There seems to be a game of ‘how low can you go?’ happening in the world of cheap Chinese EVs, with BYD today confirming price cuts to its Dolphin small hatch. It follows recent prices from rival brands MG and Chery, with the MG4 slashed to $32,990 drive-away (for December only), and the Chery Omoda E5 cut to $36,990 (for January only).
For BYD, this is part of the MY2025 updates and is not for a limited time (well, for as long as the MY25 lasts). BYD is offering the Dolphin from just $29,990 (excluding on-road costs). That makes it the cheapest EV currently on sale in Australia (excluding on-roads). It’s thanks to the introduction of a new variant called the Essential.
The new Dolphin range is made up of just two trim levels, with the Essential and Premium. Even the Premium receives a price cut, by $5900, to $36,990. That’s down from the outgoing price of $42,890 – nice way to destroy the resale value for existing owners?
Elsewhere in the showroom, MY25 updates are being rolled out for the Seal, with the Performance variant gaining DiSus-C, while all get electric shades for the panoramic roof, and the exterior colour spectrum has been refined.
There’s also “minor technology updates” and “more responsive automated” suspension being applied, according to a BYD press release. Speaking about the changes, EVDirect CEO David Smitherman said:
“Having been to BYD headquarters in China, I’ve seen the incredible scale of operation that ultimately underpins these great prices. As that scale continues to grow – and as we continue to make breakthroughs in innovation and technology – Australian drivers are the big winners.”
Some minor changes have been rolled out for the Atto 3 for MY25 as well, with the introduction of a new entry ‘Essential’ variant as well, with the Standard being deleting. The top-spec Premium has been slashed by $2509.
The new models are available to order now. See below for the starting prices (excluding on-road costs):
MY2025 BYD Atto 3 Essential: $39,990 (new variant)
MY2025 BYD Atto 3 Premium: $44,990 (down $2509)
MY2025 BYD Dolphin Essential: $29,990 (new variant)
MY2025 BYD Dolphin Premium: $36,990 (down $5900)
MY2025 BYD Seal Dynamic: $46,990 (down $2898)
MY2025 BYD Seal Premium: $52,990 (down $2808)
MY2025 BYD Seal Performance: $61,990 (down $3758)
MY2025 BYD Sealion 6 Dynamic: $45,990 (down $3000)
MY2025 BYD Sealion 6 Premium: $52,990 (no change)
MY2024 BYD Shark 6 Premium: $57,900
