BYD Dolphin or BYD Atto 2? Same brand, Rs 4.8 lakh apart: which to buy
Wheels of Nepal · पछिल्लो अद्यावधिक: · ७ मिनेट पढ्न
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Pick the BYD Dolphin (Rs 41.15 lakh) if you want the most claimed range and the longest warranty for the least money. Pick the BYD Atto 2 (from Rs 45.95 lakh) if you want an SUV's 200 mm ground clearance, more power and phone mirroring, and can live with a shorter warranty (indicative ex-showroom prices on the official Cimex site, checked October 2026).
BYD Dolphinरु ४१.१५ लाखvs
BYD ATTO 2रु ४५.९५ लाख – रु ५१,९९,९९९Compare side by side →This is a common question at BYD showrooms. Both cars come from Cimex, the BYD distributor, and share its dealers and workshops. The Dolphin is a five-door hatchback; the Atto 2 is a small SUV. The Dolphin is one of BYD's two best sellers here: Cimex said over 2,500 had been sold in Nepal by December 2025, The Himalayan Times reported.
We have not driven either car. Everything below comes from Cimex's official Nepal pages, and we do not pick a winner on things we cannot measure.
Price and variants
| Model and variant | Battery | Range (WLTP) | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin (one version) | 44.9 kWh | 340 km | Rs 41,15,000 |
| Atto 2 Essential | 45.12 kWh | 312 km | Rs 45,95,000 |
| Atto 2 Premium | 51.13 kWh | 345 km | Rs 48,99,000 |
| Atto 2 Superior | 51.13 kWh | 345 km | Rs 51,99,999 |
The cheapest-to-cheapest gap is Rs 4.80 lakh. Matching the Dolphin's range in an Atto 2 means the Premium, Rs 7.84 lakh more, for just 5 km extra on paper. The top Atto 2 Superior costs Rs 10.85 lakh more than the Dolphin.
Range, battery and charging
| Dolphin | 340 km |
|---|---|
| Atto 2 Essential | 312 km |
| Atto 2 Premium | 345 km |
| Atto 2 Superior | 345 km |
Source: Cimex (BYD Nepal) official model pages, checked October 2026
Both cars quote WLTP range, so the figures compare fairly. With almost the same battery (44.9 against 45.12 kWh), the Dolphin claims 28 km more than the Atto 2 Essential. Its WLTP figures work out to about 13.2 kWh per 100 km, against 14.5 for the Atto 2 Essential.
| Dolphin | Atto 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor power | 70 kW | 100 kW |
| Torque | 180 Nm | 290 Nm |
| 0–100 km/h (claimed) | 12.3 seconds | 9 seconds |
| DC fast charging | 60 kW (CCS2); 20–80% in 42 minutes | not stated |
| AC charging | 7 kW (Type 2) | not stated |
| Battery type | BYD Blade | BYD Blade |
The Atto 2 has 30 kW more power and 110 Nm more torque, and BYD claims it is more than 3 seconds quicker to 100 km/h. These are the brand's claims; we have not tested them. Cimex publishes no charging figures for the Atto 2, so ask the dealer for its DC charging power and times.
Space, features and safety we can confirm
| Dolphin | Atto 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | hatchback | small SUV |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Boot (seats up / folded) | 345 / 1,310 litres | 380 / 1,320 litres |
| Ground clearance | not stated | 200 mm |
| Touchscreen | not stated (a large display is mentioned) | 12.8-inch, rotating |
| Apple CarPlay / Android Auto | not listed | wired and wireless |
| Seat trim | vegan leather sports seats, multi-way adjustment | vegan leather, ventilated front seats |
| Wireless phone charging | not listed | 50 W, cooled |
| Brakes | disc front (ventilated) and rear | not stated |
| Euro NCAP | 5 stars (2023, European car) | no crash-test result found |
The Atto 2 has the bigger boot with the seats up (35 litres more) and the only published ground clearance. Its 200 mm figure helps on rough roads, speed bumps and steep driveways. The Dolphin's page gives no clearance figure; ask the dealer before you assume it suits your road.
Euro NCAP gave the Dolphin five stars in 2023, testing a European-specification car. We found no Euro NCAP crash test of the Atto 2. Neither is a test of the exact Nepal car. Neither Cimex page gives an airbag count, so ask for a variant-wise equipment sheet.
Running cost and EMI
On electricity, the two are close. Using each car's WLTP figures and Rs 11.55 per unit (NEA's Rs 11 top domestic rate plus the 5% VAT reported by The Kathmandu Post), at 1,500 km a month:
| Dolphin | Atto 2 Essential | Atto 2 Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy per 100 km (battery ÷ WLTP range) | 13.2 kWh | 14.5 kWh | 14.8 kWh |
| Cost per km | Rs 1.53 | Rs 1.67 | Rs 1.71 |
| Electricity per month | about Rs 2,290 | about Rs 2,505 | about Rs 2,570 |
| Maximum loan (60%) | Rs 24.69 lakh | Rs 27.57 lakh | Rs 29.39 lakh |
| Down payment (40%) | Rs 16.46 lakh | Rs 18.38 lakh | Rs 19.60 lakh |
| EMI, 5 years at 7.9% | about Rs 49,900 | about Rs 55,800 | about Rs 59,500 |
The bigger difference is the loan. Choosing the Atto 2 Essential over the Dolphin adds about Rs 1.92 lakh to the down payment and about Rs 5,800 to every monthly payment.
Annual tax: both motors (70 kW and 100 kW) fall in the 51–125 kW band, which Ratopati lists at Rs 15,000 a year in Bagmati for FY 2083/84, so tax does not separate them.
Warranty and service network
| Dolphin | Atto 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery and vehicle warranty | 8 years / 1,60,000 km | 6 years / 1,50,000 km |
| Conditions | terms, conditions and exclusions apply | terms, conditions and exclusions apply |
| Showrooms (Cimex) | 16 | 16 |
| Service points (Cimex) | 16 | 16 |
The cheaper car has the longer warranty: two more years and 10,000 km more. Because both are sold and serviced by Cimex, the network is identical: 16 sales points and 16 service points in 15 cities across six provinces, listed on the official dealer and service pages. See the BYD dealer list for your nearest workshop. Our EV battery warranty guide explains what to check in the booklet.
Which one should you buy?
- If you want the most range per rupee, choose the Dolphin: 340 km WLTP for Rs 41.15 lakh, more than the Atto 2 Essential's 312 km.
- If a long warranty matters most, choose the Dolphin: 8 years against the Atto 2's 6.
- If your road is rough or your driveway steep, the Atto 2's published 200 mm ground clearance is the safer choice; ask Cimex for the Dolphin's figure first.
- If you want more power on paper, or CarPlay and Android Auto, the Atto 2's extra 30 kW and listed equipment justify the Rs 4.80 lakh.
For every spec side by side, open Dolphin vs Atto 2 in the compare tool. For each car on its own, read BYD Dolphin in Nepal and BYD Atto 2 in Nepal. If you are also weighing the bigger Atto 3, read Atto 3 vs Atto 2; for other cars in this budget, see the best electric cars under Rs 40 lakh.
Also consider
स्रोतहरू
- Cimex (BYD Nepal) – BYD Dolphin model page (specifications, warranty, boot)
- Cimex (BYD Nepal) – BYD ATTO 2 model page (variants, specifications, warranty, features)
- Cimex (BYD Nepal) – Price list
- Cimex (BYD Nepal) – Find a dealer and Service network
- The Himalayan Times – BYD Dolphin crosses 1 million global sales, over 2,500 units sold in Nepal (December 2025)
- The Kathmandu Post – Nepal shifts gears as EVs hit 73 percent of 4-wheeler imports (28 July 2025)
- Euro NCAP – BYD Dolphin, 2023 assessment (European-specification car)
- Nepal Electricity Authority – Consumer tariff rates (domestic single-phase slabs)
- The Kathmandu Post – Households using over 50 electricity units to pay five percent VAT (18 July 2026)
- Nepal Bank Limited – Interest rates (EV loan, fixed 5 years, effective Kartik 1, 2083)
- Business 360 – Monetary policy mid-term review: vehicle loan ratio set at 60% (26 February 2025)
- Ratopati – In which province is the annual vehicle tax cheaper? (FY 2083/84 rates by province)
#ev#byd#dolphin#atto-2#hatchback#electric-suv#comparison
