2025 Deepal S07 review

If you thought the Australian new car market was chock-full of new brands and options to consider, you wouldn't be wrong. Another electric choice that's steaming in from that gigantic production line in China is the Deepal S07, which is a medium-sized SUV with a fully electric powertrain.

While Deepal doesn't present to Australia as a factory-direct offering, it's coming in via the well-known and laid-out distributor Inchcape, which already handles Peugeot and Subaru in Australia, among other things.

While the model range is set to expand with some funky alternative offerings, this is the first taste we get of this brand, which comes from the automotive state-owned giant Changan Automobile.

While you might not have heard of Deepal, Changan Automobile pumped out more than 2.6 million vehicles in 2024. Almost one-third of those were fully electric.

There's only one model in Deepal's range for now, and there's only one trim level to choose from. The S07 is priced from $53,900 plus on-road costs, which undercuts the just-updated Tesla Model Y by $5000. However, we have a slew of new electric competitors to consider.

But firstly, let's consider the specs of this S07. There's a relatively big 80kWh nickel cobalt manganese battery pack, which gives a claimed WLTP driving range of 475 kilometres. There's a single electric motor at the rear with 160kW/320Nm of output. This is below par in the segment, and Deepal does offer a higher-output version of the S07 in China with 190kW.

Charging speeds are relatively limited in Australia as well. The maximum charge rate is 92kW from a DC charger, which lags behinds the likes of Tesla, Kia, or Hyundai electric cars. Deepal claims a 35-minute charging time from 30–80 per cent, but this conveniently leaves 50 per cent of the battery capacity untouched. To do the rest, you'll need to more than double the wait time.

Standard equipment is plentiful, with a big panoramic sunroof with an electric sunshade, 19-inch alloy wheels, and powered tailgate. There's also dual-zone climate control, a 14-speaker sound system and a pivoting 15.6-inch infotainment display. Plus, a 360-degree camera system, parking sensors front and rear, and a head-up display.

The seats have a synthetic leather trim and electric adjustment up front. The driver's seat has memory positioning, and heating/ventilation for both front seats.

Finally, this is all wrapped up in a seven-year and 160,000km warranty. The battery has a separate warranty of eight years and 240,000km, but the warranty excludes "fair wear and tear related battery capacity degradation issues". When we questioned this, Deepal Australia was unable to provide any more specific terms around the warranty limitations and implications.

While Deepal is a brand new enough that it's not yet covered by Drive Marketplace, there is plenty of other metal (electric or not) that you can check out. And if you want a closer look, find your nearest Deepal dealer here to check out the S07 yourself.

As is often the case, a relatively long wheelbase and the packaging advantages of an electric car provide a good amount of space for occupants on the inside. There's a fully flat floor on the inside, and an electric motor at the rear gives you a useful 125-litre front storage area under the bonnet.

A 445-litre boot is a decent size without being huge, and has a flat floor and carpeted surfaces. And like many other electric cars (and others), we have a puncture repair kit here instead of a spare wheel.

Up front, the design of the S07 is quite suave and modern, with a clear focus on removing as many of the button interfaces as possible. It's not as hardcore as a Tesla in this regard, but much of your functionality is managed through the infotainment display or steering wheel buttons.

This includes your speed and warning lights, which are accommodated in the top corner of the infotainment display. There is no instrument cluster here, but there is a head-up display to project key driving info onto the windscreen in front of the driver.

I'll talk more about the infotainment display and its performance later, but on the practicality side of things, the Deepal S07 performs well. The wireless charging pad up on top of the centre console is twinned with another spot for bits and bobs, and the lidded central storage bin is well sized.

There are two regular-sized cupholders up top, and a handy storage nook underneath as well. In this spot, you'll find USB-A and USB-C power outlets, as well as a 12V plug.

Along with plenty of comfort and space in the second row, there are also air vents, controls and a USB-C power outlet. While this might look like a third zone of separate climate controls, it's not the case. This is tethered to the front passenger's controls, and changing one of these affects the other. Cue future fights and angsty cries of 'I'm cold/hot!'.

The 15.6-inch infotainment display is huge, and pivots towards either the driver or front passenger when one seat is being occupied. It's a handy trick, but without the wow-factor of the full rotating display that you get in a BYD.

Otherwise, the size and quality of the display are good. There is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and AM/FM/DAB+ radio, but no native navigation built in. So, you'll be depending upon your smartphone for navigation.

Once your phone is connected, it's an easy and straightforward affair. However, doing things like adjusting your air vents, lights, mirrors and other basic functions are all controlled within the infotainment display.

However, the lack of buttons means you need to dig through the infotainment display for many regular functions, like fan speed and air direction for example.

And while there isn't an instrument cluster in front of the driver, most of your important details (like speed) are easily digestible through the head-up display.

There is connected services capability on offer for the Deepal S07, starting with a free two-year subscription, which then turns into an additional cost for the owner (if they want it). Some features include a mobile phone Bluetooth key, remote climate controls, over-the-air updates and vehicle status.

It's also worth noting here that although the vehicle forces you to agree to some detailed end-user agreements to use things like Bluetooth phonecalls and cameras, Deepal confirmed with us that all video and audio recordings are stored locally in the vehicle and are not passed on or stored in a cloud anywhere.

In the fine print, there is a reference that some of the user's personal information can be shared with third parties.

When we questioned this, Deepal told Drive it is "only specific information in specific circumstances". Some examples are: your vehicle location will be shared with maps provider (Here), and your voice commands will be shared with the voice recognition sofware company Megatronix for training and evaluation, but it's also 'desensitised' and only held for 30 days.

Against testing done by Euro NCAP in 2024, the Deepal S07 gets a five-star ANCAP safety score. This includes a 95 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road users (pedestrians), and 78 per cent for the on-board active safety systems for the S07.

The Deepal S07 would have one of the most infuriating and unlivable driver monitoring systems available. I've had some bad ones in the past, but this one seems to take the cake.

Thankfully, Deepal is aware of these criticisms, and is working on a fix that will be an over-the-air update some time in the future. But in the meantime, I found it difficult to drive the car and not lose my cool with these systems operating. It's fast to react, but also has a heavy, onerous chime that makes out you're seconds from disaster. But all you did was skip a song on the infotainment screen, or check your directions on the map.

Lane-keep assistance can be overactive as it tugs at your steering inputs and vibrates the wheel during regular trafficked driving, and the traffic sign recognition system has its fair share of hits and misses as well.

Perhaps those last two features are more livable than the first for some, but such was my fury at the aggressive, protracted beeping of the driver monitoring system that every time I tried to leave them on to double-check my initial feelings, I rage-quit the entire suite.

This can be done with a few swipes and presses of the display, but does default back to full attack mode each time you start a new drive.

There's a capped-price servicing program for the Deepal S07 that gives you seven years and 140,000km worth of coverage. However, there are some visits within that time that are fairly expensive for an electric car.

Three years of coverage costs $1231, which gets you to 60,000km. Going to five years costs $1804, while seven years has a total of $2963. This works out to be an annual average of $410 for three years, $361 for five years and $423.34 for seven years.

Insurance costs for this vehicle are $1989.49, according to a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The claimed driving range of the S07 is 475km, with a claimed consumption of 18.6kWh per 100 kilometres in that WLTP testing cycle.

It's a big driving range, owing mostly to the size of the battery in this vehicle. For reference, a Geely EX5 has a noticeably smaller battery at around 60kWh.

And what's heartening for the Deepal S07 is that we were able to better the claim slightly with an indicated consumption of 16.5kWh/100km. This means – depending on your own driving style and conditions – you could match the driving range claim in the S07.

Once you've turned off those infuriating monitoring and alert systems, the Deepal S07 is mostly a nice car to drive.

While power and torque outputs are noticeably lower than what you get elsewhere in electric cars, it's still got enough urgency and responsiveness to not feel too slow. Initial takeoff is good, thanks to instant torque available from an electric motor and a planted rear-wheel-drive set-up.

Once you're plugging up highway hills or overtaking, you'll start noticing a loss of edge in the overall acceleration. It's still fine, and more than what most would need, but it's worth pointing out that there are punchier electric powertrains out there.

There's plenty of adjustment available as well. You can dial up and down things like steering weight, accelerator response, and regenerative braking according to what you prefer. Unlike some rivals, there's no one-pedal drive mode with the driver still needing to press the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

The steering feels fast to respond to inputs, and maintains a fast mid-corner response feel when driving harder. But because of the weight of the vehicle, it doesn't feel overly confidence-inspiring when charging down a twisty road.

For cruising around town, the S07 feels well balanced and easy to drive. The ride quality – initially good and smooth – can be upset by rougher roads and lead to a jostling, unsettled feeling for those inside. Bigger hits through the suspension indicate the two-tonne weight of the vehicle, and there can be some suspension noise generated at times. But for the most part, the Deepal S07 is acceptable.

The relatively small rear window doesn't give great rearward visibility through the central rear-view mirror, which means you tend to depend upon the side mirrors and 360-degree camera system more. Visibility from the second row is limited too. There isn't a lot of glass in the second-row doors, and those of smaller stature won't see as much from the side or forward, thanks to the larger sports-style front seats with integrated headrests.

There is a braked towing capacity for the Deepal S07, but it's a relatively low 1500kg. There's a regular 750kg limit if your trailer isn't braked, as most regular box trailers are. This is a standard figure, and puts the Deepal in a fairly regular setting in terms of towing capability for the medium SUV class.

In other words, don't put more than a loaded box trailer on the back and you should be okay.

There's a lot to like about the S07, and some core things like driving range, value for money and general demeanour rank well.

The relatively low DC charging speed limit will hinder its appeal to those who want to undertake longer road trips, but it's the driver monitoring system that provides the most ammunition in the negative pile. It's going to be fixed sometime in the future, according to Deepal. However, it's a tough thing to live with currently, on the day-to-day grind.

And finally, how do you pronounce the name? When you open the car and hop in, it proudly says Deepal like 'people', along with some kind of pithy comment that would no doubt become repetitive after time.

But, now we know. It's 'Dee-pal', like you'd pronounce 'pal' as a synonym for friend or buddy. What's strange is the fact that the vehicle itself – which announces itself proudly each time you open the door – gets the pronunciation wrong.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

Read more about Sam Purcell