Tesla Malaysia has recently shaken up the sub-RM300K EV segment with the Model Y and now BYD is doing the same for the sub-RM150K category with its new Dolphin EV. The BYD Dolphin is currently the best value for money entry-level EV which starts from just RM100,000. But is the Dolphin cheap and cheerful or just cheap and nasty? Amin and Alex discuss on this episode of Let’s Talk About.
To recap, the BYD Dolphin comes in two variants in Malaysia and here’s the on-the-road (OTR) pricing without insurance:
- BYD Dolphin Dynamic Standard – RM100,530
- BYD Dolphin Premium Extended – RM125,530
With a starting price of just slightly over the RM100,000 mark, the Dolphin is priced slightly above MITI’s minimum RM100,000 threshold for the importation of fully imported electric vehicles into Malaysia.
The biggest mechanical difference between the two Dolphins is the motor output, battery and rear suspension. The Dynamic Standard gets a 70kW (94hp) and 180Nm front motor which has a rated 0-100km/h acceleration of 12.3 seconds. Meanwhile, the Premium Extended gets a significantly more powerful 150kW (201hp) and 310Nm front motor which does the century sprint in just 7.0 seconds.
In terms of range, the standard model gets a 44.9kWh BYD Blade Battery that offers a claimed WLTP-rated range of 340km. Meanwhile, the extended version gets a larger 60.48kWh BYD Blade Battery which has a rated WLTP range of 427km. Both models support AC 7kW charging and DC fast charging up to 60kW for the standard and up to 80kW for the extended version. According to BYD, 30-80% DC fast charging can be done in 30 minutes for the extended, while the standard model takes slightly longer in 40 minutes.
You can learn more about the differences between the Dynamic Standard and Premium Extended here.
Regardless of which BYD Dolphin model you pick, both are equipped with the same safety features and advanced driver assistance systems including six airbags, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go traffic support, lane keeping and centering assist and also rear cross-traffic alert and braking. Both also get a 12.8″ infotainment screen which can rotate from landscape to portrait, and it also supports wired Apple Car Play.
In case you missed it, you can check out our first drive impressions of the BYD Dolphin Dynamic Standard. For a quick recap on the BYD Dolphin specs and pricing in Malaysia, you can watch our video below:
Related reading
- Tesla Model Y Malaysia: EV game-changer or is it just hype? | Let’s Talk About #124
- Kia Niro EV: Is this RM256K electric SUV worth it? | Let’s Talk About #123
- Neta V: Should you spend RM100K for the cheapest EV in Malaysia? | Let’s Talk About #121
- BYD Dolphin Dynamic Standard First Drive: This RM100K EV ticks all the right boxes
