BYD Dolphin Electric Car Review: Impressions, Performance, and Features

Jakarta –

Build Your Dreams (BYD) has launched three electric cars in Indonesia. One of them, Dolphin WORLD. The detikOto editorial team had the opportunity to experience this city car style vehicle first hand. What are our impressions?

For the record, the BYD Dolphin that we tested is the premium variant as the highest type. Until this news was published, this futuristic-looking vehicle still did not have a price.

During testing, the route we took only focused on urban areas, namely South Jakarta – Bogor City – North Jakarta. Our journey mostly crosses freeways, aka toll roads.

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One vehicle was occupied by three people, including me as a detikOto tester. I got my turn to drive the BYD Dolphin from South Jakarta to Bogor City. The following are my impressions after experiencing this Chinese-made car firsthand.

Test Drive BYD Dolphin

Non-Intimidating Design

Dolphin WORLD Foto: Doc. Indonesia Motor WORLD.

Before getting into impressions, it’s a good idea to discuss the eye-catching design of the BYD Dolphin. From the outside, this vehicle looks cute thanks to its soft color play but still attracts attention.

At the front, even though it has the status of an electric car, it maintains the feel of a conventional car. Starting from the wide headlamp model, minimalist grille and the words ‘BYD’ which are clearly displayed in the central position.

We feel that, as a daily vehicle, the BYD Dolphin has a calm but still futuristic appearance. That is, the non-emission car does have a modern style, but the lines, colors and ornaments attached to it are not too intimidating.

Meanwhile, on the inside, a modern impression is still visible thanks to the use of special seals that cover the dashboard, a large entertainment screen that can be rotated and the use of racing-style seats. However, there are several parts that feel lacking, starting from the air conditioning model and audio around the dashboard.

Comfortable Ride

BYD Dolphin. Photo: Septian Farhan Nurhuda / detikOto

While I was behind the wheel, I was pampered with a cabin that was very soundproof and a semi-bucket-shaped seat whose thick foam made it comfortable. Apart from that, the presence of a panoramic roof also makes the driving experience more enjoyable.

However, there is one thing that is still lacking, the air conditioning in the cabin doesn’t feel good. I don’t really understand whether it was a slow burst or because the weather outside was hot and the vehicle windows had not been coated with film.

The manufacturer has equipped the Dolphin with a very soft MacPherson Strut front suspension. So, as a driver and passenger in the front, I don’t feel bottoming or pausing when crossing steps. However, the consequence is that at high speeds, the car is a little unsteady.

However, I feel that the BYD Dolphin suspension settings are suitable for hatchback cars that are used in urban areas.

Performa

BYD Dolphin. Photo: Septian Farhan Nurhuda / detikOto

BYD Dolphin is equipped with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor type drive that drives the front wheels. Especially for the variant I drove, the electric motor is capable of producing a maximum power of 150 kW and peak torque of 310 Nm. Meanwhile, there are three driving modes, namely ECO, normal and sport.

During testing, I tried all driving modes. It’s just that he is more dominant in ECO and occasionally tries out sports. Meanwhile, the top speed that my car mates and I managed to achieve was 174 km/hour. I’m sure, with a longer straight track, the record could be more than that.

For the record, electric cars have strong acceleration capabilities, so they are quite easy to accelerate when starting. In fact, to go from zero to 100 km/hour doesn’t require as much effort as a conventional car.

In Eco mode, we can only accelerate the car to a speed of 93-94 km/hour on the toll road. After entering a speed of 90 km/h, we had difficulty increasing speed. Like it or not, we had to shift to sport mode to experience speeds above 100 km/hour.

Meanwhile, in sport mode, the acceleration really feels spontaneous on the highway. However, this makes vehicle maneuvers more wild, so it will be troublesome if you need to decelerate when there is a queue of vehicles in front.

BYD Dolphin is equipped with a speed limiter which limits the speed of the car in certain lanes. The team and I in the car felt that the presence of this feature was a bit annoying because it provided information too often. However, the good news is, we can disable it in the cabin settings.

Oh yes, the BYD Dolphin that we used uses an LFP battery with a capacity of 60.48 kWh which is claimed to be able to cover a distance of 490 km.

Features Galore

BYD Dolphin. Photo: Septian Farhan Nurhuda / detikOto

As a beginner or entry level electric car, the BYD Dolphin is equipped with many advanced features, one of which is the use of a dominant-sized touch screen in the center of the cabin. This device is similar to Tesla’s and can be changed in position.

The screen can be connected to a cellphone via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In fact, with the help of this technology, we can play a number of basic games such as Tetris and cards.

Security and safety features are also complete. BYD Dolphin has front, side and curtain airbags. Other advanced features on the BYD Dolphin include Door Open Warning, 360 degree camera monitor, two radars at the front and three radars at the rear, auto hold, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking system, lane departure warning, lane keeping support, predictive collision warning, rear collision warning, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, rear cross traffic brake, lane departure prevention, emergency lane keeping assist, and lane change collision warning.

Conclusion

As a newcomer, I feel BYD Dolphin is quite promising to compete in the low to mid range market. Because, according to many leaks circulating, the vehicle will be priced in the range of IDR 350-450 million.

If the price estimates are correct, BYD could win the electric car market in the related segment. It’s crazy, by calculation, this vehicle offers driving comfort and features that not many other products in its class have.

BYD Dolphin is suitable for those who often drive in the city. Characteristically, this car is comfortable for daily use and can be used to ‘split’ the road. BYD Dolphin could also be an option for those of you who want to have a sophisticated electric vehicle, but the appearance is not too intimidating.

So what, are you interested in buying BYD Dolphin?

Watch the video “Officially Entering Indonesia, BYD Introduces 3 Electric Cars”
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(sfn/lth)

2024-01-26 13:03:18
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