Exclusive: Chinese brand's safety switch-off clipped by ANCAP: 2026 Deepal S07's five-star rating at risk after allowing safety systems to be disabled

Deepal's much-celebrated over-the-air update to the S07's safety systems, which allows certain functions to be permanently disabled rather than require them to be turned off every time the vehicle is started, has attracted the attention of ANCAP, with the safety body demanding answers ahead of a potential revaluation of the model's safety rating.

Deepal had suggested the brand had worked with ANCAP to ensure the update wouldn't impact the model's five-star rating, but Australia's crash testing body says it hasn't officially heard from Deepal, hasn't received any engineering reports, and was unaware any changes had been made.

Among a host of changes delivered via the update was the ability to permanently disable the Driver Monitoring system, the Lane Departure Warning and the Fatigue Warning System. By permanently disable, we mean when you turn them off, they stay off until you choose to turn them back on again.

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The changes had been celebrated by Australia's motoring media, including CarsGuide, as Deepal's calibrations were among the most overzealous on offer in Australia. The brand moved fast on developing a solution, with the over-the-air update launched in July.

But ANCAP has now revealed the changes risk impacting the model's five-star rating.

"To date, ANCAP has not received technical information from Deepal or Inchcape regarding this over-the-air update," ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg.

"In general terms, if an update were to allow systems such as the Driver Monitoring System (DMS) — which includes fatigue/drowsiness functions — to be switched off and not default back on at the next ignition cycle, this would be inconsistent with ANCAP protocols and may have an effect on the published safety rating. ANCAP protocols require DMS to default on at the start of each journey and remain functional whenever the vehicle is in forward motion at speeds of 10km/h or above.

2026 Deepal S07

"Lane Departure Warning (LDW) does not have a default-on requirement under ANCAP’s current protocols; however, if an update were to remove LDW functionality or prevent it from being activated, this may affect the scores originally published within the Lane Support Systems area of assessment.

"In relation to the Deepal S07, we have sought further details from the manufacturer/distributor to confirm the nature of the change and any potential impact on the published ANCAP safety rating."

Deepal has told CarsGuide that it remains confident that the S07 will retain its five-star rating, and says "formal communication" with ANCAP will soon take place.

"Working very closely with Changan, our engineers have ensured that all software updates are developed in line with ANCAP protocols," a spokesperson told CarsGuide.

"Formal communication with ANCAP will take place once S07 testing is complete, reinforcing our commitment to safety and compliance at every stage of product development."