2023 BYD Dolphin launched in Malaysia – up to 490 km EV range, 204 PS; AEB, ACC standard; from RM99,900

2023 BYD Dolphin launched in Malaysia – up to 490 km EV range, 204 PS; AEB, ACC standard; from RM99,900

BYD’s second electric vehicle (EV) to be introduced in Malaysia is the Dolphin, which is making its launch debut today to join the Atto 3 that went on sale here last December. The first of BYD’s Ocean series is being offered in two variants, with the Dynamic Standard Range being the base option carrying a recommended retail price of RM99,900.

This is followed by the Premium Extended Range that goes for RM124,900. Keep in mind that these prices do not include on-the-road (OTR) fees, so if you add them in, the Dynamic Standard Range’s OTR price without insurance is RM100,530, while the Premium Extended Range is RM125,530. The Dolphin is fully imported (CBU) from China and benefits from the ongoing EV incentives (exemption of import duty, excise duty and road tax) provided by the government until the end of 2025.

With an effective starting price of RM100,530, the Dolphin is the second cheapest EV you can buy in Malaysia after the Neta V that goes for RM99,800. Each Dolphin comes with a six-year, 150,000-km factory warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years/160,000 km. There’s also another separate warranty for the drive unit of eight years/150,000 km for the motor, motor controller, DC assembly and electric control assembly.

On that mention, both variants of the Dolphin are equipped with a Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and an electric motor driving the front wheels. With the Dynamic Standard Range, the battery energy capacity is 44.92 kWh, which is good for a range of 410 km following the NEDC standard (340 km WLTP).

2023 BYD Dolphin launched in Malaysia – up to 490 km EV range, 204 PS; AEB, ACC standard; from RM99,900

Meanwhile, the Premium Extended Range offers a NEDC-rated range of 490 km (427 km WLTP) thanks to an increased battery capacity of 60.48 kWh. The range-topper also has higher outputs, with its electric motor rated at 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque for a 0-100 km/h time of seven seconds. Go with the Dynamic Standard Range and you’ll have 95 PS (94 hp or 70 kW) and 180 Nm at your disposal, along with a century sprint time of 12.3 seconds.

Besides the more powerful electric motor, the Premium Extended Range also has a higher maximum DC fast charging (CCS2) capacity of 80 kW, By comparison, the Dynamic Standard can handle up to 60 kW. Both variants carry the same onboard AC charger (Type 2) that supports a maximum input of 7 kW. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is another feature that the Dolphin gets as standard, allowing owners to power appliances or other electrical items, so long as it doesn’t exceed the max output of 3.2 kW.

In terms of size, the Dolphin is smaller than the Atto 3, measuring in at 4,290 mm long, 1,770 mm wide, 1,570 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm. That makes it about the size of Honda City Hatchback, which is 4,345 mm long and 1,748 mm wide, although the EV is noticeably taller by 82 mm and its e-Platform 3.0 dedicated EV underpinnings means its wheelbase is 100 mm up on the Honda hatchback. Boot space is 345 litres, expendable to 1,310 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats down.

As for equipment, both variants come with automatic LED headlamps with High Beam Assist, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, electrically heated and adjustable side mirrors, keyless entry and start (with card key), automatic air-conditioning with a PM2.5 air filter, a five-inch digital instrument cluster, synthetic leather upholstery, a 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system, wired Apple CarPlay support, navigation, six speakers and an electronic parking brake.

2023 BYD Dolphin launched in Malaysia – up to 490 km EV range, 204 PS; AEB, ACC standard; from RM99,900

The Premium Extended Range gets more goodies for the RM25,000 premium commanded over the Dynamic Standard Range, with features like a panoramic glass roof, a wireless phone charger, powered front seats with ventilation function, rear LED reading lights and one-touch up-down for all windows being its exclusives.

It also sports larger 17-inch alloy wheels (with 205/50 profile tyres) compared to the base option’s 16-inch units (with 195/60 profile tyres). The chassis is paired with front MacPherson struts, with the range-topper fitted with a rear multi-link setup, while the base variant has a torsion beam.

Even if you have no need for the range-topper’s extras, the two Dolphin variants are nearly identical when it comes to safety and driver assistance kit. Both are equipped with six airbags (front, side and curtain), a tyre pressure monitoring system, the usual array of passive systems (ABS, ESC, traction control, EBD), parking sensors (two front, three rear), 360-degree camera and door open warning.

More impressive is the inclusion of autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping support, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with braking support, lane departure prevention, emergency lane keeping assist, predictive collision warning, rear collision warning and lane change collision warning.

The Dynamic Standard Range is available in Urban Grey with a grey/black interior or Sand White with a brown/black interior. The Premium Extended Range only comes with two-tone exterior finishes: Atlantis Grey/Delan Black roof with grey/black interior, Surf Blue/Urban Grey roof with blue/black interior, and Ski White/Urban Grey roof with grey/black interior.

So, what are your thoughts on the newly launched BYD Dolphin? Are you impressed by what you get for the money? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the BYD Dolphin’s specifications:

Dimensions

  • Length: 4,290 mm
  • Width: 1,770 mm
  • Height: 1,570 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2,700
  • Boot space: 345 litres, expandable to 1,310 litres
  • Ground clearance: 130 mm

Dynamic Standard Range – RM100,530 OTR without insurance

  • Battery: 44.92 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate
  • Range: 410 km NEDC, 340 km WLTP
  • Drivetrain: FWD single motor
  • Power: 95 PS (94 hp or 70 kW)
  • Torque: 180 Nm
  • AC charging max input: 7 kW, Type 2
  • DC fast charging max input: 60 kW, CCS2

Premium Extended Range – RM125,530 OTR without insurance

  • Battery: 60.48 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate
  • Range: 490 km NEDC, 427 km WLTP
  • Drivetrain: FWD single motor
  • Power: 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW
  • Torque: 310 Nm
  • AC charging max input: 7 kW, Type 2
  • DC fast charging max input: 80 kW, CCS2

2023 BYD Dolphin Malaysian price list and spec sheet; click to enlarge

GALLERY: 2023 BYD Dolphin Premium Extended Range

GALLERY: 2023 BYD Dolphin Dynamic Standard Range

GALLERY: 2023 BYD Dolphin official photos

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

  • Better than WRV & HRV

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 278 Thumb down 13
    • Recycle Bin Empty on Jul 27, 2023 at 11:31 am

      More spacious than new Eljah, packed with safety features, way less mechanical parts wear and tear issue, most importantly no carbon monoxide thanks to pm2 5 activ

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 240 Thumb down 3
      • Wahyu on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:01 pm

        Is this a dugong a dolphin? Civic lagi cantik

        Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 221 Thumb down 85
        • Angry Voters on Jul 27, 2023 at 7:36 pm

          Inb4 Moodin time siap tutup parlimen. Rakyat syukurr PN pas awal-awal da jatuhh.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 16
          • In your dreams. People were already fed up on PN due to emergency declaration for staying power for PN politicians but don’t care people who are suffering, making suffering people to buy all sorts of goods which PN politicians don’t care, PN politicians only cares mercedes but don’t care other brands, PN also against royalty, PN also didn’t do much developments and PN also didn’t care about poor, middle and also somehow don’t care on rich too.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 16
        • Byd seal lagi cantik dari civic of you were to compare everything with civic

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
    • But uglier than City Hatchback lar

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 77
      • VGA Golf on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:39 pm

        BSM, RCTA, full digital meter and 360 cam all missing for city hatch

        Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 68 Thumb down 2
    • Loklak on Jul 27, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      Why?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 4
    • Fake News on Jul 27, 2023 at 4:54 pm

      Someone was saying cannot sell below RM 100k so in his logic RM 99,900 is higher than 100k lar or else he got a lot to explain his fake news.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 8
      • Squid on Jul 31, 2023 at 10:39 am

        Cannot sell below RM100k otr without insurance.

        RM99,900 is price before otr costs…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
  • James on Jul 27, 2023 at 11:37 am

    The standard and extended is missed placed through out the whole article.
    Please amend.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 5
  • It seems like the higher-end version is worth it alone just for the multilink suspension. The base model has torsion beam.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 46 Thumb down 3
  • seancorr on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    Exterior and Interior design is a mixed bag but at least the range and warranty is more than the crappy Mini EV!

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 53 Thumb down 0
  • Smart #1 on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    I dont see whether or not it supports low speed follow.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • alibaba on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    is this model solved it’s problem before entering our market?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 28
    • Yup. Saw so many BYD cars burn in china. Some more with Malaysian hot climate. Hope already solve the issue before come into malaysian market.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 40
      • MASAMI on Jul 28, 2023 at 10:03 am

        This anneh love spreading fake news. Just to prove you snake species punya fake news, I bought a unit. With time lets see if got any BYD burn in Malaysia or not. With our extreme heat, if not even 1 caught on fire than you will get bad karma and bad luck for life for spreading lies. If you don’t reply then you have accepted this curse willingly. If no BYD burn in Malaysia, then you will get bad luck for life. Deal

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 37 Thumb down 3
  • Mr Fakta on Jul 27, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    How much is China selling? Malaysia EV no tax?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 1
    • John Gagal on Jul 27, 2023 at 1:20 pm

      Dec 2022 China launching price range of 116,800 – 136,800 RMB (16,700 – 19,600 USD).
      Around RM75,600 – 88,700 price.

      Blame the protected species policy ya!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 52 Thumb down 10
      • Why de on Jul 27, 2023 at 3:13 pm

        Wow, the top-spec has a markup price of almost 40k compared to China!
        I thought we already had all the EV Tax exemptions in place.
        With that price and current EV infrastructure, I believe there’s a lot more reasonable choice for Malaysian.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 1
        • Wrong price on Jul 28, 2023 at 4:21 am

          China only sell the 40kWH battery version. Get the fact right.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 1
        • Vtec kick in yo on Jul 30, 2023 at 11:42 am

          More worst for conti and same like jap car for so many century . Blame the policy lor

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
      • Crony on Jul 27, 2023 at 4:55 pm

        EV has zero tax so the only species it protects are Anwar crony AP kings ya!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 36
        • Did Anwar put AP kings before, it was Mahathir and Muhyiddin and PN are the ones who make prices higher and also implementing AP

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 39 Thumb down 1
      • Autodriver on Jul 28, 2023 at 8:23 am

        You can’t compare the price with China coz the volume is so huge in China which can bring down the cost. For overseas market they may not price down as low as their homeland. In Malaysia Tesla Model Y was selling so cheap in Malaysia at RM 199k, but it is still more expensive than China Model Y (RM 167k).

        If this BYD Dolphin is expensive to you then you should work harder to earn more instead of blaming government.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 8
        • LonginusSpear on Aug 04, 2023 at 11:45 pm

          model y at that price is 20% more than china but dolphin is like 33% more?
          How about the Atto 3 vs Yuan?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
        • LonginusSpear on Aug 04, 2023 at 11:51 pm

          model Y is only 20% higher in malaysia than china, this dolphin is at least 33% higher. And how about the Atto3 vs YuanPlus?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
        • Gene050 on Aug 14, 2023 at 11:33 am

          Manufacturing cost and economies of scale is irrelevant here because both the the right hand and left handed cars are made in china, none are manufactured in Malaysia.

          BYD dolphin end consumer selling price in china is 116k rmb (equivalent to RM 73-74k) for the base model. My personal thought is Sime Darby is milking the buyers hard as I do not think the cost + transportation is more than RM 75k ( which is the end consumer price in china).

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • MASAMI on Jul 27, 2023 at 1:19 pm

    Booked.Super excited. A bit of waiting list. so many booking on day 1 as if it is FOC. Selling like hot cakes

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 41 Thumb down 6
  • william on Jul 27, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    No ACC with stop n Go ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 2
  • Ben Yap on Jul 27, 2023 at 2:33 pm

    good things not cheap, cheap things not good.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 28
    • ERIKO on Jul 28, 2023 at 2:49 pm

      Your mother and sister quite cheap but I think their service quite good. Very good in fact.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 20
  • Winner Ong on Jul 27, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    To all my got money fans waiting me to Komen here I can only laughing at this fish for low class pupil car. Pupil ask me what I drive bcos I got class I no need to ask back what rubbish you drive.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 45
    • I have this rubbish and mers and civic. I dont understand what enghurish you talk about

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • kckfen on Jul 27, 2023 at 3:23 pm

    Wah.. this Dolphin is actually selling cheaper in Malaysia than in EU…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 40 Thumb down 5
  • Natol on Jul 27, 2023 at 4:59 pm

    BYD is a great brand. But we need stable EV infrastructure in Malaysia for easier driving experience

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 8
  • Ezzy- on Jul 27, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    It is very difficult for China-made cars to get a foothold here. To be an attractive buy, they need to be easily maintained, which means they need to have a healthy service/spare parts market here. But to create that service/spare parts market, they need a sizable number of cars on the road. Kind of chicken-and-egg problem.

    The manufacturer needs to boost that market from their own pocket in the initial phase. Else, they will be the next VW, whose after-sales failure decades ago still tarnished their reputation today.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 12
    • Autodriver on Jul 28, 2023 at 8:28 am

      You don’t much about EV. EV is almost maintenance free and also very little wear and tear parts compare to ICE vehicle. And for China car except Proton basically you can buy the spare parts online and ship it here. Proton can’t take all Geely parts from China because Proton purposely make some little modification to force us to use local parts.

      You need not to worry about parts of China EV or any EV from other countries.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 2
    • Mike Tee on Jul 28, 2023 at 10:52 am

      If you are involved in an accident then I agree that replacement body parts *may* be a concern. Otherwise EVs have long service cycles, no engine oil, no transmission oil and your brakes last many times longer because of single pedal driving.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
    • lithium on Jul 28, 2023 at 10:59 am

      This does not apply to Tesla.

      I only see this complain for China branded cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 4
  • I thought tengku zafrul said no EV’s under RM100k will be allowed to be sold locally until after 2025.by then proton and perodua will have started their own EV’s for sale.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 6
  • ROTI CANAI on Jul 27, 2023 at 8:57 pm

    good specs but this is a 120k myvi

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 9
    • Kekw Dolphin face on Jul 31, 2023 at 9:22 am

      Since when Myvi has 201hp and 310nm torque?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 7
      • ROTI TELUR on Jul 31, 2023 at 12:15 pm

        ok since you’re being anal. this is a “RM100,530 before insurance myvi” then.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
  • Thomas on Jul 28, 2023 at 11:05 am

    They are notorious for catching fire all the time in China no thanks.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 12
  • stick on Jul 28, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    one of the fugliest car i’ve seen

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 18
  • Vtec kick in yo on Jul 30, 2023 at 11:40 am

    Janji can tapow civic at cheaper price ;)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • rear looks decent, front not so much for me, a bit too bulbous. Interior is still a mishmash of weird bits but i guess design is something a lot of people can overlook given the low price point – it’s a good package for the price really.

    there is however a real concern given news on Chinese social media that is now coming to light overseas about the company. some malaysian motoring journalists have covered the incidents as well – BYD has been silent about the issues but it’s always good for consumers to hear all sides of the story rather than just what one party says.

    also, what is with all LingLong and Batman tyres? why can’t they switch to Continental like they’ve already done in other markets.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 0
    • wanzai on Jul 31, 2023 at 11:56 am

      Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.

      Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 166
    • Australian are loving this but Malaysian complains alot

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
  • BYDNambawan on Jul 31, 2023 at 9:53 am

    as much as fanboys want to see BYD takeover the world, buying EV isn’t just getting a RM100K dolphin. reality you need to afford landed property – klang valley cheap cheap landed house next to landfill also RM400k so you actually need RM500 to buy dolphin.

    if you stay condo and only use public charging the cost end up more expensive than petrol since malaysia petrol so cheap.

    then now some ppl say want to install charger in condo. lets say 25% want to install charger in car park – all charge at night at the same time…come we do some simple math:

    e.g. OUG Parklane got about 4.2k units; 25% means about 1k chargers x 7.4kWh = 7,400kWh additional load on the condo power supply on top of all the aircon running at night to keep ppl’s sweaty bums dry..can existing / old condo power supply tahan anot? they didn’t build the condo to accommodate this power usage leh…of cos management don’t approve la

    ya ya “nOt eVeRybOdY chArgE sAmE tiMe!” – my mother in law also know. but when ppl do safety plan they factor in the chance of maximum power draw kan?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 35 Thumb down 2
    • lolpanda on Jul 31, 2023 at 11:43 am

      not so eloquently said…but every bit truthful about the reality of EV ownership

      as an early adopter myself, nearly all EV owners i’ve had the liberty of speaking to over the years have home chargers (those that don’t have another ICE car and they use the EV recreationally).

      keyboard warriors and actual buyer demographics are very different. supporters and detractors can say all they want without having any impact on a person’s reality of buying one.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 4
  • whatmentality on Jul 31, 2023 at 10:03 am

    Summary of Paultan Comment Section Mentality:

    1. Angkat cheap brands regardless of reputation (Good)

    2. Angkat expensive brands (*kreuk kreuk kreuk*)

    3. Bash expensive brands that pipu cannot afford (Good)

    4. Share alternative perspective on BYD (Bad, it’s number one, cannot say bad things – even if their reputation in China is being questioned by their own people/customers)

    5. Say other EV brand better than BYD (Bad, because i cannot afford that one…maybe next time when i can afford then i will say its good)

    sekian.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 1
  • Longkang on Aug 03, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    Electric car for now are for the upper and upper middle class and above… battery lifespan and resale value are a thing … not to mention needing a place to charge your battery. Exchanging your battery is alot more expensive then the money safe from service and fuel not used.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  • BYD got nice looking Electric pick-up truck. When BYD going to bring their electric pick-up truck to malaysia? It will surely attract many customer interest as pick-up truck market demand here is very good like Hilux etc selling hot.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • Chen Zen bus driver on Oct 24, 2023 at 8:04 pm

      How about electric bus? Have you ever been to Shenzen lately?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Blacke on Aug 12, 2023 at 3:15 pm

    Yeeeuck and NO! China made are definitely not predictable for durability and safety.
    EV’s are not viable as long as infrastructure support for it isn’t guaranteed. When resources are depleting, nations find it real difficult to cope with maintaining primary utilities especially for electricity in the future. Even the West doubt the future of EVs already although you can find them on their highways.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 10
  • Jeffg on Sep 06, 2023 at 5:04 pm

    You can buy byd cars at rm15k to rm20k once china prc or chinese dap take over malaysia. No more protection for proton and perodua. Liberalisation promotes competition.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 4
  • Kimmy Tan on Sep 28, 2023 at 3:16 pm

    First Look a like proton savvy front design. Back light is pretty good Looking. I prefer buying premium class value for money 200++hp enough for climbing kk mountain

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Testing on Oct 16, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
 

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