BYD Dolphin vs GWM Tank 300

What's the difference?

Chinese manufacturers have been impressing us lately with the strides they’ve been making, and BYD is no exception with its Dolphin.

Not only does this hatch help bring the price down for prospective EV buyers, but it leaves a solid impression of a cohesive, well-built car, which is also quite a bit of fun to drive.

It’s not the fastest, nor is it the most practical, and there are a handful of downsides to its design and software, but when it comes down to it, this is simply a great value entry-level electric car.

The diesel is now the pick of the Tank 300 range. It’s the best fit for this vehicle and offers greater driver engagement than the petrol or hybrid.

It also has genuine off-road chops while still managing to suit family life.

While it could benefit from further refinements to on-road behaviour, cabin noise and the ADAS systems, none of these are deal breakers. 

The fact that it is priced so keenly against some excellent competitors and is stacked with standard gear adds to the Tank 300’s appeal.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

You wouldn’t know it in Australia, but BYD has a huge and diverse range of vehicles with lots of different styling approaches in its home market of China.

The cars we get here, though, consisting of this Dolphin hatch, the Atto 3 small SUV, and the upcoming Seal sedan all seem to share more or less the same curvy, futuristic theme.

Contemporary touches on the exterior of the Dolphin include the bar light and full ‘Build Your Dreams’ typeface embedded in the rear, the blocky gloss black alloy wheels (17-inch on the Premium we tested), the two-tone colour scheme, and of course, the grille-free face.

Short overhangs and a tall body seal the EV deal, with the Dolphin looking closest in its aesthetic to something like the Volkswagen ID.3 than anything else on the market. It perhaps won’t be for everyone - it’s a little more experimental than the more conventional look worn by the MG4 - but then, for others this distinctiveness may be a selling point.

The interior look and feel is the biggest surprise. Somehow, the Dolphin, despite being more affordable than its larger Atto 3 sibling, feels a cut above when it comes to its design theme and build quality.

The weirdly organic touches designed to mimic muscle fibres in the Atto 3 have been traded out in favour of something a bit slicker.

I really like the material choices here. The use of neoprene across the lower half of the dash, in the doors, and down the centre of the seats feels a lot less pretentious than the standard synthetic leathers you usually get at this price-point, and there’s an agreeable mix of plastics as well as gloss and matt finishes. 

The nods to this car’s name which are present are a bit more toned down and fit with the design in a more subtle way.

The floating door handles, designed to resemble a fin, are a much nicer piece than the weird rotary ones in the Atto 3, and the wavy touches across the top of the dash aren’t too in-your-face and add an element of intrigue. I like it much more than I expected to.

It’s clear this space is designed around the giant multimedia panel, for better or worse. It looks spectacular, it’s nice and sharp, and the software, which looks as though it’s trying to emulate Tesla, does a pretty good job.

It’s quick, sharp, colourful, and has nice large iconography to jab at while you’re on the move, although some of the driving settings are ambiguously labelled and require clicking through to a sub-menu to alter. You’d get used to it, but it isn’t as slick as a Tesla operating system.

It also rotates, because of course it does, although one quirk I found with this is the polarised coating on the screen made it impossible to see when in portrait mode if you were also wearing polarised sunglasses.

Also, Apple CarPlay doesn't work in portrait mode. A gimmick? You decide.

The floating physical rotary controls jutting out below are a also a brilliant little piece of design. On one side you have your gear shifter, and on the other you’ve got your volume control, between them there are core functions, an on/off switch and an auto button for the climate, as well as the hazard light and drive mode controls.

It would be nice to also have a fan speed and temperature toggle, as these functions can only be used through the touchscreen, but there are worse offenders for clumsy climate controls on the market.

The only visible difference between the diesel and the petrol or hybrid 300s is a 2.4T badge. So you get the same boxy exterior as before.

It’s somewhat derivative and gives more than a nod to Jeep, but the design has intent - it looks capable off-road and for most people that’s enough. Luckily it is capable off-road. More on that later.

Inside the upright, shelf-like dash is appealing. I like that everything is nicely integrated, like the dual 12.3-inch screens which flow nicely into one another. 

The big T-shaped three-spoke steering wheel looks cool and the aeronautical air vents are clearly inspired by Mercedes-Benz. 

The chunky metal-look plastic glove box cover adds extra visual flair and the stitching throughout elevates the cabin further.

However, the futuristic looking gear shifter is chunky, takes up too much space and is unnecessary.

The clever design bits don’t end with the controls and themed motifs, either. While the Dolphin’s cabin feels a bit smaller than many of its rivals (because, physically, it is), efforts have been made to make it a versatile space. 

There are plenty of little storage areas throughout. There’s the floating one below the touchscreen, which suits wallets and sunglasses. There’s one with a roll-out cover set low below the controls which is good for smaller objects you don’t want moving around the cabin.

A large cubby is located underneath the armrest between the two seats for bigger objects and a slick wireless phone charger cut out from the top.

The two centre bottle holders are a little small, as are the cut-outs in the doors, so if you’re negotiating with an XL takeaway soft drink you might run into trouble.

The dark theme for the interior in our car doesn’t help the more closed-in feel, but the standard panoramic fixed sunroof (mercifully with a rolling shade) helps to keep the space airy.

I found it easy to set up my driving position, another clever touch being the little digital instrument panel perched on the steering column, so no matter how you adjust it you can always see it.

I was a little concerned the rear seat would be tiny, because this car doesn’t look big from the outside, but I was most definitely wrong.

Behind my own seating position, at 182cm tall, I had leagues of knee room and plenty of space for my feet thanks to the flat floor. I also had sufficient but not stellar headroom, and the soft-touch materials continue into the doors and seat trim.

I will say, the abundance of synthetic leather is much more evident for rear passengers, but it feels like a minor complaint.

Again, the bottle holders in the doors are tiny, but at least the ones in the drop-down armrest are generous. The middle seat is very useful thanks to the flat floor, although there are no adjustable air vents for rear passengers.

The backs of the front seats have a variety of pockets in different shapes and sizes, and there are USB-C and USB-A ports on the back of the centre console, alongside a bizarre centre bottle holder which is on an angle.

Boot space is 345 litres if you move the false floor to its lowest position. I was just able to squeeze in the three-piece CarsGuide luggage set with a bit of fiddling around.

With the second row down, room expands to 1310L, and you can bring the false floor up in the boot to make the load area flat.

The space underneath is quite good for storing charging cables and such, but keep in mind the Dolphin doesn’t offer additional frunk storage.

What it does offer is a vehicle-to-load adapter, which lets you power household appliances via its external charging port. Neat, and rare at this end of the EV market.

Up front the Tank 300 offers a commanding view of the road and it’s easy to find your perfect driving position thanks to the power-adjustable seats.

Those seats have good side bolstering but could do with a little extra cushioning for the thighs. The Nappa leather-appointed seats in the Ultra look and feel lovely. 

Storage is average for the segment with room for larger bottles and additional flat items in the door pockets, and a well-sized central bin that also houses two cupholders, although they sit low in the cavity and two coffees sit awkwardly together.

The Tank has one USB-C port for charging only but another USB-A port up front for connectivity. You shouldn’t need that given Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is wireless.

Keen off-roaders will have fun with the extensive Tank Expert Mode in the multimedia screen, which allows you to individualise your 4WD experience. 

Beyond that the screen is neatly laid out, responsive and easy to use. GWM has come a long way when it comes to in-car tech. The icons on the digital instrument cluster, however, are still too small.

There’s ample leg room in the rear, with space between my knees (I am 184cm tall) and the rear of the front seat, and enough toe room. It doesn’t feel enormously spacious across the rear row but three kids should be comfy. Headroom is enhanced by a scalloped section of the roof specifically for rear-seat passengers, but it doesn’t leave a huge amount of space for taller people.

The rear seat bench is flat but the backrests have some support and overall the seats back there are comfortable.

You’ll find lower rear-seat air vents, map pockets, a fold-down central arm rest with two cupholders, room for small bottles in the doors and two USB-A ports.

The boot can take 400 litres with all seats up and 1635L with the rear seats folded. That figure is measured from the floor to the top of the rear seats. 

Jeep says the Wrangler has 898L capacity with all seats in place but that is measured from the floor to the roofline.

There is no under-floor storage in the 300’s boot and the full-size spare wheel is housed in traditional 4x4 fashion on the tailgate.

One of the key selling points across GWM’s entire range is value for money, and the Tank 300 has always had that in spades. 

As with the petrol and hybrid 300, the diesel is offered in two well-specified model grades - Lux and Ultra.

At $47,990 drive-away, the Lux diesel is $2000 more than the Lux petrol, but $3000 cheaper than the Lux hybrid. 

The Ultra diesel, at $51,990, is $1000 pricier than the petrol equivalent and $5000 more affordable than the hybrid Ultra.

The GWM Tank 300 diesel Lux is also more affordable than equivalent grades of a number of ladder-frame 4x4 SUV rivals like the Isuzu MU-X, Toyota Fortuner, SsangYong Rexton and the Ford Everest.

It’s also significantly more affordable than the Jeep Wrangler, with the Tank 300 Lux costing about $30,000 less than a Wrangler Unlimited Sport S.

Note however that many of those models - except the Wrangler - have the option of seven seats, whereas the Tank is strictly a five-seat proposition. If you want a third row, check out GWM’s Tank 500.

There are cheaper off-road large SUVs out there – the LDV D90 and Mahindra Scorpio. But the Tank 300 is a more refined and higher-quality offering than those models.

Standard gear in the Lux includes 17-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather seats and steering wheel, power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, seven-colour ambient lighting, keyless entry and start, a sunroof, power-folding mirrors, paddle-shifters, a nine-speaker audio system with digital radio, built-in sat-nav, and a pair of 12.3 inch digital displays with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It also gets roof rails, side steps, privacy glass, all-terrain mode selection and a rear diff lock.

The Ultra upgrades to 18-inch wheels, Nappa leather-accented seats, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, more adjustment for the front seats and a memory setting, a massage function for the driver’s seat, a wireless phone charger, 64 colours in the ambient lighting suite, and a nine-speaker premium audio system.

There is nothing obvious missing from the standard features list, but I don’t know why a wireless device charger is limited to the top grade.

There’s the choice of two powertrains for the Dolphin. Both are single-motor front-wheel drive set-ups.

The base Dynamic can make use of 70kW/180Nm which sounds underpowered to me, but the car we tested for this launch review was the Premium which offers a much healthier 150kW/310Nm.

As well as the increase to battery capacity the Premium upgrades the suspension to a rear multi-link set-up.

While the base car seems like such a value buy, the increase in power, ride quality, and range seems to justify stretching to the Premium if your budget allows.

The big news with the Tank 300 is, of course, the new engine.

It is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine borrowed from the GWM Cannon and Cannon Alpha utes.

It pumps out 135kW of power and 480Nm of torque. That’s more torque than an MU-X but not as much as an Everest.

It is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and has part-time four-wheel drive. 

If you need to tow, the diesel has a 3000kg towing capacity, which is 500kg more than the hybrid and petrol. It can’t beat the 3.5-tonne towing capacity of the MU-X and the Everest.

Payload has also increased compared with the petrol and hybrid, up from 400kg to 600kg.

GWM says it conducted extensive testing internationally but also in Australia to improve towing performance. There are approximately 20 different parts compared with the other powertrain variants to get the best out of towing in the diesel.

A rear diff lock is standard on both grades while the Ultra gains a front diff lock.

As previously mentioned, each variant also gets its own battery capacity. The entry-level Dynamic offers a 44.9kWh battery and 340km of driving range, while the top-spec car offers a 60.5kWh unit with a driving range of 427km.

Charging on a fast DC unit maxes out on 60kW for the Dynamic or 80kW for the Premium.

This sounds slow, with many rivals offering in excess of 100kW charging at a minimum, but because the Dolphin’s battery sizes are so trim, it still means an 80 per cent charge will arrive in a little over half an hour.

On the slower AC charging standard, the max speed is a disappointing 7.0kW. For a fully electric car, we prefer to see at least 11kW as it makes it worthwhile to plug-in to an AC unit at a shopping centre to add roughly 70 - 100km of range an hour.

Because the Dophin is also quite efficient, though, you can still expect about 50km an hour to be added on this charging standard.

Official energy consumption for the Premium as-tested is 14.2kWh/100km, and we saw an impressive 14.1kWh/100km on our brief test program, making it one of the more efficient EVs I’ve ever driven.

The diesel Tank 300 consumes 7.8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the official combined cycle, which is better than the 9.5L figure for the petrol and the 8.4L quoted for the hybrid.

That figure also sits somewhere between a 2.0-litre bi-turbo Everest (7.1L/100km) and a 3.0L MU-X (8.3L/100km).

It has a 75-litre fuel tank and GWM claims an NEDC range of about 950 kilometres. GWM says the Euro 5 engine does not require Adblue.

Given the restrictions of a media launch, we did not obtain real-world fuel use figures.

The Dolphin is immediately impressive. From the get-go I was greeted with a feeling of quality from the car in ways I didn’t expect. The steering feels nicely balanced and not too artificial like it can be on some EVs, while the interior is refreshingly ergonomic.

The ride might be the Dolphin’s most impressive trait, with a feeling of balance across both axles, and a spritely feel to the whole car.

It is trim for an EV, with a kerb weight of 1658kg, which no doubt helps the steering feel, and the efficiency.

As it is, I didn’t experience the kind of crashing and wallowing many EVs suffer from on larger bumps, and smaller bumps seemed to be filtered out with ease.

It even feels nicely balanced in the corners, pairing nicely with the great steering feel which is not something we’ve come to expect from Chinese cars.

The motor is also willing, with software tuning keeping power delivery on the right side of overwhelming, although the warm-hatch equivalent's seven second 0-100km/h sprint time is a hint at what it’s capable of.

Unfortunately, it is let down by a pretty sub-standard factory tyre package. The LingLong Comfort Masters are designed for the Dolphin, complete with little Dolphin markings on them, but are hardly inspiring for traction when you plant the accelerator or tip it into a corner with enthusiasm.

They are better than the pretty much no-name Atlas Batman A51 tyres which came on the Atto 3, but even MG has wised up to putting tyres from renowned manufacturers on its Australian-delivered cars.

The Dolphin is also easy to park, thanks to its excellent surround camera suite and tight footprint, but visibility out of the tiny rear window is limited and made worse by the huge headrests for the outboard back seats.

In terms of electric driving characteristics the Dolphin offers two levels of regen braking, one which is virtually non-existent, and another mild tune.

Surprisingly, there’s no single-pedal mode, and the Dolphin leans on blended braking more than some of its rivals. It feels a lot more traditional to drive in this sense, so may be well suited to someone hopping out of a combustion car.

The drive modes are quite dramatic, with 'Eco' mode limiting motor torque and even switching off the climate control, while 'Sport' will make bouts of wheelspin a bit too easy by upping the response time from the motor. I found it best to stick to the nicely-balanced 'Normal' setting.

Tl;dr? The Dolphin is impressive. It’s responsive, relatively light, and has a sense of quality to it through its great ride and decent handling. Not bad for the cheapest EV in Australia.

I last drove a Tank 300 in late 2023 and it was the hybrid variant. While the hybrid has some positives, its driving characteristics were not high on that list.

It had an erratic throttle response, hesitation on take-off and it felt underdone.

In contrast, this new diesel variant just feels like the right fit for this SUV. 

There is slight lag accelerating from a standing start, but the powertrain is torquey and there’s plenty on tap when overtaking or just increasing speed when already on the go. GWM has not provided a 0-100km/h time.

It is clear you’re in a diesel as soon as you turn on the ignition - it has that typical diesel rattle, but it is not as unsophisticated as some oil-burners I have driven.

The cabin could do with some extra insulation with wind and tyre noise detected, but it’s hardly a deal breaker.

Given the vehicle’s size, heft (nearly 2.3-tonne kerb weight) and the fact it’s shaped like a brick, the 300 holds its nerve on winding stretches of road with only a little body roll. In saying that, best not to treat it like a Mini Cooper on your favourite twisty road. 

Ride quality is a bit mixed. We only drove the Ultra on 18-inch wheels and while it manages to soak up bumps, the ride is jittery, and that’s even more evident on uneven road surfaces.

Steering is heavily weighted and a little vague, but fine for a big off-roader, and the brakes need to be pushed hard.

One quirk is the indicator - it appears to be a one-touch setup for indicating to change lanes, but then the indicator stays on. I tried several times to test this, even flicking it to the opposite side to turn it off and it was very stubborn. 

The good news is it appears GWM has toned down the awful indicator sound of its earlier models and is now much more subtle. 

So on-road the Tank 300 is more than competent, and a much nicer vehicle to drive in an urban setting than a Jeep Wrangler, for example.

We also drove it briefly on an off-road trail, and in low range the Tank 300 proved that it can do what it says on the box. 

I’m no off-roading expert and there are much more challenging trails out there, but I had confidence that the Tank 300 would not let me down traversing the many chunky rocks, massive holes and fallen tree limbs.

ANCAP awarded the Tank 300 a five-star crash safety rating from testing done in 2022, scoring highly across all four of the major test categories.

GWM says it is waiting to hear from ANCAP but expects the diesel to be covered by the same rating.

As well as seven airbags including a front centre bag, the Tank 300 has a long list of safety gear covering both the Lux and Ultra. 

There’s a suite of collision mitigation systems that includes auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, emergency lane keep, lane centring, front and rear collision warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist.

It also has driver fatigue monitoring, a rear seat child monitor, door opening warning, adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition and hill-descent control.

I noted this in my recent GWM Haval H6 GT PHEV review, but GWM has made consistent tweaks to improve its advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) and as a result they are less intrusive than they were when the Tank 300 launched in 2023.

There is still the occasional tugging of the wheel but it’s much less of a tug-of-war than it once was.

For the first 45 minutes of our test drive there was an annoying beep every 10 seconds that my co-driver and I could not identify. There was no icon on the driver display to indicate that it was a lane departure warning or speed limit alert, but eventually it just stopped. We still have no idea what it was but it was, thankfully, not present in the vehicle we drove in the second half of the launch drive.

The Dolphin is covered by a six-year or 150,000km warranty, which beats a lot of mainstream rivals for its duration, but not its distance.

In the EV segment it plays in, though, things are a bit tougher, as its primary Chinese rivals, GWM and MG, are offering seven year and unlimited kilometre warranty promises.

Service pricing is available all the way out to 96 months or 160,000km, averaging $299 per year for the duration, which is pretty good.

Many rivals are offering free servicing for several years, and there are also many electric cars which only need to see a shop once every 24 months or 20,000km, compared to the Dolphin’s more traditional 12 month intervals.

GWM covers the Tank 300 with its seven-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, which is an impressive offer.

You are covered for seven years of roadside assist and the Tank is offered with a seven-year capped-price servicing program.

GWM is yet to confirm the Tank 300 diesel’s servicing offer (including pricing), but expect a service schedule similar to the Cannon ute with the same powertrain.

That means the first service might be required at 5000km or six months and beyond that it will need a service every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.