The local gallop of the BYD brand continues – in perfect sync with the brand's global growth. After its electric SUV became the best-selling vehicle in Israel, another new model lands here.
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BYD Dolphin is part of BYD's Ocean family, which also includes the urban Sigal and the SEAL, a family sedan that competes with the Tesla Model 3 and will arrive in Israel towards the end of the year. Unlike most electric cars sold in Israel (including the Atto 3) that are in the crossover configuration, the BYD Dolphin is a compact hatchback car with a length of 430 cm and a wheelbase of 270 cm, more or less equivalent in size to the Volkswagen Golf and similar ones (and aimed at the ID.3, which is not yet officially sold in Israel). So the main model facing the dolphin is the MG4, which arrived in Israel about two months ago.
Photos: manufacturer
Like Atto 3 and the Seal, BYD Dolphin is also based on BYD's modular 3.0 platform, which means it also uses the manufacturer's unique Blade battery. The décor is likable with a fairly standard hatchback silhouette, but not groundbreaking. Most of BYD's boldness seems to have been reserved for the interior as well as the colour combinations, including the possibility of getting the car in pink inside and out.
In Israel, the Dolphin arrives with the most powerful engine in the range – a front electric motor that, like the Atto 3, delivers 204 hp and 31.6 kgm. Since it is a lighter vehicle, the performance figures are slightly superior, with a jump to 100 in 7 seconds. The Blade battery has a similar capacity of 60.4 kWh and is supposed to provide a declared range of 427 km according to the WLTP standard. Dolphin has three-phase charging with support for up to 80 kW of fast DC charging, which will allow reaching 80% of capacity in about half an hour. In addition and unusually, the car also has a V2L option that allows the battery to be used as a power supply to external devices.
BYD Dolphin will be marketed in Israel in two trim levels, with the basic one called Comfort attached to a price tag of NIS 142,12 close to similar-sized compacts with a gasoline engine. The specifications include a full array of active safety systems, including active lane keeping and emergency braking even when reversing, heated electric front seats, synthetic leather upholstery and of course you can't do without a 8.6-inch multimedia screen that rotates on its axis like other BYD models. For an additional NIS 000,<>, the senior Design trim level will also provide two-tone painting, a permanent panoramic sunroof with a scrolling cover, a wireless charging pad for the mobile phone and more.
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