If you’re looking to buy an affordable electric vehicle, chances are, you’ve probably come across Chinese brand, BYD. It has some new models for Australia, including the Dolphin and Seal, both of which have just passed 5-star ANCAP safety credentials.
The new Dolphin is a small electric car offering up to 427km range and 150kW from its top Premium variant. It can scoot off from 0-100km/h in a claimed 7.0 seconds. Following local assessment of crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP, ANCAP is satisfied and has awarded five stars.
It scored 89 per cent for adult occupant protection and 86 per cent for child occupant protection. For its vulnerable road user protection performance (pedestrian protection), it scored 85 per cent, while the on-board safety assist features scored 77 per cent.
As for the Seal, this is a new mid-size electric sedan set to take on the likes of the Tesla Model 3. It’s available with up to 390kW in top-spec Performance form, and can do the 0-100km/h dash in a claimed 3.8 seconds. The range is listed at 580km, or 520km under WLTP standards.
Following local assessment of overseas crash test data, the local team gave it 89 per cent for adult, 87 per cent for child, and 82 per cent for pedestrian protection. The on-board safety assist functions are rated 75 per cent.
It’s great to see these newcomers passing the latest safety test standards, especially as they are budget-focused models. The five-star ratings apply to all variants of each. Speaking about the results, ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg, said:
“Our 2023 test and rating criteria have introduced further requirements for high levels of structural protection as well as new challenges for manufacturers in the area of active safety systems and, pleasingly, the three models rated so far this year have each achieved five-star ratings.”
Check out the videos below to see how they performed, or to simply enjoy the slow-motion carnage. Prices for both start from the following:
2023 BYD Dolphin Dynamic (150kW/427km WLTP): $38,890
2023 BYD Dolphin Premium (70kW/340km WLTP): $44,890
2023 BYD Seal Dynamic (150kW/460km WLTP): $49,888
2023 BYD Seal Premium (230kW/570km WLTP): $58,798
2023 BYD Seal Performance (390kW/520km WLTP): $68,748