You’re getting flooded with new electric mid-size SUVs from China, I know. But if you’re struggling to recall them all, just remember – this is the good-looking one.
It’s the Deepal S07, the spearhead for the Deepal brand's new presence in Australia, and I reckon it looks damn sharp.
But is there substance to match the style? And can it take on the likes of the Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y and XPeng G6?
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Let's find out, shall we?
Deepal S07 2025: RWD
| Engine Type | 0.0L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Electric |
| Fuel Efficiency | 0.0L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $53,900 |
Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
8 / 10
It’s easy picking in the Deepal range, given there’s one model with just the one trim level, simply called the S07.
It’s currently $58,521 drive-away in NSW, or $53,900 before on-road costs. And that’s probably about right. You can get an entry-level Kia EV5 for $56,770, though with less range and kit, or the XPeng G6 Standard Range for $54,800, though that’s before on-road costs. The new Model Y is a bit of a jump, at $63,400 on the road.
For that you get 19-inch alloys, a fixed sunroof with a sun shade, LED lighting all around and a powered boot.
Inside, there’s a giant 15.6-inch touchscreen that can swivel towards the driver or the passenger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 14-speaker Sony stereo and wireless device charging.
There’s dual-zone air con, the seats (heated and ventilated up front) are trimmed in synthetic leather and there’s an interior camera with gesture control, so you can use a kind of sign language to take a photo, control the stereo or answer or hang up the phone. It's weird and makes you look like a turkey, which is why I used it once and once only, but you might like it.
Design – Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
8 / 10
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.
Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside? 8/10
8 / 10
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.
Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its motor? 7/10
7 / 10
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.
Efficiency – What is its driving range? What is its charging time? 6/10
6 / 10
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.
Driving – What's it like to drive? 6/10
6 / 10
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.
Warranty & Safety Rating
Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating? 6/10
6 / 10
Handing out a low score for a five-star ANCAP car seems harsh, but bear with me.
All the major bases are covered, the standard spec including auto emergency braking (AEB) with car-to-car and 'vulnerable road user' (pedestrian, backover, cyclist, motorcycle) detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane keeping assist and more. And there are front, front side (chest), side curtain and front centre airbags.
But the single biggest drawback of the Deepal experience has to be the most annoying, infuriating active (crash-avoidance) safety systems I’ve ever come across. Honestly, it has to be experienced to be believed.
For one, whenever I wear sunglasses it gives me an “occlusion” warning, which I genuinely had to Google, but that’s nothing compared to the driver attention monitor, which seems rigged to go off if you so much as blink, sending chimes binging and bonging throughout the cabin, increasing in number like a bomb about to go off.
And if you have to turn them off every time you get in, you have to wonder if they have any business being there at all.
So yes, it wears a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in January this year, but it’s a tree falling in the forest, kind of vibe, like if a car has every active safety system known to man, and you want to switch them off every time you get in, is it any safer than a car that doesn’t have any systems at all?
Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 7/10
7 / 10
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).
Verdict
The Deepal S07 has the makings of a great family friendly EV, but with some quirks that really need to be ironed out.
Pricing Guides
Range and Specs
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| RWD | Electric, 1 SPEED AUTOMATIC | $53,900 |
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