When orders open tonight, the 2023 BYD Dolphin hatchback from China is set to become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle. Its deliveries are scheduled to begin before the close of this year.

As recently discussed, BYD's new Dolphin, priced at $38,890 before on-road expenses in its basic Dynamic version, enters the market three days after Chinese competitor MG announced its new MG 4 51kWh electric car's price starting at $38,990. Both vehicles are anticipated in Australian outlets before year-end – the MG in August and the Dolphin between October and December. Once on-road expenses are factored in, these cars are expected to cost around or over $40,000.

The local distributor of BYD vehicles revealed today that the Dolphin's price was firmly set several months back, and the $100 price difference between both vehicles is purely coincidental.

Performance-wise, the entry-level BYD Dolphin Dynamic comes equipped with a 45kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack, offering a 340-kilometre WLTP-rated driving range. The system boasts a total output of 70kW and 180Nm, with an asserted 0-100km/h time of 12.3 seconds in overseas models.

Upgrading to the BYD Dolphin Premium brings in a larger 60.5kWh battery, claiming a 427km driving range. A more potent electric motor elevates output to 150kW and 310Nm, reducing the 0-100km/h dash to 7.0 seconds.

The BYD Dolphin, measuring 4290mm in length, 1770mm in width (with mirrors folded), and 1570mm in height, sits on a 2700mm wheelbase. It boasts 345L of boot space, expandable to 1310L when the rear seats are folded.

Weighing in at 1506kg for the Dynamic and 1658kg for the Premium, the BYD Dolphin is supported by a six-year, 150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.

Orders for the 2023 BYD Dolphin are currently being accepted. The first deliveries of the Dynamic and Premium versions are predicted to start in the third quarter of 2023, while the limited-edition Sport will land on Australian shores in 2024.

2024 BYD Dolphin Pricing (official drive away prices)

2024 BYD Dolphin Dynamic: $39,991（NSW）or $41,331（VIC）

2024 BYD Dolphin Premium: $45,991（NSW）or $47,583（VIC） 

2024 BYD Dolphin Sport: $51,091（NSW）or $52,893（VIC）

Safety

The BYD Dolphin has yet to be assessed by ANCAP.

Standard equipment on all Dolphins includes:

Autonomous emergency braking

Adaptive cruise control

Blind-spot monitoring

Lane-keep assist

Emergency lane-keep assist

Front cross-traffic assist

Rear cross-traffic assist

Traffic sign recognition

Intelligent speed limit assist

Driver fatigue detection

Front, front-side and curtain airbags

Driver’s far-side airbag

Surround-view camera

Front and rear parking sensors

Colour

The Dynamic is available in four colour schemes:

Sand White with Brown/Black interior

Urban Grey with Grey/Black interior

Maldive Purple with Brown/Black interior

Coral Pink with Pink/Grey interior

The Premium comes in four two-tone schemes:

Ski White/Urban Grey with Grey/Black interior

Coral Pink/Urban Grey with Pink/Grey interior

Surf Blue/Urban Grey with Blue/Black interior

Atlantis Grey/Delan Black with Grey/Black interior

The Sport will come only in Matte Grey with a Grey/Black interior.

2023 BYD Dolphin Dynamic standard features includes: 

16-inch alloy wheels

LED headlights

Adaptive Front Light

Panoramic glass roof

Power-folding exterior mirrors

Rear privacy glass

12.8-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system

Wired Apple CarPlay

Satellite navigation

DAB digital radio

Six-speaker sound system

5.0-inch digital instrument cluster

Six-way power driver’s seat

Four-way power passenger’s seat

Leatherette upholstery

Heated front seats

60/40 split/fold rear seats

Keyless entry and start

Wireless phone charger

USB-A x 2 (one front, one rear)

USB-C x 2 (one front, one rear)

2023 BYD Dolphin Premium adds:

17-inch alloy wheels

Multi-link rear suspension

Two-tone paint

2023 BYD Dolphin Sport adds:

Performance tyres

Performance-styled wheels

Sport-styled body kit

“Tuned sports performance”