BYD Dolphin review: the sweet spot in Australia's cheap-EV price war

How the BYD Dolphin fits in 2026

Eighteen months ago the Dolphin was the cheapest electric car in Australia — the first new EV here under $30,000 after an early-2025 facelift brought the Essential trim and a $29,990 entry price. In August 2026 it isn’t even the cheapest EV in BYD’s own showroom. The Atto 1 holds the national price floor at $23,990, the Geely EX2 reached showrooms in late July from $26,490, and the GWM Ora ($33,990), MG 4 (from $30,990) and Hyundai Inster (from $39,000) crowd the same bracket. The price war has quietly repositioned the Dolphin: no longer the bargain headline, it now has to argue it’s the most complete small EV under $40,000.

We’ve focused on the Premium ($36,990 list, about $41,000 drive-away depending on state) — it’s the variant CarExpert, CarsGuide and Chasing Cars all tested, and the sweet spot of the two-trim range. For prices and specs across both trims, see the full Dolphin lineup on its model page.

What’s good

Nothing near the price offers more range. The Premium pairs a 60.5 kWh Blade LFP battery with 427 km of WLTP range for $36,990 list. The efficiency behind that number held up in testing: CarsGuide averaged 14.1 kWh/100 km, Chasing Cars saw 14.2 over a week of mixed driving, and CarExpert logged 15.0 — figures that work out to roughly 400 km of genuine mixed-conditions driving. Few EVs at any price track this close to their claim.

The ride is tuned for how the car will actually be used. All three reviews land on the same character: soft, comfortable, city-first. Chasing Cars describes a notably plush tune that soaks up rough urban surfaces; CarsGuide found it settles small bumps without falling apart over big ones, with steering that avoids the artificial weighting common in cheap EVs. And the Premium’s 150 kW/310 Nm motor — 0–100 km/h in 7.0 seconds — means it never feels like the budget option away from the lights.

The ownership case is strong. Vehicle-to-load is standard, both trims get the 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen, and the warranty runs six years/150,000 km on the car and eight years/160,000 km on the battery. A five-star ANCAP rating against the tougher 2023 protocol rounds it out.

What’s not

Driver-assist calibration is the consensus complaint. CarExpert calls the suite half-baked, with adaptive cruise that brakes and surges unpredictably, and CarsGuide likewise found the active-safety systems oversensitive. It’s the one area where the low price shows most.

Charging is 2023 spec in a 2026 market. DC charging peaks at 88 kW — BYD quotes a 30–80 per cent top-up at 29 minutes — where an MG 4 accepts up to 154 kW in Essence 64 form and the Hyundai Inster manages 120 kW. Around town this is irrelevant. On a Hume Highway run, it’s the difference between a coffee stop and a lunch stop.

It’s not the keen driver’s pick, and the packaging has gaps. Chasing Cars found it less agile than the MG 4, and was alone in reporting torque steer under hard throttle; CarsGuide noted the factory Linglong tyres give up early in corners. CarExpert flagged wind noise at highway speed — this is a car happier in town than on the open road. The back seat is tighter than BYD’s own Atto 3, and there are no rear air vents.

Where it lands among rivals

Dolphin vs MG 4. The MG 4 now starts at $30,990 for the front-drive Urban, with the rear-drive Essence 64 at $39,990 the closer match for the Dolphin Premium. The MG is the sharper steer and carries the segment’s longest warranty — 10 years/250,000 km, conditional on dealer servicing. The Dolphin counters with a comfier ride, a nicer cabin and more equipment for less money.

Dolphin vs BYD Atto 1. The Atto 1 covers city duty from $23,990, but 220–310 km of rated range makes it a second-car specialist. The walk up to the Dolphin Premium buys nearly double the range, far stronger performance and a usefully bigger car — worth it if this will be the household’s only EV.

Dolphin vs Geely EX2. The EX2 undercuts the Dolphin Essential by $3,500 at $26,490 with a seven-year warranty, and has only been in showrooms since late July — too new for a settled reviewer verdict. Even the longer-range Inspire ($30,990, 345 km) trails the Dolphin Premium’s 427 km by a wide margin.

Who should buy one

• City-first commuters who want the most rated range available under $40,000.
• Buyers who rate warranty length and LFP battery chemistry above fast-charging speed.
• Households that want V2L for camping or blackout backup without spending Atto 3 money.
• Second-car households whose second car occasionally has to do a regional round trip.

Who should pass

• Keen drivers — the MG 4’s rear-drive chassis is the segment benchmark, and reviewers consistently rank it ahead.
• Regular intercity commuters: wind noise at 110 km/h and 88 kW charging make long hauls a chore.
• Families using the back seat daily — the Atto 3 is roomier and gets rear vents.
• Buyers on the tightest budgets: the Atto 1 and Geely EX2 cover city duty for thousands less.

Verdict

The price war took the Dolphin’s old headline — cheapest EV in Australia — and handed it to smaller, lesser cars. What’s left is a better story. The Premium is the most complete small EV under $40,000: the most rated range, honest real-world efficiency, a comfortable ride, and equipment and warranty cover from a class above. Accept the patchy driver aids and slow DC charging, and this is the budget EV that asks the fewest compromises.