BYD Dolphin vs Hyundai I30

What's the difference?

VS
BYD Dolphin
BYD Dolphin

$32,488 - $38,490

2024 price

Hyundai I30
Hyundai I30

$24,000 - $62,886

2025 price

Summary

2024 BYD Dolphin
2025 Hyundai I30
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Not Applicable, 0.0L

Turbo 4, 1.5L
Fuel Type
Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
0.0L/100km (combined)

5.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • 7.0kW AC charging
  • Not as big on the inside as some rivals
  • Occasionally overzealous active safety

  • Dual-clutch transmission gets confused in stop/start traffic
  • Shorter servicing intervals
  • Some safety tech is intrusive
2024 BYD Dolphin Summary

It’s about time for a change. Since the beginning of the EV era, Tesla has been the dominant name, and not without good reason.

Tesla made electric cars popular, cool, and above all, accessible. To this day, the Model 3 and Model Y remain excellent purchases in their respective categories.

And yet, the tide seems to be turning. Many buyers haven't been thrilled by Elon Musk's antics, how popular the Tesla brand has become or maybe they never liked the look and feel of Tesla to begin with.

For those prospective EV buyers, it looks like BYD is set to be the next big thing in electric cars.

Offered at a far more accessible price-point, the Chinese brand still stands out with its distinctively styled vehicles and innovative features.

And the new car we’re looking at for this review, the Dolphin hatchback, could be the one to elevate the brand to the levels of popularity and recognition Tesla currently enjoys.

At the time of writing, it was also the most affordable electric car you can buy in Australia. But is it more than that? Read on to find out.

View full pricing & specs
2025 Hyundai I30 Summary

The Hyundai i30 sees an update for the 2025 model line and the base N Line variant gets the best of the new stuff, including a new mild-hybrid powertrain.

This might mean trouble for its nearest rivals, the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Kia Cerato, because the update makes the N Line one of the better base-model hatches to come out in recent years for its segment.

In this review, we see how it also handles urban life!

 

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Deep dive comparison

2024 BYD Dolphin 2025 Hyundai I30

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