Deepal E07 vs Subaru Solterra

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.

The new Subaru Solterra AWD gets a lot right and is a well-rounded effort in showcasing an electric medium SUV that has passenger comfort, sharp external styling and is easy to drive.

Once you start comparing it to some rivals, it doesn’t always come out ahead of the pack but I still like it for what it is. My seven-year old thinks its fun and very comfortable. He enjoys the easy practicality of getting in and out without any assistance, too.

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.

The Solterra has its own vibe compared to the rest of the Subaru family and that’s most likely due to the Toyota partnering.

The tail-lights are sharply pronounced and the many pleats across the body panelling swing more towards Toyota styling than Subaru but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

The heavy-use of black plastic mouldings on our test model's 'Smoked Carbon' paintwork looks okay but it wouldn't do any favours on a lighter colour.

The exterior on the whole looks bold and fun, and I like the fact that it's not pillowy in its shape as some of its rivals are. Those hunting for a sporty-looking EV will find something charming here.

The cabin is different from anything I’ve seen from Subaru so far. Some of it's fun, like the squared off steering wheel which looks rally car-ish but some of it’s odd, like the way the 7.0-inch digital instrument panel has been pushed back towards the windscreen in its own little nook.

The steering wheel can get in the way of viewing the graphics of the instrument panel and its placement looks disjointed from the rest of the dashboard elements.

The black and grey knit-looking cloth upholstery is warm and inviting and is found across the dashboard, seats and some door panels but there is enough cheap-looking black cloth throughout to detract from the general aesthetic. Had the Solterra not been pushing $70K, that wouldn't bother me, but it is, and it does.

The interior is pleasant but the exterior is definitely the highlight of the design.

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 practicality of the cabin is good for the class and the 212mm ground clearance means it's an easy car to get in and out of.

The extra-wide centre console makes the front look cramped but it isn't. And the the backseat is huge on space. Seriously decent headroom and legroom for the class and the flat floor means middle seaters will be comfortable, too.

Both the front and rear seats are well-cushioned and comfortable. You could easily do a long trip.

The driver's is the only powered seat (it also has lumbar support) but it's great that all but the middle seat feature a heat function for added comfort.

My seven-year old finds the back row comfortable because of its directional air vents and tall seating position providing a good view out of the wide window.

Individual storage is a bit low for the class but it does feature a handy shelf underneath the centre console which is large enough for a small handbag or the manual and logbook... because there is no glove box in this model!

To be fair, most are too small to be of real use outside of storing the 'ahem' manual and logbook.

Each door gets storage pockets and a skinny drink bottle holder and both rows get two cupholders. The rear gets map pockets too but that's it.

The boot features a tyre puncture repair kit, level loading space and 410L of boot capacity with all seats in use. The capacity is a bit lower than its rivals but has been adequate for my grocery run and the odd errand. It's great both Solterra models have a powered tailgate as standard.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks good and is pulled directly from Toyota so the graphics and accessibility are on-point for everyday use.

You also get built-in satellite navigation which is always handy to have but you miss out on any over-the-air updates or a dedicated Subaru connected services app. 

The rest of the technology is solid with each row getting two USB-C ports and the front also featuring a USB-A socket and 12-volt outlet.

There are two variants for the Solterra range and both come with dual-motored electric powertrains. Our test example is the base model, priced from $69,990, before on-road costs.

Compared to its dual-motored rivals it’s almost as affordable as the Tesla Model Y Long Range priced from $69,900 MSRP, with the Toyota bZ4X AWD at $74,900 MSRP and the Kia EV6 GT-Line almost $20K more expensive at $87,590 MSRP.

However, its rivals sit at higher grade levels and some items on the Solterra AWD, like its cloth seats and manually adjustable front passenger seat, remind you it is still a ‘base’ model. 

That said, the Solterra AWD is well-specified for an entry model with standard features like heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable driver's seat, power-adjustable lumbar support (driver only) and even the rear outboard seats have a heat function.

The technology features a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, built-in satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two fast USB-C ports in each row and a clear 360-degree camera system.

For practicality, it features a powered tailgate, tyre puncture repair kit and remote air-conditioning start (from the key fob) to set your ideal cabin climate before you get in.

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 Solterra AWD has dual electric motors producing a combined 160kW for power and 337Nm of torque. It’s got enough grunt to be fun and zippy, even on the open road, but isn’t as powerful as some of its dual-motored rivals. 

For example, the Kia EV6 GT-Line produces 239kW/605Nm, which looks almost indecent compared to the Solterra's specs.

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.

The benefit of motors which aren't 'performance' grade means you win out eventually with energy consumption and its here the Solterra AWD shines.

The official combined cycle energy consumption figure is a low 14.1kWh/100km and I averaged 15.2kWh after a week of mostly urban driving.

The consumption is fantastic but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is only up to 414km (WLTP), which, again, is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion. I would have range anxiety on a longer journey.

The Solterra has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds (up to 150kW on DC power).

On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in just 30 minutes. 

On a 7.0kW AC power charger, you can go from 0-100 per cent in 9.5-hours and that drops to 6.5 hours on an 11kW system. Which isn’t as fast as it you might like but still makes it worthwhile plugging in while you're frequently the local shops.

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.

The Solterra underlines in bold everything you would expect from a Subaru. The power delivery is well balanced, it grips the road and the handling is comfortable.

Even when cornering there’s not a lot of passenger movement and the steering is on the right side of firm. Manoeuvring is nimble and fun thanks to an the 11.2-metre turning circle that also makes it easy to park.

The 360-degree camera system is top notch and you get great visibility out of the windows. Being only 4690mm in length and 1650mm tall even the smallest city carparks shouldn't daunt you.

The ride comfort is very good with suspension that absorbs the bumps well enough that they don’t bother you. There is a little road noise but not enough to annoy and overall the ride is refined.

The Solterra comes with great standard safety features like forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, safe exit warning, LED DRLs, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert and keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors and a clear 360-degree camera system.

It also features a digital rearview mirror, which is handy when you have a carload of passengers or gear. While you're aware of all of the safety items none of them are intrusive, which is awesome.

The Solterra has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag and a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. Its twin, the Toyota bZ4X was the tested model.

The Solterra has AEB which is operational from 5.0-80km/h for pedestrian and cyclist detection and up to 180km/h for cars.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points across the second row.

Two child seats will fit best and I had no trouble fitting my monster booster seat.

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.

The Solterra comes with a usual warranty term of five-years/unlimited km and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty term.

However, one of the best things about the Solterra has to be the free servicing (yes, you read that right) for five years or up to 75,000km.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km. But, hey, free is free!