BYD Seal vs Mercedes-Benz Cle53

What's the difference?

Those big auto executives have good reason to be worried, because the Seal is yet another impressive offering from China’s most formidable EV player.

It’s not perfect. In some ways it’s trying too hard to be a luxury car, and I think the software in particular could use a little work, but the Seal just does so much right I think it will be hard to be disappointed with one, particularly given its keen entry price.

In fact, if we had to pick one from the range, it would probably be this mid-spec Premium. The range and power on offer are stellar, and all for less money than an entry-level Model 3 or Polestar 2.

The AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ is formidable yet friendly, ferocious yet refined and fun yet functional.

Yes, the price is edging up to previous 63 flagship levels, and it can become a bit noisy inside, but the four-seater coupe’s specification, speed, sophistication and balance are compelling reasons to consider this if your shortlist also includes an Audi RS5 or BMW M4.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Seal looks great. It’s about as modern a take on the traditional three-box sedan as you can get. It’s low-slung with curvy lines and a sporty overall feel.

The design touches, like the headlight and DRL surrounds, side skirts, and wheels are maximalist compared to the minimalist vibes of the Model 3 and the Polestar 2. But I don’t necessarily think that's a bad thing as it offers buyers a genuine alternative.

I also like the way the brand has executed the LED lights and particularly the tail-light fittings. There’s also an admirable restraint when it comes to badging compared to a lot of this car’s Chinese rivals. It doesn’t give off the vibe of a cut-price product at all.

Inside there are elements which are appealing, and some things which fall short. First up, I do think the Seal wears its influences throughout the industry on its sleeve a bit.

The digital dash cluster theme, for example, seems to (poorly) emulate the Mercedes-Benz software, the little plastic crystal shifter piece on the inside seems to have been overtly influenced by a similar (actual crystal) piece available in Volvos, while the centre screen and dual wireless phone chargers are pretty obviously BYD’s take on the similar bits available in the Model 3.

Maybe in this sense, it’s trying a little too hard to be a luxury car and a tech-heavy electric vehicle, with items which aren’t quite up to the same quality (particularly the software). But then, it all works well enough, and can you complain at the price?

One thing I think BYD gets right though is the level of comfort on offer in the cabin and the clever little styling bits which remind you of its namesake.

The door handle pieces and integrated speaker bits are shaped like a Seal flipper. As are the dash-mounted air vents, and if you look closely even the plastic garnish on the steering wheel looks a bit like a top-down cross section of the animal.

I like it because its subtle rather than in-your-face as some of the Atto 3's design elements are.

The quality is also up to muster, big time. There wasn’t a creak, groan, or rattle from this car’s interior in my entire time with it, including on some of Sydney's worst roads. And the seats, which are designed like absolute thrones, are clad in lovely soft leather. You sink into them. Even the two-tone Alcantara finish through the doors and centre console is thoughtfully placed.

Crisp and aero clean with a handsome fastback silhouette, the CLE’s design is very much in the mould of a modern-day C-Class coupe, but with larger proportions in line with what a contemporary E-Class coupe would look like.

It employs the same architecture as the W205 C-Class and W214 E-Class sedans.

Length, width, height and wheelbase measurements are 4850mm, 1861mm, 1423mm and 2865mm, respectively.

Wearing the AMG suffix means the CLE 53’s body differs in small but important ways to the regular C236 coupes.

The front end, for instance, adopts what Mercedes calls a ‘shark nose’ look, for a suitably more macho visage, with vertical slats in the grille and larger air intakes that ultimately aid cooling and performance.

Meanwhile, the tracks are broader by 61mm at the front and 45mm at the rear, and are matched by mudguards that are 58mm and 75mm wider, respectively. This certainly gives the AMG a hunky appearance.

Speaking of which, further AMG visual titivations include a discernibly larger bulge on the bonnet feeding into (functional) side air vents, along with 20-inch specific alloy wheels, as well as a 'Night Package' I and II, comprising black trim elements all around.

A model-specific wider body kit, lip spoiler, twin pairs of tailpipes, diffuser insert and 20-inch AMG alloy wheels complete the CLE’s gymnasium makeover.

Result? The sleek and muscular body’s extra girth, fatter footwear and darkened highlights make the 53 look as menacing as any AMG forbear, setting a very high bar for the CLE 63 to beat when it eventually surfaces. Great work, Affalterbach!

The Seal has a huge cabin, and in a lot of ways it feels like the large sedans of old. You can sit nice and low in the cabin, and there’s heaps of knee and headroom thanks to its width.

Soft-clad materials for resting your knees and elbows on go a long way towards keeping this car comfortable on longer journeys, and the presence of a digital dash and a holographic head-up display is nice to have compared to the bare-bones dash of the Tesla Model 3.

The wacky rotating central touchscreen feature makes an appearance from other BYDs, but again, it’s a bit silly and I’m not sure how much use you’ll get out of it. Even Apple CarPlay only works in landscape mode, so I didn’t find it useful.

Practicality features are abundant, with a large bottle holder in the doors, and two more in the centre console. One even has a floating floor, so you can push it down to accommodate large bottles if need be.

Dual wireless chargers are always a nice touch, and the bridge-style console has a large pass-through storage area underneath, which also hides the USB-C, USB-A, and 12V outlets. The armrest console box is nice and deep, too.

The back seat is enormous. Possibly one of the largest spaces in this segment. It comes at a cost to boot capacity, but your rear passengers won’t want for space no matter how tall they are.

At 182cm tall I had leagues of airspace behind my own driving position, and the wide cabin, accommodating seats, and flat floor mean the centre position is even useful for a full-sized adult.

Storage comes in the form of three pockets on the back of each front seat, a large bottle holder in the doors, two cupholders in the drop-down armrests, a small tray on the back of the centre console, and a small flip-out cover which reveals a USB-C and USB-A charging port for rear passengers. The rear seat even gets dual adjustable air vents, but no third climate zone.

The massive fixed glass roof looks the business and keeps the cabin airy, just like in the Model 3 and Polestar 2, but I find these big glass fittings tend to cook interiors in the Australian sun.

BYD tells us the tint is so heavy it has a ‘solar transmittance’ of just 16 per cent, but 16 per cent is still a lot in Australian summer. Thankfully, unlike its two rivals, BYD ships the Seal with a fold-out cover screen as standard.

Remember how I said the massive rear seat comes at a cost to boot space? At 400 litres the Seal’s boot is a bit compact, made worse by the fact it’s a sedan and not a liftback, so the access area is a bit narrow.

It could only fit the largest CarsGuide luggage case alongside the smallest one, but not all three including the medium case. This could be a blow to family buyers who need to fit a pram alongside other things.

Under the floor there’s an extra space great for the storage of your V2L adapter and AC charging cable, but there’s also only a tyre repair kit and no spare.

The interior dons a C-Class-in-drag-race do-over. Frankly, the latest – and much more modern-looking – E-Class sedan’s dashboard would have been preferable, however, given its tech-heavy panorama of screens.

For its AMG 53 outing, the cabin boasts an AMG-specific steering wheel with performance mode knobs, a 12.3-inch driver display brandishing a variety of instrumentation styles (including 'Race', 'Sport', 'Classic' and minimal screens) and a multimedia system with track telemetry data within a tablet-style 11.9-inch touchscreen.

There's also electric and heated ‘integral’ sports seats with memory, 'Anthracite' trim elements set against high gloss black inserts, 64 questionable shades of ambient lighting and banging Burmester premium audio with no fewer than 17 speakers.

This is a roomy and well-presented cabin, offering space to spread out up front, a superb driving position, exceptional seat support, quality materials and a decent level of practicality.

Storage is plentiful, most switchgear is within easy reach and the multimedia system is easy to fathom after you’ve taken the time to familiarise yourself with it.

On the other hand, the glossy plastics do not look or feel as elevated as, say, a Porsche’s interior, the air vents feel flimsy to the touch, while trim squeaks were occasionally heard over some rougher road surfaces. It’s not as solid as you’d expect from a Mercedes at this price point.

Rear access is tight due to a slim aperture, as almost all coupes are, but once sat on the contoured rear bucket seats, most adults should find it tolerable unless they’re especially long-legged or over 185cm or so tall.

Further back, a handy 410-litre boot is provided, with a folding rear seat backrest to boost cargo capacity even further, underlying the CLE’s family-friendly packaging.

Note, though, that this is 10L shy of the regular non-AMG models, and smaller than the Audi RS5 (465L) or BMW M4's (440L) boot.

Plus, no spare wheel is available – just a tyre repair kit.

Starting from $158,900 (all prices are before on-road costs), the 330kW/560Nm CLE 53 4Matic+ is an AMG product with a reputation to uphold. Thus, it comes with performance-enhancement items, like all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering (4WS), adaptive dampers and variable-ratio steering. 

Additionally, for Australia, the 'AMG Dynamic Plus Package' is standard, bringing a 12-second over-boost that bumps torque up to 600Nm and special engine mounts that harmonise with the adaptive dampers for better performance response.

There's also a ‘Race’ mode offering maximum power and traction-off settings for track-work shenanigans, a brand-specific steering wheel with fast-access driving-control buttons, performance telemetry data display, galvanised paddle shifters, and 20-inch AMG alloys shod with performance tyres, amongst other goodies.

These come on top of LED headlights (with 1.1 megapixels of light), a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch customisable digital instrumentation, a driver-orientated 11.9-inch touchscreen display, 64-colour ambient lighting, heated electric front seats, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration, 17-speaker Burmester premium audio, powered boot closing, a 360-degree surround-view camera, adaptive cruise control, 10 airbags and Mercedes’ 'Pre-Safe' accident anticipation system. More on that in the safety section below.

Fairly well equipped for the money, then. April 2025 brings a cabriolet version, as well.

Option packs include an $8900 'Carbon Package' with carbon-fibre exterior elements and 'AMG Performance' seats at $5400.

These features are in line with the equivalent Audi and BMW coupes.

And while the pricing is only about $10K shy of the 331kW/600Nm RS5 and around $15K short of the 353kW/550Nm M4 manual flagships.

The latter, in blistering 390kW/650Nm M4 auto guise, starts from $190K, neatly opening up the gap for the coming CLE 63 – and that’s going to come with a V8 hybrid, we hear.

Each Seal variant gets its own drivetrain outputs, and the mid-spec Premium drives the rear wheels with a 230kW/360Nm electric motor via a reduction gear.

On paper, it’s slightly more powerful than the Model 3 RWD, with more power and less torque than the Polestar 2 Standard Range.

Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, in-line, six-cylinder petrol engine. Mercedes-AMG calls it “double charged”, with a single, 1.5-bar turbo augmented with an electric compressor as part of a 48-volt Integrated Starter Generator (or ISG).

The latter makes 17kW of power and 205Nm of torque, for a system total of 330kW at 6100rpm and 560Nm from 2200-5000rpm. Up to 600Nm is possible thanks to a 12-second overboost.

It also recuperates brake energy, offers “almost imperceptible” stop/start fuel saving and allows for an off-throttle, engine-off ‘sailing’ mode.

Not interested in economy? Tipping the scales at a hefty 2015kg the CLE 53’s power-to-weight ratio is a sparkling 164kW/tonne.

All Australian-bound CLE 53s feature the Dynamic Plus Package, with a launch-control function that helps deliver an eager 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.0 seconds. Top speed is governed to 250km/h.

Drive is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission. It can simulate double-declutching and offers variable shift modes according to drive settings.

The AWD system, meanwhile, varies torque from 50:50 front/rear to 100 per cent rearwards.

To aid handling, the 4WS system allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction to the fronts, up to 2.5 degrees at up to 100km/h, and 0.7 degrees in unison with the fronts above that speed.

Keeping things in control is a four-link front and five-link independent rear suspension set-up, with AMG ride control featuring adjustable dampers and sports spring rates.

Providing power is a sizable 82.56kWh lithium-ion battery pack, using BYD’s signature weight and space-saving ‘Blade’ form-factor, and the more affordable LFP (lithium iron ferrophosphate) chemistry.

On the charging front, the Seal Premium can top up at 150kW on a DC unit (using a Type 2 CCS connector) for a 10-80 per cent charge in roughly 40 minutes, while on AC its a disappointing 7.0kW.

The 7.0kW inverter means it’s hardly worth plugging the Seal in at a slow public charger when you visit the shops, as you’ll only get about 50km of range an hour. It’s for this reason most cars with batteries this size have 11kW inverters.

Unlike the Model 3 or Polestar 2, though, the Seal features a V2L system, allowing you to power household appliances from its Type 2 charging port.

Claimed energy consumption for the Seal is 14.6kWh/100km which is low, and about what we were seeing on test. It’s a little hard to tell because the trip computer only offers total consumption over the entire life of the vehicle, or for the last 50km, but not for a set trip interval. Weird.

Considering the performance on offer, the CLE 53’s 9.6 litres per 100km combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel consumption rating is not too bad. That equates to a carbon-dioxide emissions figure of 219 grams/km. City/highway numbers are 13.2 and 7.6L/100km.

With a 65-litre fuel tank filled with 98 RON premium unleaded petrol, expect an average range of about 685km.

What did we achieve? Driven fairly hard on some of Tasmania’s most beautiful rural roads, the trip meter showed an indicated 9.5L/100km.

I wasn’t expecting the Seal to impress me particularly. After all, it’s in this segment against tough competition, amongst recently updated versions of the Model 3 and Polestar 2, and while the previous BYDs I’ve driven have been a cut above their Chinese contemporaries, they also haven’t done a lot to stand out from the crowd.

Clearly, though, BYD has something to prove with its sporting sedan and the Seal is immediately impressive. The cabin is quiet and refined, the seating position is great it's smooth from take-off.

The steering has an artificial tinge to it removing a bit of feedback from the road, but proves at least quick and accurate at speed, and the handling is superb.

I kept pushing the Seal in my test drive, expecting gnarly characteristics to surface but they didn’t. This sedan grabs onto the road with excellent control and traction at the rear, spurred along by its long wheelbase, and improved tyre choice (Continental rather than the sub-par Chinese rubber worn by the Atto 3 and Dolphin).

While on paper it appears to have at least comparable motor output figures to the Polestar 2 and Model 3 - the Seal Premium doesn’t quite feel as rapid, its electric motor having a more relaxed vibe and responsiveness when you stomp on the go pedal.

This can be tweaked a little by dialling it up to Sport mode, and while it still doesn’t feel quite as breakneck fast as the Model 3, in particular, it’s plenty to be going on with.

The most impressive part of the Seal drive experience, though, is its ride. Ride is a constant problem for EVs as manufacturers go to lengths to tame the additional weight of batteries, but the Seal is the most impressive in its cohort, and by quite a margin.

It’s firm enough to be controlled, but has a lovely soft edge to it, so larger bumps, frequent corrugations, or sharper road imperfections don’t ruin your day.

The Model 3 and Polestar 2, even in their improved forms, are not this good. In a lot of ways the Seal’s suspension tune reminds me of the Mustang Mach-e. It has a soft edge, offset by a bit of secondary jiggle as the car settles, which is its only real blemish.

The Seal has no right being this good. It’s now not just matching its far more established rivals but doing some things significantly better.

The new AMG CLE 53 might look much like several of its AMG 63 predecessors, with its brutish stance and bulging bits, but does the German performance coupe drive and feel like an AMG flagship?

With a 63 range-topper (as yet unconfirmed) in the pipeline, that’s a bit of a moot point here, because that will be an altogether harder, faster and more expensive proposition.

But we can tell you that, even without the bellowing V8 of old, the 53 does a damn-fine impression of a charming high-performance GT with the straight-six .

At the heart of the matter is the inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine incorporating an electric compressor working the lower revs for punchy off-the-line acceleration and a big twin-scroll gas turbo for more-instantaneous responses further up the rev range.

This makes for an impressively rapid real-world tearaway. Not brutally fast in the way even middling EVs can manage to be nowadays, but still with an urge and character that puts you in the mood for speed.

The steering, meanwhile, is alert, faithful and remarkably reactive, with that 4WS rear end tucking in neatly through the tight turns and twisty bits, allowing a feverish pace with a pleasing grace to be maintained.

Assisting that immersive agility is an almost unshakable sense of grip – no surprise given the variable-torque AWD as well as the late-summer warmth and dryness of the roads we were testing on.

Yet, even beyond these factors, it’s clear the AMG’s immense roadholding provides a reassuring layer of confidence and control.

No opportunity was provided to unleash the CLE 53’s full fury on a track, so we can’t tell you how easily sideways or catchable this thing steers in Race mode with all the safeties turned off, but this coupe’s dynamic bandwidth was obvious during the all-too-few occasions we did manage to fang it.

Another positive is the suspension’s ability to soak up the bumps without too much disturbance inside, allowing for easy and effortless cross-country touring. No truly terrible roads were encountered during our half-day in this civilised beast, though, so we’ll have to reserve our judgement on whether this is the comfortable all-rounder that Mercedes claims it is.

What we can tell you is that there is too much road-noise intrusion inside an otherwise isolated cabin. And we’re no fans of the lack of a spare wheel – an absolute necessity in Australia.

Still, first impressions are very positive.

Its maker calls the CLE 53 the AMG for all occasions, and we cannot argue with this logic.

That there’s a decent wad of thrills and emotion on offer to counterbalance this car’s comparative refinement and civility just proves there is a place for the penultimate version of this series.

Unlike its maximum five-star ANCAP-scoring C- and E-Class cousins, the CLE comes with no rating.

But the brand’s boundary-pushing reputation on this front does hold the coupe in good stead, backed up by a slew of active, passive and driver-assist safety features.

These include wide-spread autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-support systems, as well as Mercedes’ 'Pre-Safe' tech that anticipates a crash and prepares the car for impact.

Other tech includes 'Active Lane Change Assist', 'Active Lane Keep Assist', 'Cross-Traffic Assist', blind spot monitoring, active brake assist, traffic sign assist, active-distance-assist, adaptive cruise control, evasive manoeuvre support, 360-degree camera views, 10 airbags, adaptive high beams and a 1.1-megapixel LED lighting set-up.

In other contemporary Mercedes models, AEB operating parameters are roughly between 7.0-80km/h for pedestrians and cyclists, and from about 7.0-250km/h for vehicle-to-vehicle, while the lane-keep support systems operate between about 60km/h and 200km/h.

ISOFIX child-seat anchorages are located in the front passenger seat and two in the rear seats.

The long-term ownership aspect for a BYD product is still a bit of a mystery as the current crop of cars have only just landed in Australia in the last year or two, but if it offers you any peace of mind, the Seal is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty with a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery pack.

In order to avoid having to have a traditional dealer network, BYD has partnered with MyCar to fulfil servicing. Visits to one of these locations is required once every 12 months or 20,000km whichever comes first, and pricing is fixed for the first eight years, working out to an annual average of $299.

Somewhat average for most mainstream and luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz offers a five-year/unlimited km warranty, with five years of roadside assistance.

Intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km, and while no capped priced servicing is offered, pre-paid three-, four- or five-year service plans are available, ranging from $4190, $5310 and $7760, respectively at the time of publishing.