There’ll soon be another battery-electric hot hatch available in Australia – and it will be cheaper than the Cupra Born
BYD Australia has confirmed a performance-focused, limited-edition version of its upcoming BYD Dolphin electric hatchback will come Down Under next year, badged and sold as the 2024 BYD Dolphin Sport and priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs.
Just 1000 examples of the BYD Dolphin Sport will be offered in Australia and despite full specifications not yet being announced, the Chinese brand’s local outfit has already started taking orders for what will be its first hot – or at least warm – hatch.
Decked out with a purposeful body kit, blue 17-inch alloy wheels, ‘sport performance’ tyres and a sports suspension tune, BYD reckons the Dolphin Sport will hit 100km/h in less than seven seconds, which puts the established and more expensive Cupra Born firmly in its crosshairs – not to mention more niche electric hatches like the MINI Cooper SE and inbound Abarth 500e.
Petrol-powered warm and hot hatches like the Hyundai i20 N, Kia Cerato GT and Volkswagen Polo GTI will also be fair game for the Chinese newcomer in terms of outright performance – if not quite budget, given all the aforementioned combustion-powered offerings start from under $40,000.
The various state and federal government EV incentives should help to narrow the gap, however, provided they’re still in place or available by the time the first Sports are delivered locally.
“The BYD Dolphin Sport is an extremely exciting vehicle and… is a tuned version of what we see in front of us [Dolphin Premium],” said BYD Australia CEO Luke Todd at the Dolphin’s reveal last night.
Odds are the Sport will feature the same 150kW/310Nm single-motor drivetrain and 60.48kWh battery as the mid-range Dolphin Premium – which is priced from $44,890 plus on-road costs and is due in either September or October – with the extra performance provided first and foremost by the stickier tyres and sportier suspension tune.
Punters keen on securing themselves more performance but unwilling to wait until an undisclosed date next year for their new electric hatch might be tempted by the cheaper and more readily available BYD Dolphin Premium, since it still combines warm-hatch outputs with a more advanced multi-link rear suspension set-up and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration is 7.0sec flat and may be improved via the fitment of higher-performance tyres once the standard hoops need replacing.
BYD standard issue Dolphin SUV
The Premium’s equipment list largely reads the same as the entry-level Dynamic’s, except for the significantly more potent powertrain, more advanced rear suspension, bigger wheels and two-tone paint scheme.
Highlights therefore include full LED exterior lighting, a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster, rotating 12.8-inch infotainment touch-screen, Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth, sat-nav, six-speaker sound, 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, faux leather upholstery, heated front seats, panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry/start.
The Premium’s bigger battery also ups the Dolphin’s DC fast-charging capabilities from 60kW to 80kW and yields a superior 427km driving range (versus 340km).
How much does the 2023 BYD Dolphin cost?
Dynamic – $38,890
Premium – $44,890
Sport – $49,990
*Prices exclude on-road costs
Keyword: BYD Dolphin Sport hot hatch confirmed for 2024