Deepal S07 vs Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

What's the difference?

The Deepal S07 has the makings of a great family friendly EV, but with some quirks that really need to be ironed out.

It’s easy to say the GLB35 doesn’t deserve to be called an AMG when looking at its credentials on paper, but get behind the wheel and it’s evident Affalterbach played a key role in making it feel as special to drive as it should be.

The GLB35 has all of the great qualities of the GLB250 and other GLB variants, but successfully adds a performance focus to make for an even more compelling package.

Indeed, the GLB35 proves you can pretty much have it all.

If you’re left a little underwhelmed from the bland same-sameness of so many new SUVs, I reckon you’d like the Deepal S07 in the metal. Because boring it ain’t.

It’s sharp and purposeful and full of lovely creases and angles, and it stands out on the road — especially in this 'Sunset Orange' colour.

Deepal says it was designed in Turin, Italy, but I'm not sure that matters much. I mean, being in Italy doesn’t guarantee design success – just look to the modern Lancia range for proof – but I guess it’s something for a newish Chinese brand to hang its hat on.

Inside, the design is lovely, too. I like the materials used, the extended dash and the size of the central screen (though it tilting towards you or the passenger is probably overkill). And the flat-bottom wheel is a nice touch.

I'd like to know where the air con was designed, though. It feels massively underwhelming on a piping hot Sydney day. The main outlet is at the bottom of the dash, which is perfectly positioned to chill absolutely nothing, and you can’t really change the direction of the vents, either. Or, at least, I couldn't figure out how to.

With the boxy and therefore rugged-looking GLB laying some great foundations, it’s no surprise the GLB35 looks pretty damn good – to these eyes, at least.

Being an AMG model, it stands out from the crowd with an aggressive body kit, with the chunky bumpers, aerodynamic roof spoiler and racy rear diffuser all unique alongside the now-signature Panamericana grille insert.

A set of 20-inch alloy wheels with 255/40 tyres ups the ante at the side, where the carryover black plastic wheel-arch and skirt cladding serves as an obligatory reminder that this is an SUV.

Also of note are the nicely designed LED headlights and tail-lights, which literally light the way, but there’s no getting past the bespoke diffuser element, which integrates the sports exhaust system’s dual 90mm tailpipes.

Inside, the GLB35 is a technological tour de force, with a pair of 10.25-inch high-resolution displays proudly sitting side by side atop the dashboard, with one the central touchscreen and the other the digital instrument cluster.

Both are powered by Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX multimedia system, which arguably remains the best there is today thanks its speed and breadth of functionality and input methods.

The GLB35 is also properly premium. Lugano leather upholstery covers the seats and armrests, while Nappa trims the sports steering wheel. Even the door shoulders and inserts get ‘cow hide’, although theirs is of the artificial variety.

Soft-touch materials are used for the upper dashboard, leaving hard plastics to the lower sections, which is what you’d expect for the price.

While the black headliner makes for a dark cabin, brightness comes from the metallic trim used throughout, notably on the steering wheel, dashboard, doors and centre console. And let’s not forget the pop of colour provided by the addictive ambient lighting.

And mercifully, scratch- and fingerprint-hungry gloss-black accents are limited to the surrounds of the turbine-style front air vents, dual-zone climate controls and centre console.

Unique to the GLB35 are Carbon Structure trim and stainless-steel sports pedals, just in case you forgot you weren’t driving a regular GLB.

At just over 4.7m long and 1.9m wide, with a 2.9m wheelbase, the Deepal is a sizeable proposition, which means good passenger room and decent luggage space.

Starting at the boot, you’ll find 445 litres with the rear seats in place, but with the seats folded flat that number grows to 1385 litres. There’s a frunk up front, too, that holds another 125 litres.

In the back, the room is ample for full-size adults. When sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had more than enough knee and headroom to sit comfortably. 

There’s also a heavy pulldown divider that’s home to twin cupholders, and there are two more up front, and USB connection points galore. Bonus points for the back seat riders being able to adjust their own air temps, too.

Measuring 4650mm long (with a 2829mm wheelbase), 1845mm wide and 1660mm tall, the GLB35 is more like the GLC43 in size than the GLA35, making it a mid-size SUV despite its small underpinnings. And that is good news for practicality.

Cargo capacity with the 50/50 split-fold third row stowed is more than solid, at 565 litres (VDA), but it can be increased to a cavernous 1800L with the 40/20/40 split-fold middle bench also not in use. If six or seven passengers are onboard, though, there’s very little room to move.

Nonetheless, the boot is still well packaged, featuring a huge aperture, no load lip, and a flat floor, which make loading and unloading bulkier items a hell of a lot easier. And even the load cover can be stored underfloor when out of action. How good.

There are also four tie-down points, two bag hooks, a side storage net and a 12V power outlet on hand to make matters even easier, while the rear seats can be stowed from the boot.

While we’re on the topic, Mercedes-Benz says the third row can accommodate passengers up to 168cm tall, with the middle bench able to slide fore and aft by up to 140mm.

Yes, I'm too tall, at 184cm, but I can still sit in the very back, although not in total comfort. All in all, about a centimetre of legroom and negligible headroom and toe-room are on offer there for me.

That said, getting in and out in the first place is the real challenge here, with the middle bench unable to tumble forward for easy ingress and egress. Yep, you’re not going to look smooth either way. Children can deal with it, but adults won’t be thrilled.

Therefore, the middle bench is the place to be, even when it’s slid all the way forward. Behind my driving position, it offers about a centimetre of legroom, but this can be increased to several inches by sliding it all the way back.

Either way, plenty of toe-room is available alongside more than an inch of headroom. The latter is more impressive when you consider that’s what you get with the standard dual-pane panoramic sunroof fitted.

Even better, the second row can seat three adults at a pinch, partly thanks to the low transmission tunnel, which means there’s the right amount of space for six fully grown feet across the two footwells. It goes without saying children will again be fine.

Speaking of which, four ISOFIX and five top-tether anchorage points are on hand for fitting up to four child seats across the second and third rows, which makes the GLB35 a serious option for families that like to be sporty.

There are plenty of in-cabin storage options, with the large central storage bin featuring a pair of USB-C ports, while the glovebox is also quite useful, even if it is oddly shaped. And there’s also a sunglasses holder in front of the rearview mirror.

The centre console’s cubby isn’t really designed for storage, with it basically taken up by two cupholders, another USB-C port and a wireless smartphone charger.

The front door bins can accommodate one small and two regular bottles each, which is great, while their rear counterparts can take one small and one regular apiece.

Second-row occupants also have access to a fold-down armrest with another pair of cupholders, but being of the retractable variety, they’re flimsy.

These passengers also have two USB-C ports, with the pair folding out below a small cubby and air vents, which are found at the back of the centre console. Storage nets are also fitted on the front seat backrests.

And don’t worry; the third row gets in on the action, with two cupholders (one regular, the other small) splitting the seats, which have individual USB-C ports and device straps to the sides.
 

Priced from $88,535 plus on-road costs, the GLC35 currently sits atop the GLB range, above both the $59,900 GLB200 and $73,535 GLB250.

Standard equipment not already mentioned in the GLB35 includes dusk-sensing lights, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors, black roof rails, rear privacy glass and a power-operated tailgate.

Inside, satellite navigation with live traffic, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, digital radio, a 225W sound system with nine speakers, keyless entry and start, power-adjustable front comfort sports seats with heating and memory functionality, auto-dimming mirrors, illuminated ‘AMG’ scuff plates and ‘AMG’ floor mats feature.

As is commonplace for Mercedes-Benz models, the GLB35 has plenty of options with most expensive, so you could drive away with a vehicle that’s dearer than you originally thought.

But aside from a spare wheel and some safety equipment we’ll cover in a moment, the GLB35 doesn’t leave much to be desired, which is always a good thing.

Nonetheless, our test vehicle was finished in $1490 Iridium Silver Metallic paintwork, which is one of eight extra-cost exterior colour options.

As mentioned, the GLB250 is a unique proposition, so it’s only comparable rival, the more affordable but less sporty Land Rover Discovery Sport P250 HSE ($78,432).

The S07 is powered by a single 160kW/320Nm rear-mounted electric motor and it's rear-wheel drive. That’s enough output, says Deepal, to push the S07 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds — not bad for a two-tonne-plus SUV.

The GLB35 is powered by an uprated version of the GLB250’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder petrol engine, with the AMG-fettled version producing a more substantial 225kW of power from 5800-6100rpm and 400Nm of torque from 3000-4000rpm (up from 165kW/350Nm).

This version is also matched to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as well as Mercedes-AMG’s front-biased but fully variable 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

Thanks to this combination, the GLB35 can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds with launch control enabled, while its electronically limited top speed is 250km/h.

The 79.97kWh ternary lithium battery delivers a claimed driving range of 475km. It is, however, set up for just 92kW DC fast charging, which means going from 30 to 80 per cent will take just over half an hour. That’s at an appropriate DC fast charger, of course. Your 7.0kW AC home wallbox will take 11 hours, or eight hours if you can draw 11kW.

The GLB35’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is 8.3L per 100km, while its carbon dioxide emissions are 186 grams per km. All things considered, both claims are pretty decent.

In our real-world testing, though, we averaged a high 14.1L/100km over 75km of driving split between highways and country roads, so not your typical mix, then. A heavy right foot also played into that result, so expect a better return after a regular run.

For reference, the GLB35’s 60L fuel tank can be filled up with 98RON petrol at minimum.

Binging, bonging safety systems aside, the Deepal S07's drive experience is relatively peaceful.

It can feel heavy, and isn't dynamically perfect through tighter bends, and even in the city the suspension - which does a good job ironing out most road imperfections - can clang over sharper, bigger stuff, especially if you're too enthusiastic with a speed bump.

But provided you're not asking too much of it on some twisting pass, and you're gentle enough over really big bumps, the S07 behaves much as you'd expect a big, wafty electric SUV might.

That is, with a smooth flow of power, steering that isn't overly direct, but not overly sharp either and with comfort the order of the day.

There are some annoying quirks, though, that would seem easy enough to iron out. The safety systems are often intrusive – and other Chinese brands can get them to be far less annoying – but I also found the tech and user interface annoying and fiddly, which again would be easy enough to fix.

Don’t let the GLB35’s family friendliness fool you, this is an SUV that can get up and go.

The engine’s extra power and torque over the GLB250 are immediately felt behind the wheel, with the GLB35 accelerating with the vigour of an all-wheel-drive hot hatch, which makes sense given their similar claims.

And if you have one of the sportier drive modes engaged, the booming noise generated is also special – even if a lot of it is of the artificial variety, pumped into the cabin to make occupants feel like things are getting serious.

What is genuine, though, is the well-rounded transmission, which is characteristically quick with its upshifts. At the same time, it’s also relatively smooth, even at low speed, which has proven to be a challenge for dual-clutch units over time, but not here.

To earn the AMG badge, the GLB35 goes even further with other mechanical upgrades, including sports tunes for the suspension and steering.

Specifically, the GLB35’s independent suspension set-up not only consists of MacPherson-strut front and trailing-link rear axles with adaptive dampers, but also introduces new steering knuckles, transverse control arms on the front axle, and a stiffened subframe.

The resulting ride is actually quite good. Yes, the extra firmness over the GLB250 is noticeable – particularly in the sportier drive modes that stiffen the adaptive dampers all the way – but it’s by no means a deal-breaker.

That said, it’s worth noting our test vehicle was fitted with the optional 21-inch alloy wheels ($1990), so the GLB35’s like to ride even better on its standard package.

This is remarkable considering the handling improvements made, with the GLB35 managing body roll and pitch better than the GLB250 when pushing hard into and around corners, coming out of which grip is plentiful thanks to the all-wheel-drive system.

Thankfully, the standard-fit high-performance braking package consisting of 350mm front and 330mm rear discs with four- and one-piston callipers respectively helped it wash speed away with ease when attacking the twisty stuff with intent, even with 1857kg (kerb) to deal with.

Also on hand is electric power steering, which is speed-sensitive and has a variable ratio in the GLB35. Basically, it’s quicker when you want it to be, remaining on the lighter side in hand until you engage one of the sportier drive modes and weight is increased markedly.

ANCAP awarded the GLB range its maximum five-star safety rating in 2019.

Advanced driver-assist systems in the GLB35 extend to autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, hill-descent control, hill-start assist, park assist, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Is anything missing? Well, steering assist, adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot monitoring and front cross-traffic alert form the optional Driving Assistance Package ($1990), which definitely should be standard at this price point.

And let’s not forget the two other noticeable absentees: surround-view cameras and high-beam assist. They’re annoyingly part of the optional Vision Package ($1190), which was fitted to our test vehicle.

Nonetheless, other standard safety equipment includes nine airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and rear-side plus driver’s knee), anti-skid brakes (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and the usual electronic stability and traction control systems.

The S07 is covered for seven years or 160,000km, while the battery is covered for eight years or 240,000km.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km, and the brand’s capped-price servicing program covers the first seven services (or eight, if you include the initial 5000km check-in, which is free), for a total $2981.43 (or an average of $426 per paid workshop visit).

As with all Mercedes-AMG models, the GLB35 comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which currently sets the standard for the premium market. It also comes with five years of roadside assistance.

The GLB35’s service intervals are long, at every 12 months or 25,000km (whichever comes first). Better yet, it’s available with a three-year/75,000km capped-price servicing plan, but it costs $2750, with the third visit alone incurring a $1300 charge.