BYD Dolphin v MG4 v GWM Ora 2024 Comparison

There’s a power struggle going on at the moment between a trio of Chinese car-makers all vying for the title of Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle.

The MG4 51kWh Excite was the first to the throne last year with an asking price of $38,990 plus on-road costs, but its reign only lasted a couple of days before it was usurped by the BYD Dolphin Dynamic ($38,890 plus ORCs).

Now GWM-Haval Australia is weighing in with a temporary $4000 discount off its small electric hatchback range, which sees the base GWM Ora Standard Range priced from just $35,990 plus ORCs until March 31.

With the rivalry hotting up we thought we’d take a quick look at the three cheapest versions of the Dolphin, MG4 and Ora to see how they compare like for like in the key metrics of price, warranty, performance, range and practicality.

All three of these affordable electric hatchbacks are gamechangers in the EV market and all three are priced alarmingly similarly.

The 2024 BYD Dolphin Dynamic is the cheapest of the three, retailing from $38,890 plus on-road costs, undercutting both the $39,990 2024 MG4 51kWh Excite (the entry variant had $1000 added to its asking price at the start of this year) and the $39,990 2024 GWM Ora Standard Range by $1100.

But that’s not the end of the story because GWM is offering a $4000 discount across the Ora range until March 31, meaning the cheapest Standard Range grade can be had from just $35,990 plus ORCs, thereby handing it the crown as Australia’s cheapest EV – at least temporarily.

One area in which the Ora wins outright and not just temporarily, however, is warranty coverage: seven-years/unlimited-kilometres and an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre battery warranty.

The MG4 gets close to matching the Ora with an identical seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, but that includes its battery pack whereas the Dolphin is only covered for six years/150,000km (whichever comes first), while its battery is covered for up to eight years/160,000km.

All three of these vehicles are powered by a single electric motor powered by a modestly-sized battery pack, yielding similarly unremarkable outputs and driving ranges – but there are some big differences between these entry-level powertrains.

Starting with power and performance, the MG4 51kWh Excite is the clear winner here with its rear-mounted motor pumping out 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, helping it claim a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.7 seconds.

The GWM Ora Standard Range actually beats the MG on power with 126kW/250Nm but loses out on outright performance with an 8.4sec 0-100km/h time that’s more than half a second off the MG4’s pace.

Still, it’s miles ahead of the BYD Dolphin Dynamic’s 70kW/180Nm outputs and 12.3sec 0-100km/h time.

And for reference, the Ora and Dolphin are both front-wheel drive while the base MG4 is rear-drive, making somewhat more of a driver’s car.

The MG’s 51kWh battery also means it has the longest WLTP driving range of the trio at 350km, however, the BYD and its 44.9kWh Blade unit runs a close second with a claimed range of 340km – which puts it literally miles ahead of the GWM, which will only cover up to 310km on a full charge despite having the second-biggest battery (48kWh).

All three of these cars are sold as traditional small cars and rub shoulders with established heroes like the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Mazda3.

Practicality is a key component of the small hatch recipe and to this end the MG4 51kWh Excite and BYD Dolphin Dynamic are effectively lineball, while the GWM Ora Standard Range falls behind.

The MG4 has the biggest boot of the three at 363 litres (versus 345L and 228L respectively), but the Dolphin offers significantly more space when the rear seats are folded, with a maximum cargo volume of 1310 litres compared to the MG’s 1177L and Ora’s 858L.

The outcome may not surprise many given the MG4 was named 2023 carsales Car of the Year in November, but even when you take the driving element out of the equation the MG4 51kWh Excite emerges as the winner of this benchtest alongside its two arch-rivals.

It’s not the cheapest vehicle of the three, but it’s close and it offers the strongest performance, longest range, biggest boot and second-best warranty coverage.

The battle for second, however, is a bit harder to call when you factor in the GWM Ora Standard Range’s headline-grabbing promotional pricing, but remove that from the equation and it doesn’t quite stack-up – on paper – against the BYD Dolphin Dynamiq.

The BYD counters the GWM’s outright performance and superior warranty with a notably longer driving range, much bigger cabin and, come April at least, an $1100 price advantage.

But while the Ora’s on special, we’ll call it a tie.

How much does the 2024 BYD Dolphin Dynamic cost?
$38,890 plus ORCs

How much does the 2024 MG4 51kWh Excite cost?
$39,990 plus ORCs

How much does the 2024 GWM Ora Standard Range cost?
$39,990 plus ORCs ($35,990 plus ORCs until March 31)