BYD Dolphin vs Kia K4

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 new Kia K4 GT-Line has a lot to offer - an interesting design, lots of features and a pleasant driving experience. It’s not without its quirks and there are times when a more powerful engine may have improved it for me as a long-term prospect as I do some big kays every year but it ticks the boxes as a friendly urban dweller.

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.

Have to admit I wasn’t convinced on the design of this new sedan at first as it can look a little out of sorts from certain angles. But the more time I spend with it, the more I appreciate its sharp lines and sporty rear shaping.

The small sedan market doesn't have a lot of options now because SUVs are so popular but it's nice to see a design that stands out and the fang-like LED light design at the front and rear, as well as the 18-inch alloy wheels make the K4 look very cool.

The rear doors look sleek because the handle has been hidden in the C-pillar and the K4 is particularly striking in our test model's 'Wave Blue' ($600 RRP) paint colour.

Head inside and you'll find a cabin that looks slick with a two-tone synthetic leather upholstery that feels supple underhand and a plethora of soft touchpoints under all the bits that touch.

The black headliner creates a posh space but the sunroof helps the cabin to feel airy when you need it to.

The dashboard isn't too wide, preferring a sharply linear shape and is headlined by a massive display panel that houses dual 12.3-inch screens and a 5.0-inch climate panel.

There is still a strong presence of plastics inside but you don’t tend to focus on them.

Unlike some other new cars hitting our market, the K4 hasn’t done away with its buttons and dials - and there’s enough to satisfy those who don’t like to rely on a screen for everything. The extra traditional element of the physical gear selector adds to its charm as well. 

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.

The K4 feels big for the class, especially compared to its nearest rivals and that translates to a cabin that feels adult-friendly in both rows. An impressive feat for a small sedan.

Access is the only time you will have moments of 'I should have opted for an SUV'. That's because you will get in your daily squats sliding in and out of the K4 due to its 140mm ground clearance.

The rear doors also feature a wide wing that juts out from the door handle and it catches your hip almost every time you go to close the door.

The wide front seats offer lots of comfort with thick padding and long under-thigh-support. The driver's side is powered with adjustable lumbar support but the passenger seat only offers manual adjustments, which is surprising for a top-grade model. However, both front seats enjoy heat and ventilation functions.

The back bench seat offers similar comfort to the front with seat padding and length but it's not terribly wide and two adults (or child car seats) will fit best.

Amenities and storage is decent for the class with each row enjoying four drink holders and two USB-C ports. Front rowers also get a wireless charging pad and 12-volt socket.

In the front there is a large glove box that fits more than just an owner's manual, a mid-size middle console and a centre console that features retractable cupholders to open up the space if you need to. A dedicated phone cradle with small spaces on each side rounds up individual storage for the front.

In the rear there are two map pockets, a small item cubby next to the USB-C ports and a pair of directional air vents, reading lights and a fold-down armrest.

The boot space is massive for the class at 508L (that's nearing mid-size SUV territory) but the aperture is narrow and I couldn't fit my big booster seat through the opening.

The boot is quite deep as well and you may find yourself climbing into it to retrieve items that roll into the back.

The rear bench seat has a 60/40 split which can help with storage and there is a temporary spare tyre underneath the floor.

While you don't get a powered tailgate in this model, the lid isn't heavy to operate and has a proximity opening function that keeps it practical when you have your hands full.

This just means when you approach and stay near the boot with the key fob on your person the boot lid will pop open for you.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great with crisp graphics and a responsive touchscreen. The menus are in an easy-to-understand layout which you'll get accustomed to in no time. The 5.0-inch climate display sits to the right of this system and it's nice to have it on display all the time.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster isn't all that customisable but it's easy to read with large text and a small menu screen that shows nav directions, trip info or a compass.

The built-in satellite navigation system is easy to get going and to cancel a route guidance, it's a one button affair which is great for when you're on the go.

The system features wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CarPlay is simple to connect to and retained a steady connection this week with feedback from my callers that my voice was clear on calls.

The new K4 sedan is offered in four grades - the base-model S which has an optional 'Safety Pack' available, the mid-spec Sport and Sport+ grades and the flagship GT-Line, which is the model on test for this review.

The GT-Line is sharply priced at $42,990, before on road costs. This positions it in the middle of its small sedan rivals, the Hyundai i30 N Line Premium ($41,500 MSRP) and the Mazda3 Astina ($43,310 MSRP).

What the K4 GT-Line has going for it over its peers is a standard specification list that features some heavy-hitting technology.

This includes dual 12.3-inch displays, a 5.0-inch climate display, built-in satellite navigation with 10-years' of map updates, wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and dual-zone climate control.

Charging is taken care of by two USB-C ports for each row but the front row also enjoys a 12-volt socket and fast wireless charging pad in the dedicated phone cradle.

There's also an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, over-the-air updates, digital radio, AM/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 'Sounds of Nature' soundscape for added ambience.

The Kia Connect app is also included and this allows user access to the emergency call functionality (e-Call), remote control functions for the vehicle, as well as vehicle status monitoring.

Premium equipment includes a tilt and slide sunroof with electric sunshade, two-tone synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, an electric drivers seat (with two-position memory function and adjustable lumbar support) and a heated steering wheel.

For a small sedan, it comes packed with features!

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 flagship grade is front-wheel drive and has a 1.6-litre four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 142kW of power and 265Nm of torque giving this a more powerful presence than its non-turbo siblings (which only produce up to 112kW/192Nm).

However, while the power is adequate for the GT-Line there are times when the engine sounds like it's working a bit too hard.

The eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission can also become flustered as it moves through the lower gears, especially when you’re accelerating quickly.

On the whole, the power delivery and outputs are more than enough for a city environment and the odd road trip.

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.

With an official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel usage figure of 6.7L/100km and a fuel tank size of 47L, this model has a theoretical driving range of 701km. That does sit around 80 kays less than some of its rivals but it’s still sufficient for those wanting to do the odd road trip!

My on-test fuel usage has popped out at 9.2L/100km, which is based on figures achieved at the pump (32.05L) and my km travelled (348km).

I’ve done mostly urban trips this week with one longer open-road drive and overall I’m not too surprised by that figure because I’ve been pushing it hard but it could be better.

The K4 is a simple gal because Kia recommends a minimum 91 RON unleaded petrol to be used for all models.

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.

As mentioned earlier, the power is adequate to move this car around on the open-road but you have to be a little aggressive on hills to keep your speed consistent.

It’s not always quick off the mark, though, and you’ll notice that when you have to cross traffic or enter a roundabout - so allow for extra car lengths. Once you get going, it’s responsive in the city.

The steering is sports-stiff and so is the suspension. This makes the handling feel nimble in turns and sure-footed when doing quick lane changes but you hear and feel every bump in the road. 

On-road comfort is okay around the city but the road noise is very loud inside the cabin and is particularly noticeable at higher speeds. You’ll have to raise your voice to chat to passengers in the back when you're on the highway.

The K4 has a small turning circle of just 10.7m and you can easily do a U-turn in spaces that others might have to do a three-pointer. This made the K4 feel friendly in small car parks and on ramps.

The direct steering makes it easy-enough to park, as does the reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors but I’m pretty disappointed that at the top grade-level, you miss out on a 360-degree camera system (tsk, tsk, Kia).

The Kia K4 has just been launched and hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet, so is unrated but Kia is hustling to get it tested so it can join in on their strong five-star performance record. The K4 has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag.

The K4 GT-Line has all of the bells and whistles when it comes to safety equipment and includes the big-ticket items like blind-spot monitoring and collision avoidance, intelligent seatbelt warning (all seats), rear cross-traffic alert, front cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, leading vehicle alert, emergency call functionality, side exit warning, rear occupant alert, traffic sign recognition, driver monitoring and alert, LED DRLs, dusk-sensing LED headlights, front/rear parking sensors and a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines.

The K4 GT-Line has AEB with forward collision warning, car, pedestrian, cyclist, and junction crossing detection.

The rear seat has two ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

Kia has become well-known for having annoying sound alerts in their cars and while the K4 has them too - you can easily disable the most annoying one, the traffic sign recognition, by holding the steering wheel volume button in for a few seconds.

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.

The K4 GT-Line is offered with Kia’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. That’s a pretty good term for the class and there is a seven-year capped price servicing program for a flat $3877 (averaging $554 per service), which is slightly more expensive than others in the class.

Servicing intervals could get annoying if you do big kays every year as they're spaced at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.