Eco-friendly cars

BYD Dolphin Essential review

BYD Dolphin Essential

CHOICE Expert Rating

74%
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Good Points

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Bad Points

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Type

Car body
Hatchback
Powertrain
FWD

Test results

CHOICE Expert Rating
74%
Range score
62%
Fast charge score
88%
Running cost score
95%
Battery warranty score
65%
Vehicle efficiency score
90%
Real-world range (km)
255
Real-world efficiency (Wh/km)
142
Cost to run per year
$795.20
Australian fast charge time 20-80% (min)
42

Cost

Price
$29,990.00
NSW on-road costs
$2,029.00
Vic on-road costs
$2,108.00
Qld on-road costs
$1,291.00
ACT on-road costs
$902.00
SA on-road costs
$1,786.00
Tas on-road costs
$1,545.00
WA on-road costs
$2,007.00
NT on-road costs
$669.00

Specifications

Model year
2025
Estimated delivery time
1-2 months
Model warranty (years or km)
6 year/150,000 km
Battery warranty (years or km)
8 year/160,000 km
Number of seats
5
Number of doors
4
Range WLTP (km)
340
Claimed efficiency (Wh/km)
176
Total battery capacity (kWh)
46
Usable battery capacity (kWh)
44.9
Charge power (kW)
7
AC charge times 10-100% (hours)
8
Fast charge time 10-80% (min)
40
Braked towing capacity (kg)
No Towing
Unbraked towing capacity (kg)
No Towing
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
Not Available
Vehicle-to-home (V2H)
Not Available
Vehicle-to-load (V2L)
ANCAP rating
Not Tested
Top speed (km/h)
150
Acceleration 0-100 (km/h, sec)
12
Torque (Nm)
180
Power (kW)
70
Length (mm)
4290
Width (mm)
1770
Height (mm)
1570
Cargo volume with seats up (L)
345
Cargo volume with seats down (L)
1310
Kerb weight (kg)
1650
Gross vehicle mass (kg)
Not Available
Ground clearance (mm)
120
Privacy rating
N/A
Country of origin
China

Features

NSW subsidy eligible
Vic subsidy eligible
Qld subsidy eligible
ACT subsidy eligible
SA subsidy eligible
Tas subsidy eligible
WA subsidy eligible
NT subsidy eligible
Australian release forecast 2026
8300
Australian release forecast 2027
8300

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