Toyota RAV4 vs Deepal S07

What's the difference?

The Toyota RAV4 is arguably Australia’s darling and has been for years. It’s long set the benchmark in the mid-size SUV segment - a position rivals like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5 would love to occupy.

It’s also been close to a decade since we’ve seen anything new from the RAV4, so expectations for this sixth-generation update are understandably high. For this family review, we’re testing the flagship Cruiser Hybrid 2WD, which brings the most features and the biggest price tag in the line-up.

On paper, it promises meaningful upgrades, particularly in technology and refinement, while holding onto the practicality and efficiency that made it so popular in the first place.

But with stronger competition and rising expectations in this segment, the question is no longer whether the RAV4 is good, it’s whether it’s done enough to stay at the top.

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?

Let's find out, shall we?