BYD Dolphin Sport electric ‘hot hatch’ cancelled for Australia

The BYD Dolphin Sport – the ‘hot-hatch’ version of the new city electric car – will not come to showrooms due to insufficient interest from customers.

BYD is said to have advised customers their deposits will be refunded, and they will be given a $1000 credit towards another model from the Chinese car giant, as demand for the Dolphin Sport was not high enough to justify its introduction.

Announced last year, 1000 examples of the Dolphin Sport were planned to be built, with more power than the Dolphin Premium’s 150kW, quicker acceleration (0-100km/h in less than 7.0 seconds), “sport performance tyres”, 17-inch blue and black wheels, and a body kit.

It was priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs, with deliveries promised from early 2024 – before the trail of new information went cold.

At its unveiling, BYD Australia published an image claimed to be an “artist’s illustration” and that “final features and finishes may vary”.

It was accompanied a computer-generated promotional video first shown in China two years ago – of a Dolphin concept – said to depict an “overseas model”.

The Dolphin Sport does not exist in any overseas market in the form announced for Australia. The car has been removed from the BYD Australia website.

Continuing on are the Dolphin Dynamic and Premium variants, which commenced deliveries in Australia late last year, recording 1400 deliveries to the end of February 2024.