New Highlights

1. The first model of BYD Ocean series, and also the first car under BYD e-platform 3.0.
2. The first mass-produced model to use BYD’s new logo.
3. The design of the car, from exterior to interior elements, details, and color matching, largely imitates the design of “dolphins”.
4. Equipped with a high-efficiency heat pump system for high-temperature areas, with working conditions extending to -30-40°C, and a 20% increase in winter range.
5. Equipped with a deeply integrated eight-in-one electric drive assembly, with a significant improvement in efficiency.

A Brief Review of the Models

In terms of exterior design, the new car adopts the aesthetic language of “marine aesthetics”. The roof resembles the back of a dolphin leaping out of water, the headlights are like the eyes of a dolphin, and the waistline embodies the sense of speed of a dolphin sprinting.

The new car also adopts a dual-tone design and offers 7 colors: Beige Grey, Doot White, Flash Blue, Sasa Green, Honey Orange, Pou Pou Pink, and Surfing Blue. However, not every configuration has the same selection opportunity. Specifically, the low-end dynamic version and the second-lowest-end free version only offer three different car paint choices, namely Doot White + Sasa Green, Doot White + Honey Orange, and Doot White + Flash Blue. The second-top-level fashion version adds the option of Pou Pou Pink car paint, which means it has 4 car paint options. The top-level Knight version adds Surfing Blue, making it 5 different car paint options, each of which has the chance to be chosen.

The tail section of the BYD Dolphin features LED taillights that resemble the geometric posture of a dolphin jumping out of the sea. When illuminated, they create a unique and distinct effect. The exterior of the BYD Dolphin offers various design options, with different packages resulting in varying car lengths. The new car measures 4070/4125/4150 * 1770 * 1570 mm in length, width, and height, respectively, with a wheelbase of 2700mm.

Inside, the new car is equipped with a full LCD instrument panel that features a minimalist digital design. The multimedia screen in the center combines air conditioning, vehicle settings, and multimedia functions. It’s equipped with the DiLink 3.0 car system and features a new UI design.

In terms of power, the BYD Dolphin is powered by a deeply integrated eight-in-one electric drive assembly that offers users two power options. Besides the Knight version that comes equipped with a 130 kW/290 Nm motor, the other three models feature a 70kW motor with a maximum torque of 180 Nm. The new car offers two battery capacities: one capable of storing 30.7 kWh of electricity and the other 44.9 kWh.

As for NEDC’s cruising range, the vitality version’s smaller battery capacity results in a range of only 301 kilometers. In contrast, the free version and fashion version come equipped with relatively larger capacity batteries that offer a cruising range of up to 405 km. The top-of-the-line model featuring a higher-power electric motor offers a range of 401 kilometers according to MIIT.

The BYD Dolphin’s four different models mainly differ in their driving assistance equipment and DiLink smart network systems. The lower-end models have fewer features such as panoramic sunroofs, automatic headlights, and 360-degree cameras. These had to be sacrificed due to cost limitations.

Recommended model: Vitality Edition

Official guidance price: 93,800 yuan

Rating: ★★★
For an affordable sedan, the basic model with a price tag of less than 100,000 yuan these configurations can be considered average and can generally keep up with some mainstream configurations of most vehicles. Budget-conscious consumers can consider this version, as it is rare to see features such as the Hicar-equipped DiLink Lite 10.1-inch rotating floating pad on cars of the same level, not to mention the highly competitive Honda Fit.

But the premise is that you don’t mind its NEDC range of only 301 km, and it is also a “traditional” vehicle system without an intelligent language interaction system.

Recommended Model: Freedom Edition

Official Guide Price: 103,800 RMB

Recommendation Index: ★★★★

The Freedom Edition is 10,000 RMB more expensive than the entry-level model and you can see where the money went in the above picture. At the same time, the range has also increased to 405 km, which means that the shortcomings of the entry-level model have been made up for.

Overall, the technology configuration is more abundant and the number of airbags has reached the level of the top-of-the-line model. The larger battery pack also gives the automatic version of the vehicle a good range performance. For cost-effective reasons, the editor prefers the Freedom Edition.

Recommended Model: Fashion Edition

Official Guide Price: 108,800 RMB

Recommendation Index: ★★

The second-highest Fashion Edition is 5,000 RMB more expensive than the Freedom Edition. The most obvious addition is a non-opening panoramic sunroof on the roof. Relatively speaking, in the case of the same range and power performance as the Freedom Edition, the configuration of the fashion edition has only increased the optional appearance and some comfort configurations. Although the price is not much higher than that of the Freedom Edition, the overall cost-effectiveness is not as good.

Recommended Model: Knight Edition

Official Guide Price: 121,800 RMB

Recommendation Index: ★★★★

The price difference of the Knight Edition is mainly reflected in the driving assistance equipment, such as lane departure warning, lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking systems. At the same time, the maximum power of the electric vehicle has also increased to 130 kW, and the maximum torque has increased to 290 Nm.

In short, the Knight Edition has stronger power and more comprehensive configurations. Judging from the current order situation, the top Knight Edition has become the choice of most consumers.Summary: From the perspective of the vehicle models we usually encounter, the BYD Dolphin provides different levels of satisfaction for consumers in terms of configuration, and its overall power performance is consistent with its price. The price difference of 9.38-12.18 million yuan does not show a high degree of selectivity difficulty. Of course, from the perspective of a commuting car, all four models can meet the daily commuting needs, but considering practicality and cost-effectiveness, the Freedom Edition is more worth buying.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.