a smaller size and with generally worse specs. why should you be sad ? in UK they are paying $A60k for the premium versions.
That's normal, bro, because shipping + insurance is expensive, plus import taxes and dealer profits and so on
Are you sad you have a higher paying salary in Australia? No point comparing different countries tbh
It’s actually not a ‘cheap EV’ but a fair priced EV. Australia’s EV prices are way inflated to the world’s largest and most competitive EV market there in China. Get the perspective right or be stuck at the bottom of a well.
How many large suitcases could u fit in the boot with shelf and false bottom removed?
Great review , this car v mg4 64kw would be a Great comparison , for me , the Blade battery the X factor
Does it come with beige color interior? Because i really dont like black interior.
Thanks for this. Pretty well captured the essentials with this balanced review. I felt a bit too snug in the front seats of the Dolphin and ended up buying an ORA despite a few missing features. However, I expect to see both the Dolphin and the MG EV4 competing for sales leadership in the smaller EV market segment.
This part of the segment is really interesting, with three great offerings so far - Sam
My choose was the opposite. I bought the Dolphin because it fits more my needs than the Ora or the MG4. After 7,000 km (in Thailand), I am very happy with my decision.
Interesting. Thank you for sharing. Hope it is going well.
@ 2:48, I do not believe that there is heated rear outboard seats. I have never heard anyone referring to them and more importantly, the BYD literature does not indicate so. Heated front seats only. The car is VERY well specced. I wonder why it has wireless Android Auto but not Wireless Apple CarPlay?
How much does it cost for the electricity?
lack of buttons..... not sure if you ever said that on a tesla
How about using this car for uberx??
So the 345 litres boot space is when false floor is placed or when false floor is removed? If it's when removed, how much boot space when false floor is placed?
345l with the false floor removed. With the false floor in place, I remove the parcel shelf to make it usable. I havent used the parcel shelf at all recently and the full boot feels bigger than my old jazz, especially deeper.
@@jim8149 I see thanks mate. May I know, is second row comfortable enough when driving in very sunny weather?
@@renbangbprd7236 I haven't sat in the back much myself but my baby and dog occupy the back seats usually. They don't seen to complain when the aircon is on the usual 22C and its 30C+ outside. We added 3M Ceramic glass film all around and that certainly helps even more. The lack of a vent in the back is disappointing but I have thought of placing a USB fan in the back cup holder. The USB connectors are conveniently placed just below it.
@@jim8149 Ohh I see, such a nice hacks to place USB fan hahaha
I like BYD
BYD is the world's second largest battery company, followed by CATL, also from China. They mainly supply batteries for mobile phones, computers, and cars. Tesla also uses BYD and CATL batteries.
Not true. Which Tesla vehicle uses BYD battery? Show me your source of info.
@@yangye8260 That's the truth，you even don't wanna google it.
@@yangye8260google it and you will find many trusted news…
@@yangye8260 Hes 100% correct. A simple google will give you pages of source info. Some Teslas models use BYD.
@@yangye8260I googled and found model Y is using batteries from byd. Google is not hard😂😂😂
Can you do the seal as well please.
Seal is set to arrive in Australia very soon, and we'll have a review just as soon as we can.
BYD LFP batteries LFP is the only important factors vs her competitors Safety at least best battery chemistry at present other than Sodium battery
Have you learned BYD store caught fire in Dec 2023? Check the video. BYD battery is far from safe. kzhead.info/sun/qddmda1vn2Ohe4E/bejne.htmlsi=uWkEvwg-R3A-IlQu
How vulnerable is the battery pack to damage from underneath? Does the battery pack need to be replaced after a minor traffic accident out of concern for shock damage? How does a replacement battery pack cost?
Hi, We have the MG4 here and I've seen it in the flesh, Its not a bad car, I like it. Have not got the chance to drive one yet, however for now in my country its just too expensive, the BYD, I have not seen here yet, would be very nice if BYD could consider selling it here in SEZ, suffice to say I like that also and I think should BYD decide to open a dealership here and price it competitively here perhaps make it more affordable than the MG4, it could work here and perhaps I may even sell my existing Honda fit 2016 hybrid for a BYD Dolphin, Don't get me wrong though I love my Honda, Its still a good car but I wouldn't mind switching it with a efficient electric vehicle. We don't have cold weather here also so it's a good compromise at least in my opinion.
BYD all the way
It’s perfect
Ill take the dolphin interior and the mg4 exterior thanks
Same. MG4 interior is a little uninspired but exterior is so much better than the dolphin.
Most of the time youre looking at the interior while driving so i guess choose the better interior one XD
I do like the MG4 exterior but I went to see it and I couldn't live with that poor quality bland interior every time I got in. The screen is slow and woeful like an old Nokia phone. The BYD exterior isnt exciting but I can live with it. The interior is another level. My cash went to BYD. Zero regrets
Very impressive, though at that price with the massive glass roof, the hot Aussie sun will play havoc on rear seat passengers without air vents!
I have seen people close it in another video so am assuming there's a button to press?
that's what I thought.
There's a function call 'climate control'
I drive one in Malaysia, the original tint from the factory did a good job I didnt feel any heat from the sunroof after closing the shade. Maybe Australia summer is hotter and the sunlight in stronger then Im not sure
I drive one in Thailand. Didnt notice any heat with the shade closed and certainly nothing now that I have added a 3M window tint all round.
Sold me when you said no guitar strings
The 44k AUD mid range model is perfect. I hope someone does a comparison with Toyota corolla top range. The interior space, technology, and long term cost comparison will be very insightful.
I’m not a fan of panoramic glass roofs. Otherwise it would make a decent commuter hack…
Are EV safe since there's much reports about explosion and EV catch fire without notice while parked?
The base model power is ‘a little bit less’ that the higher spec! Good grief, it’s half the kW……….
It is a question of price. For a small car it is overpriced compared to ICE alternatives which run on the smell of an oily rag.
Wonder why they give you that seat belt cutter and window puncher for free... a weird just in case appliance to have... unless for some unknown reason...
I didnt get those with mine in Thailand. But usually weird stuff is driven by future nanny state safety ratings requirements in he west.
Battery will only drop 3% after 80k so not sure where you are getting that info
We actually don't know do we....
@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834 I suggest you check out the relevant byd info.... They are not new to the battery market 😂
Hows the software? Being an EV, the software should not be buggy like the MG4 software. Thats probably why its a cheaper EV.
I would definitely prefer this dolphin however with that silly panorama roof its just not made for Australian conditions
It has a blind as well.
It comes originally tinted and has an automated shade
Byd car glass roofs contain silver particles to reflect the heat of sunlight
Byd dolphine voice control
Its 0 to 100km speed is closer to 7 seconds as it has the same motor and battery in this tested BYD Dolphin as the BYD Atto 3 but weighs less than the BYD Atto 3. The rear seats are not heated, unfortunately, on the front driver and passenger seats.
heated rear seats... even my AMG doesn't have that
My dolphin has been launched in sport mode 5 times and every time hitting 6.4 on cold UK roads. Really impressed, that's with hankook tyres
Affordable EVs
If we do buy loads of Chinese EVs it will send a big punishing message to the European, American, and Japanese car makers for neglecting us and using Australia as a dumping ground for their worst cars.
I miss the manual controls for the more common uses like the A/C, radio.., don't like looking to a display and touching an screen while driving. I think the modern cars are un the wrong way in that regard. It's ok to have it to check the maps and other apps, but not for the basic funtionality. Looks very interesting this car. The chinese car companies are going to destroy the european ones. Wanting to buy one EV, but maybe it would be nice to wait 2 or 3 years more so the market will be more mature.
I hate touching the screen to adjust stuff when driving too. But took me a moment to discover " Hey BYD, turn down the temperature by 1 degree" 😁. Radio/Music controls are on the steering wheel like old cars.
What's the estimated resale in 5 years 😂
I should go and test one then I could make a valid comment.
It's definitely worth a test drive - Sam
We can have HK market have registered for China electrical cars selling outside China.
I thought these China caes were affordable? Thats close to $30k in US dollars
Because you are poor😂
I almost brought one. But I just hear so many problems with spare parts and like Tesla long waits if something goes wrong or an accident. Nah I will keep my 5 year old 40kwh Nissan Leaf that I owe nothing on. Maybe in a few years I may look again after the Chinese EV prove themselves.
How is the driving range holding up on the Leaf? - Sam
@@Drivecomau My first 2014 Leaf had 92% health at 26000km when I got it in 2016 so lost 8% in 2 years. I abused that poor Leaf by charging it to 100% almost every single night and driving it to less than 10% most days due to its very small 21kwh usable battery capacity (when new) After 9 years and 140,000km it was on 73% battery health, until a wrote it off in an accident lol. My current replacement 40kwh 2018 is sitting on 88% battery health which is about average for its age. Some EV I know have lost very little range, but I have always and still do believe it's hidden in the top and bottom buffer, especially Tesla with its over the air updates. I remember many previous Tesla's with locked capacity 90kwh battery locked to 75kwh or others where they increased the range by paying a fee. So its very possible to release some of that buffer to hide some degradation. I have no proof. Other brands could have that built into the BMS to also slowly release the buffer. However the Leaf does not cheat it just ages with dignity lol
@@Drivecomau Actually my wife is Thai and she follows the news in Thailand and some stories of Chinese EV are scary! The BYD Atto 3 costs 1.2 million baht but some have had to have battery replacements either though faulty batteries or accidents, but many times the car is just written off due to the battery replacement costing 800,000 baht! There was a recent case of a rat that chewed through the plastic battery casing, and like any modern battery they will not risk repairing the battery even if it's just tiny damage due to the higher risk of fire, so an Atto 3 with minor cosmetic damage that may cost at most a few thousand dollars is written off if the battery is damaged in any way! If you look at the UK EV are getting very expensive or impossible to insure due to that reason.
@@gregb1599Don't you worry. BYD can't build them fast enough to satisfy Aussie hunger for BYDs. Meanwhile Nissan will soon go belly up. You may need to get your spare parts from the wreckers.
@@nostradamus2642 Oh your another one of those nuts! BYD is only just profitable and from the sale of their Phev. Sales in China are already dropping off the cliff, Australia is a tiny market for BYD.
When you say cheap it’s still $40k so that’s not cheap in my view.
It hurts me by just seeing your phone screen
attract all the baddies
40k and you get linglongs! 😮 So immediately budget $800 for Michelins or Continentals.
Dolphin 2.0 ...need a full size spare wheel...better brand tyres...need rear air vents..2 rear usb ports...faster charging...bigger rear window...buttons/dials for radio and aircon....a frunk to store the charging cables...offer a non sunroof option...cheaper servicing costs...15 cm taller..15cm wider and 15cm longer.....higher ground clearance...550km real world range and A$5000 cheaper.
So a different car.
Pass. Pass. Pass. $45k is cheap is it? You have to be joking
Tombstone seats, still a very high price for a small hatch, tiny boot, no armrest console, no rear air vents, no spare tyre, fast charge speeds are ok but could be better, poor tyres, terrible distribution arrangement in Australia with one of the worst new warranties and stupidly expensive servicing for an EV. BYD will need to ditch AP Eagers distribution and to sharpen their pencil on pricing for me to buy this over an i30 hatch.
You successfully ignored all its great advantages😂😂
Wow! it's comparing an apple to a tomato
@@aq3614 I'm fully aware of it's advantages, such as not having to pay for fuel, instant torque and drivability, if you recharge at home and have solar its CO2 footprint is much better than ICE. It starts to unravel for me when I look at the downsides, especially at the very high service costs and insurance that seriously erode fuel savings. For me the negatives outweigh the positives, but your mileage may vary.
@@passby8070 No it's not, it's comparing what I value in a vehicle, and it comes up short... for me. If you love it, that's great.
Seats are comfy, 99% of cars have no spare wheel. There is an arm rest, boot a good size for it's class, air con is excellent so no need for rear vents, tyres are replaced in the UK with hankook (mine were) it's a really good car compared to my old cupra born, Niro and mg4 .
Build your nightmares
40g? that's not cheap... give me 25 and i'll think about it,,, electric wang...
Pass !
LC500 would be tough to give up... - Sam
@@Drivecomau true
"very cheap" $45K what planet do you live on?
Comparatively to other EV's and Hybrids it is.... but it's still not the cheapest car ofc
It’s also much less car.
Not gonna argue at that. I also think its over priced. But it is unfortunately Australia's cheapest EV. In China they sell for $20k AUD ;0
a used JDM NISSAN LEAF second generation is much cheaper and better in every way than this
Cheap and not cheerful
China vs China vs China... but there are more than 20 car manufacturers in China working on EVs... and seriously, other than the price, there are not many bright points...
Would rather buy a hybrid corolla over this
Each to their own, cost of fuel and servicing in the Corolla is not worth it to me.
have a test in the KONA hybrid, you will be impressed imo.
The Dolphin is streets ahead of the Corolla in every respect…
Go on Australia, buy BYD & help the Chinese government build a bigger & better sonar
Another CIA troll
@@johnbgood3488 another -wumao- CCPchowchow
@@johnbgood3488 be original & try FBI or MI5 next time CCPchowchow 🥱
@@johnbgood3488 stop learning English from bad CCP movies, cringy😵💫
don't talk crap...Let's keep politics out of this, its just a bloody car that's all. One buys/leases and drive it. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.
such an ugly car.. why would anyone buy this?
Thats one ugly hatchback, and such a cringy name for a car. Also no electric car review talk about the battery replacement price after the warranty runs out, the battery life after 3 or 5 years etc. I would hate the range of my car to be only 80% after 5 years of driving. Does not happen with my petrol car.
In most cases, in LFP based EVs, the battery will last the life of the car and degradation is minimal, plenty of data supporting this online.
At first, I quiet liked the look of the Dolphin, depends on what you are comparing it to? Personally, the name doesn't bother me. BYD blade battery is very good can fully charge and discharge, as other person said should last the life of the car. Price is high compared to China, servicing intervals makes it costly to maintain, another minus.
@@trythis2821servicing intervals are once every year and range from $190 to $450 odd each year. To me this sounds cheap.
"Does not happen with my petrol car" LOL, it does. Petroleum cars' gas mileage decreases over time due to the wear and tear on the engine parts.
Battery life only 3 to 5 years ? A battery under 70% of usable charge in the first 8 years or 160km is deemed replaceable under warranty. BTW the range on every petrol car I have ever owned has dropped as it got older. Usually about 20-30% loss after 8 years of 20k a year driving.