What's going on with BYD's hot hatch? 2024 Dolphin Sport axed as brand makes way for higher-volume models later this year

BYD has axed its upcoming Dolphin Sport hot hatch, reportedly reaching out to those with orders to inform them the model will no longer be coming to Australia.

The Dolphin Sport was meant to offer a higher-performance version of the brand’s hatchback model, complete with a bodykit, unique wheels, and more power than the existing car’s most potent 150kW variant.

However, the variant doesn’t exist in its Chinese home market, and reports say the Sport grade was something specially requested from the factory by BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect.

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The variant was cancelled by BYD following what some are reporting to be a weak pre-order response, with the brand claiming it was focusing on volume with the Seal U plug-in hybrid, mid-size SUV set to arrive later in 2024. References to the Dolphin Sport have now been removed from the brand's website.

CarsGuide has reached out to EVDirect for comment on the variant's cancellation.

Customers who had an order banked will reportedly be offered a discount toward an alternate BYD model. The brand was not only taking orders for the Sport, but had even priced it at $49,890, suggesting the variant was at very least in the late stages of development prior to being axed. It was notably priced only $5100 more than the next variant down, the 150kW Dolphin Premium.

The Dolphin Sport was meant to offer a higher-performance version of the brand’s hatchback model, complete with a bodykit and unique wheels.

The Dolphin Sport could have been an intriguing rival to MG’s MG4 XPower hot hatch, which has created something of a buzz for being the first performance-oriented model from China. MG will follow it up with the Cyberster electric drop-top imminently.

Meanwhile BYD is working on launching its plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV before the end of 2024, with the much-anticipated ute to follow. It, too, will use the brand’s 'DM-i' plug-in hybrid technology at its launch, but fully electric versions of both vehicles are said to be on the cards for the brand’s future line-up, too.

The variant was cancelled by BYD following what some are reporting to be a weak pre-order response.

Other ambitions for the local importer include the launch of the YangWang U8 large luxury SUV, which the brand told CarsGuide could be on-sale in Australia within two years. The massive PHEV SUV costs the equivalent of $235,000 in its Chinese home market, and would give BYD locally one of the broadest starting price spreads in the local market if its plans come to fruition.

BYD managed to outsell Tesla for the first time for the month of January 2024, on the back of increased availability of its Dolphin hatchback and new Seal sedan as Tesla continues to wrestle with supply issues. BYD has ambitions to be a “top 5 brand” in Australia “somewhere within 2025.”