BYD Dolphin vs Leapmotor C10
A detailed look at how two of Australia's most popular cars compare on price, running costs, safety, and everyday livability.
BYD Dolphin scores higher, 76 vs 70
Prices are RRP before on-road costs unless stated otherwise. Always confirm with the manufacturer or dealer before purchasing.
Data checked: specs 30 Sep 2026, price 14 Nov 2026
BYD Dolphin
16 of 27 standard · no option data · 4 not offered · 7 no dataFrom
$29,990
RRP, before on-road costs
- Body
- Hatchback
- Fuel type
- Electric
- Engine
- Electric
- Power
- 70kW
- Energy use
- 15.8 kWh/100km
- Safety
- ANCAP ★5 · 2023
- Boot (seats up)
- 345L
Top CarSorted Score, 76 vs 70
BYD Australia offer: $28,888 drive-away (state not stated), ends 15 Dec 2026. Terms
Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Leapmotor C10
18 of 27 standard · no option data · 9 no dataFrom
$43,888
RRP, before on-road costs
- Body
- SUV
- Fuel type
- Plug-in Hybrid
- Engine
- Petrol
- Power
- 158kW
- Economy
- 0.9 L/100km with a full battery
- Safety
- No data
- Boot (seats up)
- 546L
Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Manufacturer offer
Ends 15 Dec 2026
Offer from BYD Australia, checked 12 Nov 2026
T&Cs apply, as the manufacturer prints them. Eligibility, stock and build limits vary, so confirm the offer with the dealer.
Leapmotor C10: we're still completing kerb weight, 0-100km/h and energy consumption.
A blank cell below means we don't have that figure, not that the car scores badly on it. We leave them empty rather than estimate, so any row where one car is blank isn't a like-for-like comparison yet.
$29,990RRP
- cannot be matched: Wireless Phone Charging and Panoramic Roof not offered
$43,888RRP
- no option data for this car
Printed option prices only. A pack is counted once and makes the figure a floor when it carries no printed price. Nothing is inferred from the other car.
A plug-in hybrid is compared on its fuel use as a hybrid (battery depleted), the figure that is like for like with the other car; its certified combined figure, which assumes every trip starts with a full battery, is printed under it. Electric range is how far it goes before the petrol engine is needed.
Price and cost per week
BYD Dolphin Essential
$29,990
RRP, before on-road costs. Checked 14 Nov 2026
$28,888 drive-away in VIC, as published by BYD Australia
Leapmotor C10 Hybrid Style (REEV)
$43,888
RRP, before on-road costs. Checked 31 May 2026
No published drive-away price on our record.
No lowest cost is named: these totals leave out different parts (2026 BYD Dolphin Essential excludes servicing and insurance; 2024 Leapmotor C10 Hybrid Style (REEV) excludes fuel and insurance).
Every column on the same basis: 15,000 km a year (fixed for every comparison) in VIC, repayment assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Each car's fuel or charging price is in its own breakdown. Estimate only, not a quote or an offer of credit.
No lowest cost is named: these totals leave out different parts (2026 BYD Dolphin Essential excludes servicing and insurance; 2024 Leapmotor C10 Hybrid Style (REEV) excludes fuel and insurance).
Cash outlay over 5 years: the deposit, the repayments and the running costs. Excludes resale value. Every column on the same basis: 15,000 km a year in VIC, repayment assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Estimate only, not a quote or an offer of credit.
Standard features per $10,000: not ranked, too few features are known for both cars. On the rated figures, the Leapmotor C10 leads on price per litre of boot: $87 per litre of boot on RRP for the BYD Dolphin; $80 per litre of boot on RRP for the Leapmotor C10. These ratios are not part of the CarSorted Score.
The BYD Dolphin starts $13,898 lower on RRP.
The BYD Dolphin currently qualifies for the electric-vehicle FBT exemption, which applies to novated leases. The Leapmotor C10 does not: plug-in hybrids lost the fbt exemption on 1 april 2025.
On-road costs (stamp duty, registration, CTP and dealer delivery) depend on your state and the dealer; ask for a written drive-away price before you sign.
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Ways to buy
For the 2 cars on this page.
Finance
From ≈$111/wk(≈$479/mo)
Estimate on the BYD Dolphin at $28,888 drive-away; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Not a quote or an offer of credit.
Compare real car-loan ratesDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Novated lease
Electric, with an RRP under the $91,661 fuel-efficient LCT threshold (2026-27): under the ATO's electric cars exemption a novated lease of an eligible electric car attracts no FBT if luxury car tax was never payable on it. The benefit is still reportable.
Novated lease quoteWork out a lease on the BYD DolphinDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link. Opens apply.driva.com.au in a new tab.
Safety Rundown
We hold no ANCAP data for the Leapmotor C10. With no pair of ratings to compare, the active-safety features in the spec table above are the fairer comparison.
Driver assistance, as the manufacturer lists it
Driver assistance, system by system. We can confirm 7 of 10 key systems on the BYD Dolphin and 8 on the Leapmotor C10.
Swipe across. Tap a feature to see what it does and each car's source.
StandardOptional: printed price, +pack or NCO (no-cost)No, not offeredNo dataCounts beside each car use the same colours; ? is no option data.
From each manufacturer's Australian equipment list. No data means that car's document does not say. The drawings are our own illustrations of how each kind of system works.
Recalls on our record
BYD Dolphin
None open on our record
Leapmotor C10
None open on our record
A recall covers the builds its notice lists, not every car of a model. Check your VIN at vehiclerecalls.gov.au.
Charging and range
The rated figures side by side: electric range and fuel use with the battery depleted for a plug-in hybrid or range extender, the km each battery-electric car adds overnight on its own onboard charger, and the DC time in the window each document prints.
| 2026 BYD Dolphin Essential | 2024 Leapmotor C10 Hybrid Style (REEV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
| Electric range (battery charged) | Not applicable | 145 km |
| Fuel use, battery depleted | Not applicable | No data |
| Added overnight, 10A power point (2.4 kW) | 158 km in 10 h | Not applicable |
| Added overnight, 7.4 kW wallbox | 295 km in 10 hCapped: this car accepts 7 kW AC, a full battery | Not applicable |
| DC fast charge, as printed | 35 min, 0-80% | 18 min, 0-80% |
| Charging connector | CCS2 | Type 2 + CCS2 |
| Portable charger supplied | Supplied | No data |
| Type 2 cable supplied | No data | No data |
| Front boot | No data | No data |
- A plug-in hybrid or range extender without a charge-sustaining fuel figure is not costed or ranked on fuel.
- Km added in 10 hours: the charger rate, capped by the car's own onboard charger, over its own rated energy use. A car without an onboard charger or energy figure is No data, never an assumed rate.
- DC times are printed only in the window the document gives (0-80% or 10-80%). Different windows are not one measure, so nobody leads across them.
How long each takes to charge, from a household power point to a DC fast charger, estimated from battery size and the car's own maximum charge rates.
How long to charge
44.9kWh usablePublic DC
50kW charger · 0–80%
Ultra-rapid DC
Same as public DC: this car caps at 60kW
Estimates from usable battery size and the car's max charge rates (7kW AC, 60kW DC). Real times vary with temperature, starting charge, charger output and the charging curve.
How long to charge
28.4kWh usablePublic DC
50kW charger · 0–80%
Ultra-rapid DC
up to 65kW · 0–80%
Estimates from usable battery size and the car's 65kW DC maximum. No onboard charger figure is held for this car, so the AC times assume 7.4kW: an illustration, not this car's rated figure. Real times vary with temperature, starting charge, charger output and the charging curve.
What's in the boxBYD Dolphin
- Portable chargerSupplied
- Type 2 cableNo data
From the manufacturer's own equipment list for this car. A Type 2 cable is what an untethered public AC post needs; a portable charger plugs into a household socket.
Feature Showdown
The BYD Dolphin features a 12.8-inch touchscreen paired with a 5-inch digital dash, while the Leapmotor C10 gets a 14.6-inch display and 10.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.
The BYD Dolphin stands out with Apple CarPlay: features our data doesn't list for the Leapmotor C10. The Leapmotor C10 counters with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, panoramic roof and power tailgate. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.
Equipment few rivals have, on either carShowHide
Drivetrain
The BYD Dolphin uses a Electric producing 70kW and 180Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a FWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 12.3 seconds.
The Leapmotor C10 responds with a Petrol making 158kW and 320Nm, paired to a automatic driving the rear wheels.
The Leapmotor C10 has the clear power advantage at 158kW vs 70kW. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.
Space & Comfort
The BYD Dolphin measures 4,290mm long on a 2,700mm wheelbase, 449mm shorter than the Leapmotor C10 at 4,739mm (2,825mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Leapmotor C10 generally means more rear legroom.
Boot space is 345L in the BYD Dolphin and 546L in the Leapmotor C10, giving the Leapmotor C10 a 201L advantage.
Neither U-turns in one sweep on a 7 m local street (both need a three-point turn); the BYD Dolphin's turning circle is 1.0 m tighter, 10.4 m against 11.4 m kerb to kerb. The street estimate is indicative, worked from the published turning circles.
Front boot (frunk)
BYD Dolphin
No data
Leapmotor C10
No data
Cost to own
We do not hold a like-for-like fuel or energy figure for both cars, so we do not cost them against each other.
The weekly and 5-year figures in the price section above add repayments, rego, servicing and tyres to this; use our Fuel Cost Calculator for your own driving.
Warranty: 6 years / 150,000 km (BYD Dolphin) and 6 years / 150,000 km (Leapmotor C10).
- No break-even: no energy cost is held for the Leapmotor C10.
Energy only. Excludes servicing, rego, insurance, finance interest and resale. Prices are compared only on one basis.
Where each one leads
The BYD Dolphin: the lower starting price ($29,990 against $43,888).
The Leapmotor C10: more power (158kW against 70kW) and the bigger boot with the seats up (546L against 345L).
The Verdict
BYD Dolphin scores higher, 76 vs 70
The BYD Dolphin scores 76 to the Leapmotor C10's 70 on the CarSorted Score, and leads 2 of the 6 spec rows that separate them, at the lower price. The biggest gaps: safety (BYD Dolphin ahead by 25 points), performance (Leapmotor C10 ahead by 25 points), practicality (Leapmotor C10 ahead by 13 points). Boot space with the seats up: 345L in the BYD Dolphin, 546L in the Leapmotor C10.
Ways to buy
For the 2 cars on this page.
Finance
From ≈$111/wk(≈$479/mo)
Estimate on the BYD Dolphin at $28,888 drive-away; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Not a quote or an offer of credit.
Compare real car-loan ratesDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Novated lease
Electric, with an RRP under the $91,661 fuel-efficient LCT threshold (2026-27): under the ATO's electric cars exemption a novated lease of an eligible electric car attracts no FBT if luxury car tax was never payable on it. The benefit is still reportable.
Novated lease quoteWork out a lease on the BYD DolphinDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link. Opens apply.driva.com.au in a new tab.
Common questions
Which is cheapest, BYD Dolphin and Leapmotor C10?
The BYD Dolphin is the cheapest at $29,990 before on-road costs. That undercuts the Leapmotor C10 by $13,898.
What are the ANCAP safety ratings?
BYD Dolphin holds a 5-star ANCAP rating (tested 2023). We hold no ANCAP data for Leapmotor C10, so there is nothing to compare on crash performance. Compare the active-safety features above instead.
Which has the most boot space?
The Leapmotor C10 has the largest boot at 546L with the seats up.
Which can tow the most?
The Leapmotor C10 has the highest braked towing capacity at 1,500kg.
Which is the most powerful?
The Leapmotor C10 makes the most power at 158kW.
Track the BYD Dolphin & Leapmotor C10
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How to read this page. Prices, specifications, ANCAP ratings, warranty, the CarSorted Score and the verdict come from our records for the grades shown, sourced from the manufacturers' Australian documents, and change when those records change; the date each was last checked is printed under the headline. Prices are recommended retail prices before on-road costs unless marked drive-away. A plug-in hybrid's fuel figure is labelled with its basis: with a full battery (the certified combined figure) or as a hybrid (battery depleted). Charging and running costs are estimates on the stated assumptions. Always confirm price and specification with the manufacturer or dealer before you buy. CarSorted does not accept payment for recommendations.
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