Two highly anticipated Chinese electric vehicles, the BYD Seal and BYD Dolphin, have both received impressive 5-star ANCAP safety ratings.
It’s noteworthy that, to secure a 5-star rating under the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, vehicles must meet the most rigorous standards across all tests and incorporate advanced safety assist technologies.
In ANCAP’s rigorous crash tests, the BYD SEAL (Medium Car) earned full points for safeguarding the driver and child passengers in the side impact test, as well as the driver in the oblique pole test. The evaluation deemed the protection provided to the driver’s chest and lower legs in the frontal offset (MPDB) test, and the rear passenger’s chest in the full width test as Adequate.
Considering its size, the BYD DOLPHIN (Small Car) exhibited a combination of Good and Adequate protection for adult occupants in crash tests overall. However, there was a Marginal level of protection noted for the driver’s chest in the frontal offset test. The DOLPHIN received maximum points for its protection of child occupants in both frontal and side impact tests.
Similar to the SEAL, the DOLPHIN is equipped with a center airbag designed to reduce injuries resulting from head contact between front seat occupants or contact with the intruding side of the vehicle during side impact crashes. Both vehicle models demonstrated effective protection in this regard.
Under the updated 2023 test criteria, in addition to standard collision avoidance tests, both BYD models underwent evaluation for their capability to detect a cyclist approaching from the rear and to warn or prevent occupants from opening their doors into the cyclist’s path. Both the DOLPHIN and SEAL feature an anti-dooring system with an audible warning but lack a system for temporary door locking.
A novel element introduced in ANCAP testing since 2023 involves assessing vehicle access when submerged in water. Both the BYD SEAL and BYD DOLPHIN meet the criteria for ‘door opening’ functionality, ensuring that, in the event of submersion, the doors would remain operational for the required minimum duration (two minutes) after the vehicle loses power. However, ‘window opening’ functionality was not demonstrated.
The BYD Dolphin is Australia’s most affordable new electric vehicle, starting at AU$38,890 ($25,089), undercutting the MG 4 by AU$100. The BYD Seal has created local buzz with its AU$49,888 ($32,185) starting price, significantly lower than the entry-level Tesla Model 3
