BYD DOLPHIN SURF vs GWM Ora 03

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

BYD DOLPHIN SURF in South Africa

BYD DOLPHIN SURF

Dynamic EV Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 395,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 55 kW 🔧 135 Nm
VS
GWM Ora 03 in South Africa

GWM Ora 03

400 Ultra Luxury Electric Current
ZAR 805,950 ex-showroom
⚡ 126 kW 🔧 250 Nm
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Ora 03
Fuel Economy Tie
🛡 Safety Not enough comparable data
📦 Practicality Ora 03
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
DOLPHIN SURF starts ZAR 345,050 cheaper DOLPHIN SURF from ZAR 341,900 · Ora 03 from ZAR 686,950

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec DOLPHIN SURF Ora 03
Maximum Power 55 kW 126 kW
Maximum Torque 135 Nm 250 Nm
Engine Size Not Applicable Not Applicable
Combined Fuel Economy Not Applicable Not Applicable
Ground Clearance 155 mm 145 mm
Boot / Load Bay 230 l -
Airbags 6 Dual SRS, front side, side curtain and front centre airbags
Kerb Weight 1280 kg 1685 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 3 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit 5 Years / 100,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

DOLPHIN SURF and Ora 03 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Ora 03 +27 pts
Efficiency Equal
Practicality Ora 03 +5 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

DOLPHIN SURF

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use
Catalogue-index leader

Ora 03

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

DOLPHIN SURF

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Ora 03

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec DOLPHIN SURF Ora 03
Model Introduced Year 2025 Current local generation year not confirmed
Generation First South African DOLPHIN SURF generation Current South African Ora 03 listing; generation notes should be kept tied to the local model year and confirmed derivative data.
Facelift History No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026 Model-year updates can affect trim, wheels, screens, safety equipment and colours. Use the latest South African price list when checking a specific vehicle.
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Hatchback Electric hatchback
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Active published
Segment City Hatchback Hatchback
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle Hatchback
Color Note - Colour availability changes by model year, production batch and dealer stock, check the current colour selector before ordering.
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Tare Mass Kg - 1685 kg
Spec DOLPHIN SURF Ora 03
Length 3925 mm 4235 mm
Width 1720 mm 1825 mm
Height 1590 mm 1603 mm
Wheelbase 2500 mm 2650 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 155 mm 145 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 120 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 0 l -
Boot/Cargo Space 230 l -
Kerb Weight 1280 kg 1685 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1690 kg 2120 kg
Payload Capacity 410 kg 435 kg
Towing Capacity 0 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 4.95 m -
Front Headroom 980 mm -
Rear Headroom 920 mm -
Front Legroom 1060 mm -
Rear Legroom 690 mm -

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Ora 03 leads by 3 points

DOLPHIN SURF and Ora 03 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 64 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 50% source coverage
64
#1 Index leader

Ora 03

50% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 90 Check Performance 52
Performance 52
Efficiency 90
Practicality 56
Ownership 65
Leads by 3 points
61
#2

DOLPHIN SURF

60% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 90 Check Performance 25
Performance 25
Efficiency 90
Safety 87
Practicality 51
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Ora 03 +27 Efficiency Level Practicality Ora 03 +5

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Ora 03

Performance 52/100
Efficiency 90/100
Practicality 56/100
Ownership 65/100

DOLPHIN SURF

Performance 25/100
Efficiency 90/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 51/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 GWM Ora 03 leads the catalogue index with 64 pts vs 61 pts for DOLPHIN SURF

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Ora 03 leads. However, DOLPHIN SURF may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This DOLPHIN SURF and Ora 03 comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: DOLPHIN SURF 25 vs Ora 03 52.

Efficiency index: DOLPHIN SURF 90 vs Ora 03 90.

Safety-equipment index: DOLPHIN SURF 87 vs Ora 03 not separately scored.

Practicality index: DOLPHIN SURF 51 vs Ora 03 56.

Ownership-cover index: DOLPHIN SURF not separately scored vs Ora 03 65.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.