2026 plug-in hybrid BYD Dolphin announced: Petrol-electric small car will pose a price challenge to Toyota Yaris, Mazda 2 and MG3
Hungry for sales, BYD is putting the final touches to an even cheaper all-new hybrid version of its entry BYD Dolphin hatch.
Built to battle it out with compact hatchbacks like the Toyota Yaris, Mazda 2 and MG3, it is expected to go on sale in 2026. If it makes it to Australia it will be the first PHEV in the segment.
Based on the current Dolphin EV, the new model is expected to carry the ‘Dolphin G’ badging to differentiate itself from its sibling.
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The good news is the new hybrid version could drop the price of entry to the B-segment hatch to around $24,990 drive-away.
No details have been released, but BYD president Stella Li has promised the new inbound hybrid hatch has been tailored for European tastes and would not be based on any current model offered for sale in China.
“There is not any market in China [for a hybrid Dolphin]”, Li told journalists at a recent media event.
The Dolphin G will avoid the European 35 per cent tariff applied to Chinese EVs, but not hybrid and plug-in hybrids.
Beneath the skin the Dolphin G should share plenty with the plug-in hybrid version of the Atto 2.
Expect a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol to be combined with a single e-motor and either the small 7.8kWh or a larger 18.3kWh battery pack.
Total power should be 156kW, with versions with the largest battery set to be capable of driving as far as 90km on EV power alone.
Meanwhile the small battery should provide up to 50km on all-electric power.
Barriers to the Dolphin G’s launch Down Under might depend on where it’s built.
According to reports, the new plug-in hybrid hatch will be built in BYD’s all-new Hungarian factory.
Without a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia, the small Dolphin will attract a five per cent import tariff, while local currency fluctuations could see it priced too high for Australia.
Currently set to be assembled in the same factory as the new Dolphin G are the current Atto 3, Seal and Australia’s new cheapest car, the Atto 1 that is priced from $23,990 plus on-roads.
Both the recent Atto 1 and Atto 2 small SUVs will soon be joined in Australia by the mid-size Sealion 5 and the larger plug-in hybrid seven-seat Sealion 8 SUV.
Once the Dolphin G lands BYD sales in Australia could overtake the likes of Ford and Kia and climb into the top four best-selling brands in Australia.
