Deepal E07 vs Mercedes-Benz A180

What's the difference?

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.

Mercedes-Benz knows its way around a sedan, and this A-Class is a well-equipped, comfortable and efficient city-sized four-door.

But more than that, to my eyes anyway, it’s a perfect example of restrained form matching aero function with beautiful results.

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

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.

A global carmaker can’t hold its head up in public without a formal design strategy, and Mercedes-Benz uses ‘Sensual Purity’ as a guiding principle in developing the look and feel of its current models. It may sound airy-fairy, but I for one reckon it’s accurate in describing the A-Class sedan.

The overall form is flowing and minimalist, the major exception being a hard character line running down the side of the car from the trailing edge of the angular LED headlights and along the top of the doors to link with the tail-lights.

A rear-biased glasshouse emphasises the length of the bonnet, at the same time delivering a broad, muscular stance with short overhangs front and rear.

Ultra-fine panel gaps, careful sealing around the headlights and curved strakes either side of the bonnet keep the look clean and simple, not to mention super-slippery.

The interior has been styled to within an inch of its life, the dash dominated by the slick twin 10.25-inch widescreen ‘MBUX’ display covering instruments, ventilation, media and vehicle settings.

Five signature, turbine-style air vents (three in the centre, and one at each edge) lift the dash’s visual interest, and the quality of fit and finish is top-shelf.

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.

At a bit over 4.5m long, a fraction under 1.8m wide, and close to 1.5m tall the A-Class sedan is 130mm longer and 6.0mm higher than the hatch version.

The A-Class sedan driver is presented with the same sleek widescreen display as found in the hatch, and storage runs to two cupholders in the centre console, a lidded bin/armrest between the seats (including twin USB ports), decent door pockets with room for bottles and a medium-size glove box.

In a swap to the rear, sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my (183cm) position, I enjoyed adequate knee and headroom, although stretching up a to a straight-back position led to a scalp to headlining interface.

In the A 200 a centre fold-down armrest incorporates two cupholders, again there are generous pockets in the doors with room for bottles, and adjustable ventilation outlets are set into the back of the front centre console. Always a plus.

There are three belted positions across the rear, but the adults using them for anything other than short journeys will have to be good friends and flexible. Best for two grown-ups, and three kids will be fine.

One snag is the size of the rear door aperture. Okay for taller people on the way in, but a limb-unfolding gymnastic exercise on exit.

But of course the reason we’re all here is the boot, and the sedan’s extra length translates to an additional 60 litres of luggage space for a total cargo volume of 430 litres (VDA).

Extra space is one thing, but usability is another. The benefit of a hatch is a large opening that allows bulky stuff to find a home, and Merc has pushed the sedan’s boot aperture to just under a metre across and there’s half a metre between the base of the rear window and the lower edge of the boot lid.

That’s made a big difference and access is good, with the rear seats folding 40/20/40 to add extra flexibility and volume. There are also tie-down hooks at each corner of the floor (a luggage net is included) and a netted pocket behind the passenger side wheel tub (with 12-volt outlet).

At the time of writing Mercedes-Benz wasn’t quoting towing specifications, and don’t bother looking for a spare wheel, the tyres are run-flats.

The A-Class sedan is launching with two variants, the A 200 at $49,400, before on-road costs, and an entry-level A 180, arriving in August 2019 at $44,900.

We’ll cover active and passive safety tech in the safety section, but above and beyond that standard equipment for the A 180 runs to 17-inch alloy wheels, ‘Artico’ faux leather upholstery, the ‘MBUX’ widescreen cockpit display (two 10.25-inch digital screens), auto LED headlights and DRLs, keyless entry and start, auto-dimming rearview mirror, climate-control, sat nav, multi-function sports steering wheel, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, ‘Active Parking Assist’ (with ultrasonic proximity sensors front and rear), tinted glass, plus nine-speaker, 225W audio with digital radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The A200 steps up to 18-inch alloy rims, and adds a dual exhaust system, four-way electrical adjustment for the driver’s seat (with lumbar support), a folding rear armrest (with twin cupholders), adaptive high-beam assist, and a wireless device charging bay.

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.

Both models are powered by the same 1.3-litre (M282) direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine as the hatch, the A180 tuned to deliver 100kW (at 5500rpm) and 200Nm (at 1460rpm), with the A 200 bumping that up to 120kW (at 5500rpm) and 250Nm (at 1620rpm).

Drive goes to the front wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.7L/100km for both models, with a CO2 emissions figure of 130g/km.

Over roughly 250km of open highway driving on the launch program the A 200’s on-board computer coughed up a figure of 6.3L/100km. So, the real-world highway cycle figure is higher than the claimed combined number. Which is a miss, but not a massive one, and fuel-efficiency is still pretty impressive.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 43 litres of it (plus a 5.0-litre reserve) to fill the tank.

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.

Three things stand out on first meeting with the A-Class sedan – ride comfort, steering feel, and road noise, or rather the lack of it.

The ‘biggest’ compliment you can pay a small car is that it rides like a bigger one, and behind the A 200’s wheel you’d swear the wheelbase was appreciably longer than the 2.7 metres it actually measures.

Over long undulations, even higher frequency bumps and ruts, the A-Class remains stable and composed thanks to a thoroughly sorted (strut front, torsion beam rear) suspension, with beautifully progressive damping a particular highlight.

Electromechanically-assisted steering points accurately and delivers good road feel without any undue vibration. And despite the A-Class launch drive loop covering typically coarse-chip bitumen roads through rural Victoria, overall noise levels remained impressively low.

Acceleration is brisk rather than properly sharp, but in the A 200 there’s more than enough oomph to keep things on the boil for easy highway cruising and overtaking.

With maximum torque available from just above 1600rpm, and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission keeping revs in the sweet spot, the A 200 breezes through the cut and thrust of city traffic, too.

Auto shifts are smooth and quick, with manual changes via the wheel-mounted paddles adding even more direct access to your ratio of choice. And the bonus is no sign of the slow-speed shuntiness sometimes exhibited by dual-clutch autos, especially in twisting, three-point parking manoeuvres.

Special call-out for the cruise control which responds to adjustments quickly (including 10km/h jumps up or down with a firm press of the thumb) and rapidly retards downhill speeds.

Several unbroken hours in the front seat couldn’t generate a twinge of discomfort, the brakes are strong, and over-shoulder visibility is marginally better than in the hatch (not that it’s a weakness in the latter).

Add the sleek and intuitive multimedia system, high-quality audio, plus excellent ergonomics and you have a neatly resolved compact sedan that’s easy to use in the city and suburbs, keeping solid road-tripping ability up its sleeve as well.

Think automotive safety and Mercedes-Benz will be one of the first names to pop into your mind, and the A 180 offers in impressive suite of active features including ABS, BA, EBD, stability and traction controls, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), ‘Active Brake Assist’ (Merc-speak for AEB), ‘Adaptive Brake’, ‘Attention Assist’, ‘Blind Spot Assist’, ‘Cross-wind Assist’, ‘Lane Keep Assist’, a tyre pressure warning system, the ‘Pre-Safe’ accident anticipatory system, and ‘Traffic Sign Assist’. The A 200 adds ‘Adaptive Highbeam Assist’.

If all that fails to prevent an impact you’ll be protected by nine airbags (front, pelvis and window for driver and front passenger, side airbags for rear seat occupants and a driver’s knee bag), and the ‘Active Bonnet’ automatically tilts to minimise pedestrian injuries.

The A-Class was awarded a maximum five ANCAP stars in 2018, and for smaller occupants there are three child restraint/baby capsule top tether points across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

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.

Mercedes-Benz covers its passenger car range with a three year/unlimited km warranty, like the other two members of the German ‘Big Three’ (Audi and BMW) .

That lags behind the mainstream market where the majority of players are now at five years/unlimited km, with some at seven years.

On the upside, Mercedes-Benz Road Care assistance is included in the deal for three years.

Service is scheduled for 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) with pricing available on an ‘Up-front’ or ‘Pay-as-you-go’ basis.

Pre-payment delivers a $500 saving with the first three A-Class services set at a total of $2050, compared to $2550 PAYG. Fourth and fifth services are also available for pre-purchase.