BYD Dolphin vs MG MGS5
Two electric cars go head to head. Which EV is the better buy for Australian drivers in 2026?
BYD Dolphin scores higher, 76 vs 72
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 72
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.
MG MGS5
23 of 27 standard · no option data · 4 no dataPrice TBC
The manufacturer has not published an Australian price for this model yet.
- Body
- SUV
- Fuel type
- Electric
- Engine
- Electric Motor
- Power
- 125kW
- Energy use
- 16.9 kWh/100km
- Safety
- ANCAP ★5 · 2025
- Boot (seats up)
- 453L
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.
MG MGS5: we're still completing price, turning circle, electric range 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: Rain-Sensing Wipers, Wireless Phone Charging, Heated Front Seats and 1 more not offered
No price
- no price to build from against the BYD Dolphin
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.
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
MG MGS5 Essence 49
No price published
The manufacturer has not published an Australian price.
$42,990 drive-away in VIC, as published by MG Australia
No lowest cost is named: these totals leave out different parts (2026 BYD Dolphin Essential excludes servicing and insurance; 2026 MGS5 Essence 49 excludes 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; 2026 MGS5 Essence 49 excludes 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, the prices are on different bases. Price per km of range: not ranked, the prices are on different bases. Price per kW: not ranked, the prices are on different bases. Price per litre of boot: not ranked, the prices are on different bases. These ratios are not part of the CarSorted Score.
The BYD Dolphin currently qualifies for the electric-vehicle FBT exemption, which applies to novated leases. The MG MGS5 does not: no price recorded, so eligibility cannot be assessed.
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
ANCAP lists the BYD Dolphin at 5 stars (2023) and the MG MGS5 at 5 stars (2025). ANCAP tested these in different years (2023 vs 2025). Its criteria get stricter about every three years, so the stars are not like for like. Adult occupant protection scored 89% for the BYD Dolphin and 90% for the MG MGS5, under different test years.
Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. We can confirm 7 of 10 key ADAS systems on the BYD Dolphin, against 6 on the MG MGS5.
Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera.
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 6 on the MG MGS5.
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
MG MGS5
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 | 2026 MGS5 Essence 49 | |
|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | Battery electric | Battery electric |
| Added overnight, 10A power point (2.4 kW) | 158 km in 10 h | 142 km in 10 h |
| Added overnight, 7.4 kW wallbox | 295 km in 10 hCapped: this car accepts 7 kW AC, a full battery | 367 km in 10 hCapped: a full battery |
| Added overnight, 11 kW three-phase | 295 km in 10 hCapped: this car accepts 7 kW AC, a full battery | 367 km in 10 hCapped: a full battery |
| DC fast charge, as printed | 35 min, 0-80% | 20 min, 0-80% |
| Charging connector | CCS2 | CCS2 |
| Portable charger supplied | Supplied | No data |
| Type 2 cable supplied | No data | No data |
| Front boot | No data | No data |
- 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
62kWh usablePublic DC
50kW charger · 0–80%
Ultra-rapid DC
up to 120kW · 0–80%
Estimates from usable battery size and the car's max charge rates (11kW AC, 120kW DC). 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 MG MGS5 gets a 12.8-inch display and 10.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.
The BYD Dolphin stands out with Apple CarPlay and V2L: features our data doesn't list for the MG MGS5. The MG MGS5 counters with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, panoramic roof, heated front seats 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 MG MGS5 responds with a Electric Motor making 125kW and 250Nm, paired to a automatic driving the rear wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds.
The MG MGS5 has the clear power advantage at 125kW vs 70kW. In the 0-100 sprint (manufacturer-claimed), the MG MGS5 is 4.1s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.
Battery: 44.9kWh (BYD Dolphin) vs 49kWh (MG MGS5). DC fast charging peaks at 60kW (BYD Dolphin) vs 120kW (MG MGS5).
Space & Comfort
The BYD Dolphin measures 4,290mm long on a 2,700mm wheelbase, 186mm shorter than the MG MGS5 at 4,476mm (2,730mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the MG MGS5 generally means more rear legroom.
Boot space is 345L in the BYD Dolphin and 453L in the MG MGS5, giving the MG MGS5 a 108L advantage.
The BYD Dolphin turns in a 10.4 m circle, kerb to kerb; the MG MGS5's turning circle is not on our record.
Front boot (frunk)
BYD Dolphin
No data
MG MGS5
No data
Cost to own
At 15,000 km a year, electricity for the BYD Dolphin costs about $684 a year (15.8 kWh/100km, at $0.30/kWh electricity) and electricity for the MG MGS5 about $761 a year (16.9 kWh/100km, at $0.30/kWh electricity). That is $77 a year less for the BYD Dolphin.
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 10 years / 250,000 km (MG MGS5).
- No break-even: the prices are on different bases (BYD Dolphin: RRP; MG MGS5: drive-away (VIC)).
Energy only. Excludes servicing, rego, insurance, finance interest and resale. Prices are compared only on one basis.
Where each one leads
The BYD Dolphin: lower fuel or energy costs on our assumptions ($684 a year against $761).
The MG MGS5: more power (125kW against 70kW), the bigger boot with the seats up (453L against 345L) and the longer warranty not tied to dealer servicing (7 years against 6).
The Verdict
BYD Dolphin scores higher, 76 vs 72
The BYD Dolphin scores 76 to the MG MGS5's 72 on the CarSorted Score, and leads 2 of the 9 spec rows that separate them. The biggest gaps: performance (MG MGS5 ahead by 22 points), value (BYD Dolphin ahead by 19 points), technology (MG MGS5 ahead by 8 points). At 15,000 km a year, electricity for the BYD Dolphin costs about $77 less (15.8 kWh/100km against 16.9 kWh/100km, at $0.30/kWh electricity). Boot space with the seats up: 345L in the BYD Dolphin, 453L in the MG MGS5.
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 MG MGS5?
The BYD Dolphin is the cheapest at $29,990 before on-road costs.
Which has the longest driving range?
The BYD Dolphin has the most range at 340km (WLTP).
Which charges fastest?
The MG MGS5 accepts the highest DC charging at up to 120kW.
What are the ANCAP safety ratings?
BYD Dolphin holds a 5-star ANCAP rating (tested 2023) and MG MGS5 holds a 5-star ANCAP rating (tested 2025). ANCAP tested these in different years (2023 vs 2025). Its criteria get stricter about every three years, so the stars are not like for like. Compare the active-safety features above to separate them.
Which has the most boot space?
The MG MGS5 has the largest boot at 453L with the seats up.
Which has the best warranty?
The MG MGS5 has the longest warranty that does not depend on dealer servicing at 7 years.
Which is the most powerful?
The MG MGS5 makes the most power at 125kW. The MG MGS5 is quickest to 100km/h in 8.2s.
Track the BYD Dolphin & MG MGS5
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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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