Mercedes-AMG E43 vs BYD Sealion 5

What's the difference?

When is an AMG not really an AMG, but still a fitting homage to the models that built the brand?

The new E 43 is the eighth '43 after the SLC 43, GLC 43, GLC 43 Coupe and four C 43s, all of which arrived last year, and plugs a mighty gap between the mainstream E-Class line-up and the upcoming full-house E 63 S, while forming an almost exact philosophical fit with the E 36 and E 55 that helped put AMG on the map in the 90s.

How? Unlike the angry dinosaur V8 growl, supercar-like performance and generally hardcore demeanour we love about the current top-level models, the E 43 is more of a rapid grand tourer than a four-door supercar. Which is kind of what the AMGs of old were, before they sprouted exhausts from both sides and became more menacing than Mercedes.

Explore the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class range

Mercedes-Benz E-Class E200 and E220d 2016 review

Mercedes-AMG E63 S 2017 review | first drive

Mercedes-Benz E400 2017 review | road test

Mercedes-Benz E350d 2016 review | snapshot

Mercedes-Benz E300 2017 review | road test

Mercedes-Benz E220d 2016 review | snapshot

Mercedes-Benz E200 2016 review | snapshot

The E 43 still boasts a muscular 295kW/520Nm from its twin-turbo V6 and all-wheel drive, but cloaks it all in an air-suspended package that's barely distinguishable from the AMG styling pack available from the base E 200 up.

It's priced $20,000 higher than the E 400 but still around $90,000 less than the E 63 S that arrives in June, and does nothing to dissuade the notion that Mercedes makes a car for almost everyone. And we're glad they do, particularly when the latest addition boasts a 4.6s 0-100km/h claim that would trump most mid-engined supercars of the 90s.

It also promises to be a star-badged alternative to the new BMW 540i, Audi S6 and even the Lexus GS F.

This is the most affordable plug-in hybrid available in Australia – as this review is published – but it’s got a lot more going for it than just that.

The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 is a mid-size SUV wearing a BYD badge that has been thrust into the public’s awareness by the popular BYD Shark 6 – as well as by widespread criticism of brand's less popular aftersales shortcomings through much of 2025.

It’s also a plug-in hybrid that is showing up as the nation faces a fuel crisis, despite many remaining sceptical of going ‘full EV’.

The Sealion 5 has a long list of features, of course, plus a claimed four-figure driving range. Is this BYD too good to be true?

We grabbed the entry-level Essential to find out.