First Drive: Is the Changan Deepal S07 just another electric SUV?

What is it?

Yes, we know what you’re thinking – it’s another new, Chinese-made electric SUV. Yes, while the Changan Deepal S07 might be the latest contender in the ever-broadening EV segment, it’s from a company which has more heritage than you might expect. In fact, Changan is China’s oldest carmaker, having started vehicle production way back in the 1970s.

Today, Changan has a presence in many countries across the globe and has its UK R&D facility in Birmingham, where it is tailoring cars like the Deepal S07 to UK buyers. Is it a car worth considering, though? We’ve been trying it out to see.

What’s new?

The Deepal S07 is based around a now-familiar recipe. There’s an electric powertrain underneath, an upright, SUV bodystyle up top and a family-friendly interior in the middle. It’s all been designed to come in at just under £40,000, too, missing the Expensive Car Supplement by a hair.

Changan isn’t delivering the Deepal S07 with a bewildering number of specification options, either. In fact, there’s just one, which gets all of the equipment that the brand has to offer, ensuring

What’s under the bonnet?

Much the same as the specifications, the list of powertrains available for the Changan Deepal S07 is pretty simple too – there’s just one. You get a rear-mounted electric motor which develops a modest 215bhp and 320Nm of torque, equating to a 0-60mph of just under eight seconds and a top speed of 112mph. In this segment, however, electric range is king and the Deepal S07 will extract 295 miles from its 79.97kWh battery.

In terms of charging speeds, this Changan’s 97kW limit is some way off the pace of rivals – the Skoda Enyaq will manage up to 175kW, in comparison – and that means you’re looking at a time of around 48 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent charge. Again, the Skoda will do the same charge in around 28 minutes and some rivals are quicker still.

What’s it like to drive?

There’s a lot to like about the way the Changan Deepal S07 gets down the road. The steering is relatively light which makes this car feel easy to turn in more urban settings, while the performance on offer is more than adequate for your usual road car. We’ve become quite used to testing super-fast EVs and while the Deepal S07 might not have this go-faster spirit, it feels in keeping with the size and shape of the car overall.

It’s just a shame that the car’s ride spoils things. It feels simply too firm for UK roads and means that the car shakes and shimmies whenever it hits a lump or bump. Usually, adding a little extra speed can help this but in the Changan, things still feel quite unsettled. It’s just as well that the cabin remains quiet when you’re travelling on the motorway, mind you.

How does it look?

Looks are a personal thing, of course, but we’d have to say that the Changan does little to break new ground in the styling department. Particularly when finished in a white or black, the Deepal S07 looks like it could be from pretty much any manufacturer, though that could be a good thing for drivers looking to go under the radar.

That said, there are a few standout colours available to choose from in order to brighten up this EV, with an eye-catching orange acting as a great way to liven up the look of the Deepal S07.

What’s it like inside?

For a car costing under £40,000, the interior of the Deepal S07 is truly impressive. There’s a great premium feel that you get throughout, with high-quality materials used throughout. The fit-and-finish is great, too, and puts many others in the market – and others costing a lot more – to shame. As we’ve come to expect from this new range of EVs there’s a distinctly button-free approach inside, with everything managed by a large central screen. It’s a shame, as given how well the rest of the cabin has been finished, we’d reckon that Deepal’s approach to button and controller design would be equally impressive.

Space-wise, things are good too. There’s a completely flat floor at the back, so the person sitting in the middle of the car still has a decent amount of space. Changan has been on the fence in terms of boot space – it quotes both 445 and 510 litres in places – but either unit is somewhat behind key rivals. There is, however, a handy 125-litre ‘frunk’ storage area which is ideal for the cables.

What’s the spec like?

As mentioned, there’s just a single spec available with the Changan Deepal S07, but you do get a lot of equipment for your £39,990. You get a huge 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen which houses all key media and navigation functions – as well as both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – and there’s a full head-up display which showcases driver readouts. A 14-speaker sound system comes equipped as standard, too, and a high-definition 360-degree parking camera should help to make positioning this car easier.

Changan also offers the Deepal S07 with a comprehensive seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, which does go some way to quashing fears about this brand’s relatively unknown presence here in the UK.

Verdict

There’s plenty to like about the Changan Deepal S07. It’s well equipped for the money and brings a level of fit and finish which is likely to impress most buyers. While the lack of buttons might dent usability, the main screen is slick and comes with plenty of shortcuts to make things easier.

But the car’s firm ride and lacklustre charge speed mean that it doesn’t quite come out on top. Changan has entered into a fiercely competitive segment with the Deepal S07 and though its price is attractive, it may need to offer a little more in order to really contend with the big-hitters.