Report: Hotter BYD Dolphin Sport For Australia Cancelled

Remember this supposedly 'hotter' version of the BYD Dolphin teased for Australia last year? Well, it seems the model has been axed...

Towards the middle of last year, Chinese EV-making giants BYD teased a hotter version of its Dolphin EV hatch for the Australian market. Initially, a limited-run of 1,000 units was planned, with BYD’s Australian arm collecting pre-orders for it all in record time too.

No new information surfaced since, but recent reports from Australia indicate that BYD have cancelled the model. The same sources Down-Under cite that the cancellation stems from BYD simply not garnering enough demand for said model's hot version, and that’s despite selling out on pre-orders.

When it was announced last year, Australia was the only market confirmed for the model as BYD didn’t offer this hotter version of the Dolphin in other neighbouring markets in the region. Had things panned out, the BYD Dolphin Sport was slated for deliveries in Australia early this year.

It is worth noting that when it was announced, BYD didn't actually show a prototype or actual production unit of the BYD Dolphin Sport.

In the same initial announcement, an actual prototype or production unit of said model was NOT shown. Instead, BYD elected to ‘tease’ the model through digital renders and illustration, all bearing disclaimers of “artist’s illustration” and “final features and finishes may vary.”

Beyond said virtual teasers, the Dolphin Sport version doesn’t exists in any overseas market in the form announced for Australia. Moreover, the model has been removed from the BYD Australia website, thus confirming the EV-makers cancellation too. Adding to which as well was the Dolphin Sport's absence when BYD updated the Dolphin for its home Chinese market recently.

This is indeed a shame given the hype generated for it, even for just one market, was palpable to say the least. Fuelling that further were the promise of enhanced and sharper styling over the regular Dolphin this Sport variant initially promised.

Sportier and sharper styling inside and out, plus a peppier powertrain, were all promised when BYD Australia took pre-orders for the 1,000 units it had initially planned to offer. Now, it remains as a mere pipe-dream.

Said sharper and sporty styling, which even includes snazzier 17-inch wheels plus a full aerokit, was set to be matched with a peppier powertrain. For the latter, BYD touted the Dolphin Sport in boasting a sub-7-second 0-100 KM/H sprint time even.

Now, all of which seems to be a mere pipe-dream now. Nevertheless, the marque’s popularity hasn’t waned just yet. Locally, the brand’s Malaysian arm recently debuted its long-awaited Seal sports saloon offering, and perhaps fired the first shots of a brewing local EV price war.