BYD’s latest all-electric vehicle (EV) model – the Dolphin – was successfully launched at 1Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya on July 27.
The launch of the latest electric vehicle in BYD’s line-up in Malaysia after the Atto 3, was officiated by Sime Darby group chief executive officer Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson.
Also attending the launch were Sime Darby Motors Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau retail and distribution managing director Jeffrey Gan, BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division general manager Liu Xueliang and BYD Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Eagle Zhao.
The event was followed by three days of a carnival-like atmosphere at the shopping centre’s outdoor car park where a strong turnout of visitors were able to view and test drive the five-door electric hatchback.
(From left) Zhao, Liu, Davidson and Gan at the launch of the Dolphin.
More than 900 test drives were arranged daily where visitors also had the opportunity to experience an educational holographic wall and receive vouchers to redeem free food and beverages.
Said to be Malaysia’s most competitively priced EV, the Dolphin is offered in two variants – Dolphin Dynamic Standard Range priced at RM99,900 and Premium Extended Range at RM124,900.
The Dolphin Dynamic Standard Range comes with a 49.9kWh Blade Battery that produces an output of 70kW for a driving range of 410km (NEDC) and a 0-100kph sprint of 12.3 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Dolphin Premium Extended Range gets a bigger 60.48kWh Blade Battery for a stronger output of 150kW for a longer range of 490km (NEDC) and a quicker 0-100kph sprint of 7 seconds.
The Dolphin comes with LED head and taillights, front and rear LED light bars, Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming, a 12.8-inch intelligent rotating touchscreen, a 5-inch digital instrument panel, six speakers, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay (USB), synthetic leather seats, and is also capable of performing vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging.
Also standard is Keyless Entry & Keyless start, automatic air-conditioning, PM2.5 air filter and tyre repair kit.
The Dolphin Premium Extended Range comes with exclusive features such as one-size-up alloy wheels at 17-inch, dual-stage pre-tensioners on front seats, panoramic glass roof, mobile phone wireless charging, ventilated front seats, 6-way power adjustment driver seat, 4-way power adjustment front passenger seat and 4-door window one-touch up-down with anti-pinch.
The Dolphin comes with a 12.8-inch intelligent rotating touchscreen and synthetic leather seats.
Among the safety features across the variants are six airbags, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points (outer rear seats), Intelligent power brake system, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electric Parking Brake System (EPB), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), 360° view monitor, and front and rear ultrasonic radars.
Also included are Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Support (LKS), Predictive Collision Warning (PCW), Rear Collision Warning (RCW）, Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKA) and Lane Change Collision Warning (LCW).
The large crowd attending the Dolphin event.
The Dolphin comes with a vehicle warranty of 6 years/150,000km, a high-voltage battery warranty of 8 years/160,000km and a drive unit warranty of 8 years/150,000km.
For service packages, they are the Standard Service package of 3 years/60,000km priced at RM1,688; 6 years/120,000km at RM3,888 or 8 years/160,00km at RM4,888.
Under these packages, serviceable items are reducer oil, air-conditioner filter, brake fluid, drive motor coolant and air-conditioner refrigerant.
The Plus Service Package of 6 years/120,000km is priced at RM7,888 and 8 years/160,000km at RM12,888.
For the Plus Packages, additional serviceable items from the Standard Packages are window washer fluid, front and rear wiper blades, remote control battery, 12V battery, front and rear brake pads and discs.
The Dolphin tour was also held at BYD Gurney Plaza, Penang and BYD Mid Valley Southkey, Johor from August 4 to 6.
The Dolphin will be available at the StarCarSifu Auto Show 2023 in Mid Valley Megamall from August 9 to 13.
