The BYD Dolphin has received a five-star rating under the latest 2023-25 ANCAP testing criteria.
This result was drawn from testing conducted on the electric hatchback by Euro NCAP, with which ANCAP has harmonised its testing protocols.
The five-star ANCAP rating applies to both Dynamic and Premium variants.
It scored 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 85 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 77 per cent for safety assist.
The test results show a combination of Good and Adequate protection for adult occupants in crash testing, albeit with a Marginal rating for driver’s chest protection in the frontal offset test.
The BYD Dolphin scored maximum points for protecting child occupants during both frontal and side-impact tests.
ANCAP says the centre airbag fitted in the BYD Dolphin resulted in minimal injury from head contact between front seat occupants, and minimal contact with the intruding side of the vehicle in side-impact crashes.
The latest ANCAP testing criteria looks at whether vehicles can detect a cyclist passing the vehicle from the rear and warn occupants before they open their door into the cyclist’s path, and the Dolphin includes such a feature – though it won’t actively stop an occupant from opening their door.
Appropriately for a vehicle called the Dolphin, the electric BYD was subjected to submergence tests under the more comprehensive testing criteria.
ANCAP found the Dolphin’s doors could still be opened for the minimum required time period – two minutes – after vehicle power is lost following its entering a body of water, though window opening functionality wasn’t demonstrated.
“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,” said ANCAP chief executive officer Carla Hoorweg.
The 2024 BYD Dolphin range receives the following standard safety equipment:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Front cross-traffic assist
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Intelligent speed limit assist
- Driver fatigue detection
- Front, front-side and curtain airbags
- Driver’s far-side airbag
- Surround-view camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
Pricing for the electric hatchback starts from $38,890 before on-road costs for the Dynamic and extends to $49,990 before on-road costs for the Sport, which won’t arrive until next year.
MORE: Everything BYD Dolphin
