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BYD's smallest car in Australia is poised for a facelift, donning a revised look, reworked interior, new features and quicker charging. It's likely to come here... eventually.
Electric Cars
The 2025 BYD Dolphin electric car has been given a makeover in China – with updated styling, new interior technology and faster charging – though an Australian arrival is yet to be locked in.
The Dolphin's new look – quietly revealed last month alongside new semi-autonomous driving tech – brings it in line with BYD's newest styling, and is intended to keep it fresh after three years on sale in its home market.
Australian launch plans are yet to be confirmed, but it can generally take 12 to 24 months for export market-ready, right-hand-drive versions of Chinese BYDs to be developed and released locally.
It would likely be a Model Year 2026 (MY26) vehicle in Australia, given the range was recently revised for MY25 with a new entry-level Essential grade priced from $29,990 plus on-road costs.
Previewed in leaked images late last year, the refreshed Dolphin gains restyled front and rear ends with new, more shapely LED headlights and tail-lights, revised bumpers, and new 16- and 17-inch wheel designs.
The 'Build Your Dreams' tailgate script has been replaced with simpler rear BYD lettering, which is available in red.
The longer front end introduced on European and Australian Dolphins to accommodate a more forgiving crumple zone is now fitted to Chinese-market Dolphins, though the new bumpers mean the latest model is 10mm shorter than current Australian examples (4280mm vs 4290mm).
Inside, the 12.8-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen is no larger, but it has gained 5G connectivity, while the instrument display has been upsized from 5.0 to 8.8 inches.
The lower dashboard and centre console have been redesigned to delete the storage tray under the touchscreen, along with moving the wireless charging pad forward, and fit new shortcut buttons.
The gear selector appears to have moved to a steering column stalk – rather than a rocker switch on the centre console – and there are new buttons on the steering wheel.
Other interior changes include a new heated and cooled centre console storage box, and multi-colour ambient lighting on the dashboard.
In China, a mid-grade 130kW/290Nm electric motor has been added to join the 70kW/180Nm and 150kW/310Nm options already offered there and in Australia, all driving the front wheels.
The entry-level battery pack has grown in capacity from 44.9kWh to 45.1kWh, with the flagship 60.5kWh option unchanged.
Arguably the biggest news on the spec sheet is faster DC charging, the smaller battery now capable of 80kW (up from 60kW), and the larger pack quoting 110kW (up from 80kW).
BYD says all models can now fast charge from 30 to 80 per cent in 25 minutes, down from 30 minutes previously.
Expect the five-minute improvements to carry across to real-world 10 to 80 per cent recharge times tested by Drive of 35 minutes and 10 seconds in the 44.9kWh Dynamic/Essential, and 41 minutes and 20 seconds in the 60.5kWh Premium.
AC charging remains capped at 7kW across the model range, and driving range ratings are unchanged on equivalent despite the battery changes and longer front end of Chinese models.
It equates to 420km in Chinese CLTC testing for the entry-level 45.1kWh, 70kW variant, and 520km CLTC for the 60.5kWh, 150kW grade, with the new, mid-grade 45.1kWh, 130kW model rated for 410km.
Driving range ratings for the current model under more stringent European WLTP lab-test protocols sit at 340km with the 44.9kWh battery, and 427km with the 60.5kWh battery.
BYD says the Dolphin is quieter than before, claiming "cinema-level" noise, vibration and harshness levels thanks to "multiple configuration optimisations".
Changes to the electrical system are promised to increase energy efficiency, alongside a new heat pump that is 15 per cent smaller and 10 per cent more efficient.
The updated Dolphin also gains BYD's latest 'God's Eye' semi-autonomous driving technology, with 29 sensors including 12 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and five millimetre-wave radars.
The 2025 BYD Dolphin is on sale now in China.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
