Chevrolet Silverado vs Deepal E07

What's the difference?

This is a serious truck with load-carrying and towing capabilities far beyond Australia’s ubiquitous Ranger/HiLux-sized one-tonne utes. However, those vehicles thrive in urban use due to their relatively compact dimensions so, in that context, this pick-up is simply too large to be a practical alternative. However, if you have more specialised work and recreational requirements, like GCMs as high as 12 tonnes with spacious comfort for a crew of five, this big American would be tough to top.

The Deepal E07 is a breath of fresh air. It’s exciting to see a vehicle zig when others zag.

It’s not just a conversation-starter, it is well priced, stacked with gear and has some potent performance. Not to mention that rear end has some real-world practicality, even if it isn’t quite a ute.

That is bolstered by a long warranty and a capped-price servicing program to take the risk out of trying a new brand.

It isn’t the sharpest driving machine out there, the safety tech is still annoying and having all the controls in the multimedia screen is infuriating.

Also, there are question marks on if buyers really want or need that fraken-ute rear end.

Time will tell if this car is fad like the mullet haircut or a real-world game changer.

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

MY24 brings a freshened front-end appearance with new fascia, headlights, body-coloured bumpers and grille garnish, black body highlights and more.

With a traditional ladder-frame truck chassis and sprawling 4036mm wheelbase, this behemoth measures almost 6.4 metres in length (6387mm) and more than 2.2 metres in width (2263mm).

It also stands more than 2.0 metres tall (2039mm) and has a vast 16.1-metre turning circle. So, multi-storey car parks, drive-thru takeaways etc are best avoided. And domestic driveways (if wide and long enough to accommodate it) may suffer under its weight over time.

It rides on 20-inch high-gloss black alloys with LT275/65 R20 Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres and carries a full-size spare.

New Z71 off-road suspension includes skid plates and Rancho twin-tube dampers, offering 251mm of ground clearance and 28.5 degrees approach/19 degrees ramp breakover/23.6 degrees departure angles.

However, its 4x4 capabilities would be better suited to accessing rugged worksites, pulling a large caravan out of a boggy campground or towing a large boat trailer up a slimy boat ramp, than hardcore bush-bashing on narrow tracks.

The Silverado’s extensive remanufacturing to RHD, performed on a dedicated production line in Melbourne, exudes OEM standards of fit and finish. The dashboard module is particularly impressive, in providing a mirror image of the LHD original in appearance and function.

The leather-appointed cabin is a highlight, offering palatial space and comfort for all. It features a tasteful blend of contrasting materials and surface treatments, including silver-grey woodgrain inserts on the doors, dash and centre console plus exposed stitching along seams and subtle splashes of chrome.

The entry pathway to the rear seat is expansive, thanks to wide-opening doors and a flat floor with no transmission hump to straddle. There’s executive-lounge rear head and legroom, even for tall people, combined with enough shoulder room to ensure a crew of five can travel in comfort.

The E07 stands out from the crowd. It’s design will turn heads and you’ll have strangers coming over for a sticky beak at all times.

It’s a big beast at more than five metres long and close to two metres wide. That puts it in Toyota LandCruiser territory.

The biggest talking point is the rear. What looks like a liftback is actually a retractable roof that converts it to an open tray at the touch of a button.

You can have it open with the rear seats folded flat or the rear seats up and the glass divider still in place to keep the world at bay.

Outside of the rear end, it's a futuristic-looking car with squished LED headlights, flush door handles and a closed-off front end typical of modern electric cars from China.

Inside it borrowed cues from Tesla with its minimalist design with next to no buttons and only a big central screen.

The interior quality feels good, with premium materials covering all surfaces.

With its towering 3762kg kerb weight, the 2500 HD offers a choice of ADR load ratings (NB1 or NB2) which must be specified by the customer at the time of ordering (at no extra cost) to ensure the correct certification for vehicle registration.

The NB1 category allows up to 4500kg GVM/733kg payload, which can be driven by car licence holders. NB2 allows up to 5148kg GVM/1386kg of payload, but requires a truck licence. Our test vehicle is certified for the lower NB1 rating.

The 2500 HD is rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer with a 50mm ball and up to 4500kg with a 70mm ball. These trailer weights are well within its capabilities, given that its GCM rating (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) is an eye-popping 12474kg.

Yep, that’s more than 12 tonnes, which allows for trailers weighing more than 4500kg using heavy-duty connections like pintle hooks, goosenecks/fifth-wheel turntables installed and certified by specialist aftermarket suppliers.

The enormous load tub offers almost 2.0 cubic metres of cargo volume and has large external steps front and rear for easier access. The load floor is 2089mm long, 1814mm wide and 533mm deep, with 1317mm between the rear wheel-housings allowing Aussie or Euro pallets to be carried.

It’s protected by a tough spray-on liner, plus there are 12 load-anchorage points, LED lighting, power tailgate and a camera to keep an eye on loads when driving. Our test vehicle was also fitted with adjustable and removable load-dividers, which are part of the GMSV accessories range.

Cabin storage for driver and front passenger includes two bottle/cupholders and a large bin in each door plus a single glove box. The centre console has a large open tray up front, two bottle/cupholders in the centre and an Esky-sized box at the back with padded lid that doubles as a plush elbow rest.

Rear seat passengers get a bottle/cupholder and bin in each door plus two more bottle/cupholders in the rear of the centre console and another two in the fold-down centre armrest. There are also large storage pockets on both front seat backrests and compartments cleverly hidden behind hinged upper backrest cushions.

The 60/40 split rear seat base can swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is required. This also provides access to the under-seat storage accessory fitted to our test vehicle. You’d seriously struggle to run out of cabin storage!

There are two sides to this story.

The convertible back makes it one of the only true dual-purpose vehicles, but let’s not oversell its capabilities.

It only has a payload of 300kg and only has a 1500kg braked towing capacity, so it's not tradie spec.

It is probably best suited for throwing a few surfboards in the back or mountain bikes and heading off to a remote spot where you can sleep in the car in relative comfort.

There is no rugged ladder frame underneath, but it can do a bit of light off-roading in all-wheel-drive guise.

Ground clearance of 223mm is good and it can wade up to depths of 600mm.

It has a vehicle-to-load function that allows you to power appliances, which boosts its potential as a campsite companion.

Inside it has spacious cabins with oodles of head, leg and shoulder room in both rows. That is thanks to its more than three-metre wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axle that determines how spacious a cabin is.

There are rear air-con vents and USB charging ports for both rows, and the rear seats can tilt backwards for sleepy young-uns.

The boot capacity is 524L, or 1654L with the rear seats folded. A front boot under the bonnet is 131L.

One of my biggest gripes is that nearly every function of the car is controlled through the big multimedia screen.

There are shortcuts and app-like tiles that make it easier to navigate, but it’s still a hassle to dive into the menu to change side mirrors and other functions usually controlled via physical buttons.

Tesla set the precedent by moving all its functions into the screen and other tech-focused EVs have followed suit, but it smacks of cost savings rather than improving the user experience.

The E07 is available in two grades: a single-motor rear-wheel-drive version and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant.

Prices start at $64,900 plus on-road costs for the rear-wheel-drive variant and jump to $73,900 for the dual-motor version.

That’s a very reasonable price for a large electric vehicle, but as it has no real competitors it has the segment and price point to itself.

The only difference between the two variants is the addition of the second motor that brings some serious potent performance.

Both are fully loaded with a laundry list of standard gear.

The E07 rides on monster 21-inch alloy wheels, has LED lighting front and back, a hands-free power tailgate and auto folding side mirrors.

Inside there is a 15.4-inch multimedia screen that is incompatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there is a wireless device charger and USB-A and -C ports front and back.

A monster head-up display — which projects information on the windscreen in front of the driver — replaces the driver display, with no instruments in front of the driver.

This is joined by power-adjustable front seats that are wrapped in supple Nappa leather. The front seats are heated, ventilated and have a massage function.

This is topped off with 256-colour ambient lighting and an 18-speaker stereo.

There is self-levelling air suspension that has three height levels, with the tallest providing a healthy 223mmm of ground clearance.

There is some cool tech such as camping mode and a relax mode. The latter fully reclines the front seats, closes the panoramic roof blind and plays some sleep-inducing sounds such as rain noise. Camping mode is similar and allows for you to sleep in the car overnight.

The 6.6-litre Duramax turbo-diesel V8, with driver-switchable exhaust brake, is tailored for heavy-hauling with an external engine oil cooler and functional bonnet scoop feeding fresh air to the engine’s intake system.

In the latest MY24 specification, it produces 350kW at 2800rpm and 1322Nm of torque at 1600rpm. That’s 18kW and 98Nm more than the previous model.

The refined 10-speed torque converter automatic with column-shifter is also fitted with an external oil cooler, while closer gear ratios and revised final-drive ratios for MY24 enhance all-round performance.

A dual-range transfer case offers a choice of four drive modes comprising 2WD, 4WD high-range, 4WD low-range and Auto (traction-sensing full-time 4WD). Also new is an automatic-locking rear differential.

Its armoury of advanced towing hardware and technology includes a 4500kg tow-bar with 12-pin wiring harness and integrated trailer brake controller.

Plus, there’s a rear-view camera with hitch guidance, automated trailer lighting test, in-vehicle trailering app with trailer profiles, trailer theft alert, trailer tyre pressure/temperature monitoring and lots more.

New MY24 features include adaptive cruise control which can be used when towing (detecting the additional weight behind the vehicle to automatically increase braking distances). Others are 'Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert' (TSBZA), which extends the blind zone area when towing, plus 'Gross Combination Mass Alert' (GCMA) which alerts if you exceed the GCM.

Both versions can be called potent, but the all-wheel-drive is express.

The rear-wheel-drive version uses a single electric motor to make 242kW and 365Nm, and the all-wheel-drive variant adds a second motor to make a combined 440kW and 645Nm.

That extra grunt drops the E07’s 0-100km/h time from 6.7 seconds to about four seconds.

These numbers blow most SUVs and utes out of the water.

The dash readout was claiming 17.5L/100km at the end of our 351km test, which comprised mostly city and suburban driving plus some highway running with a full payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in slightly lower at 16.8, which is decent economy for a vehicle weighing more than 3.7 tonnes unladen in ‘real world’ driving.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 800km from its big 136-litre tank.

Both variants use a circa-90kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery, which is a big unit by EV standards.

It delivers a WLTP-verified driving range of 550km in the RWD version and 510km in the AWD.

The E07’s charging speed is also at the top end of the spectrum.

It has a max DC charge rate of 240kW, which Deepal said can replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes.

AC charging is capped at 7kW, which is below other EVs that can max out at 11kW.

Our test was too limited to conduct a proper real-world test.

Side-steps and large handles on the A- (and B-) pillars assist climbing aboard. It’s a very comfortable driving position, given the multiple seat and steering wheel adjustments along with plush elbow rests on both sides.

The large door mirrors, combined with numerous camera angles including the central rear view mirror's pin-sharp image, provide commanding all-around vision.

The steering is nicely weighted and surprisingly communicative for such a giant, providing good feel and response at all speeds.

The suspension tuning is supple enough to provide a smooth ride, yet retains enough firmness to minimise the ponderous feel inherent in vehicles of this size and weight.

Braking response is also reassuringly strong, without requiring huge pressure on the brake pedal to achieve it.

The 6.6-litre turbo-diesel V8 and 10-speed auto provide effortless performance. With maximum torque tapped at just 1600rpm, the engine is barely ticking over at city and suburban speeds.

And it requires less than 1500rpm to quietly maintain 110km/h on the highway, which combined with its low tyre and wind noise results in a supremely relaxed long-haul cruiser.

With its NB1 GVM rating, we loaded more than half a tonne into the load tub, which combined with our crew of two was just under its 733kg payload limit.

It simply didn’t notice the added weight, storming up our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb with acceleration unmatched by any loaded vehicle we’ve tested on this ascent.

Its engine-braking on the way down using the exhaust brake also set a new benchmark, never exceeding 50km/h and 2000rpm on overrun without once touching the brake pedal.

The E07 is a big beast, weighing in at 2440kg for the AWD, and the RWD is about 100kg lighter.

Even that fancy air suspension can't hide that bulk. On smooth city streets and well-maintained motorways, the E07 is very pleasant and comfortable. But on pockmarked and undulating country roads travelling at the sign-posted 80km/h or 100km/h, it rocks and rolls considerably.

The monster 21-inch wheels are likely part of the problem, too.

After looking at my phone in the passenger seat for 20 seconds I started to get car sick… I wasn’t the only person who had that feedback.

Switching to sports mode sharpened it up a little, but the comfort mode was far too soft.

There is a custom mode where drivers can find a happy medium.

The E07 did recover much better over small imperfections, though.

The steering was well-weighted and direct, and the brake and accelerator pedal had a good feel to them with sharp responses that inspire confidence.

We spent most of our time in the all-wheel-drive variant.

It’s fast and brutally quick off the mark, but it doesn't suplex you back into your seat like some electric cars do. Instead the power delivery was more linear, with excellent traction control and no wheel slip.

Deepal has gone the extra mile and added quality Michelin EV tyres that improve grip through corners and reduce noise into the cabin.

The E07 was remarkably quiet inside, even by EV standards, with noise and tyre roar kept to a minimum.

Deepal has packed the E07 with safety gear and driver aids.

It has eight airbags, ISOFIX anchor points for the two rear window seats, and a top-tether anchor for all three back seats.

There are front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and a transparent chassis view that allows you to see underneath the vehicle.

Deepal has ticked all the driver aid boxes with autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, rear cross traffic alert with auto braking function, blind-spot detection, speed sign recognition and over speed alert, door open warning, rear passenger alert, safe distance alert and adaptive cruise control.

It’s nice to have all that tech, but it is over-sensitive and you end up just turning it off, which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

The E07 hasn’t been crash tested yet, so there's no ANCAP safety rating to report at this stage.

The Silverado is covered by a three year/100,000km warranty with three years roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/12,000km, whichever occurs first, and there's no capped-price servicing. This ownership package falls short compared to rivals like Ford's RHD F-150.

Deepal covers the E07 with a strong but not market-leading seven-year/160,000km warranty, and the battery is guaranteed for eight years/240,000km.

It also has a tempting seven-year/140,000km capped-price servicing program that requires visits every 12 months or 20,000km, with the former on the shorter side for an EV. The RWD costs $2954.59 over the full term, compared to the AWD's $3143.90. Both outlays are competitive.