BYD Cars Malaysia, represented by Sime Darby Beyond Auto, has published a new cryptic teaser on its social media channels, simply mentioning “the new electric wave, coming soon” in a short video depicting waves hitting a beach. If you’ve been keeping up with the news, though, you’ll know that the teaser is hinting at the launch of the BYD Dolphin, which is part of the Ocean Series of vehicles – hence the waves.
The BYD Dolphin has already been previewed here in Malaysia, back when the Atto 3 first made its debut here, alongside the Seal sedan that is also part of the Ocean Series. The Dolphin will be the first of the series to make its formal introduction here on our shores, following its launch recently in Singapore, Thailand, and Australia.
Over in Thailand, the fully-electric hatchback is offered in two configurations, Standard Range and Extended Range, with prices starting from THB699,999 (approx. RM92,689).
The former features a single motor set-up on the front axle, making 70 kW (95 hp) and 180 Nm of torque, and is paired to a 44.9 kWh battery. The Extended Range variant meanwhile gets a more powerful motor on the front axle making 150 kW (204 hp) and 310 Nm, paired to a 60.5 kWh battery.
READ MORE: BYD Seal and Dolphin teased in Malaysia – 2 new EVs to launch soon?
In terms of performance numbers, the BYD Dolphin in the Standard Range configuration is rated for a 0-100 km/h time of 12.3 seconds, while the Extended Range does it in just seven seconds dead. The entry-level variant also boasts a driving range of 340 km (WLTP), while the larger battery pack on the Extended Range allows it to be driven further at up to 427 km (WLTP).
Both variants get a 7 kW on-board AC charger, though the Extended Range variant does support a faster DC fast charging speeds at up to 80 kW (the Standard Range only supports up to 60 kW).
Coming in at about the same size as the Honda City Hatchback, the BYD Dolphin in Thailand comes equipped with quite a number of creature comfort niceties including full LED lighting on the outside, a 12.8-inch rotating central infotainment display, and even the vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality to supply power to your other electronic devices.
Notably, the BYD Dolphin is also billed as the cheapest EV in pretty much all of the markets it’s now available in – and we could see it being repeated here in Malaysia as well, bringing the fight right up to the Neta V. Don’t expect it to fall under the RM100,000 mark, however, as the current Franchise AP regulations in Malaysia does dictate that all imported EVs must (should?) carry an on-the-road price tag of over 100 grand.
All that’s left is the launch date. While BYD Cars Malaysia has yet to provide any official information on that, we’ve heard from the grapevine that the BYD Dolphin will be making its official Malaysian debut on July 27 – or exactly two weeks from today.
We’ll of course be bringing you the latest coverage whenever it’s available, so do keep your eyes peeled on AutoBuzz.my. While we wait, though, why not drop us your price predictions in the comments section below?
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