BYD Seal vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

What's the difference?

BYD. The three letters which keep auto executives from the world's top brands up at night.

The brand’s meteoric rise in Australia from a trickle of imports to a torrent of Chinese-built EVs, outselling even Tesla in the first month of 2024, is testament to this relative newcomer’s ability to surprise and impress its buyers and the industry as a whole.

The car we’re looking at for this review, the Seal, could be its biggest challenge yet. Not only does it have to compete head-to-head with the car which put EVs on the map for mainstream buyers - the Tesla Model 3 - but it also has to vie for a share of the increasingly shrinking sedan market.

So, what’s the deal with the Seal? Is it any good? And, why did BYD choose to name it after a marine mammal? Read on to find out.

Mercedes-Benz has shifted its CLA compact coupe-style sedan from support player to headline act with the introduction of this all-new, third-generation version.

It exemplifies the German giant’s multi-powertrain approach with an expansion of the local line-up from two pure-combustion variants to a five-model range comprising three hybrid and two pure-electric options.       

CarsGuide was invited to sample the hybrid version of the newcomer (the EVs arrive in July), so stay with us to see if this sleek four-door is your kind of premium European compact sedan.