Deepal S07

Deepal is a brand by Changan Automotive of China, and it’s pronounced DePaul, not Dee-Paal or Dee-Pal. Interesting name, and as we were told at the launch, it means Deep Blue. The S07 was introduced to the world in 2023 as a battery-electric compact luxury crossover. It uses Huawei’s HarmonyOS infotainment system, powered by a Snapdragon chip and the batteries are from CATL, a large Chinese battery manufacturer. So, let’s get down to our impressions of the S07, then.

Exterior

Let’s face it, the front of the S07 bears a similar vein to a Lambo Urus. This is what we first thought when we cast eyes on it, and many viewers of our video thought the same. That’s no bad thing though, especially when it isn’t a carbon copy. No, Deepal have merely been inspired by the Urus’ chiseled nose, and have applied their own DRL and headlamp design, and lower bumper style to it. The result is something that looks quite distinctive, especially amidst the sea of compact electric SUVs that we’re seeing. Our tester comes in Eclipse Black, but the colour palette for the S07 is quite varied. Options include Comet White, Sunset Orange, Cosmic Yellow, Celestial Blue, Lunar Gray and Nebula Green. 

Regardless of exterior colour, you get a nice set of 20-inch alloy wheels in two-tone black and silver, shod with 255/45 tires. We’re told that the DRLs are LED Star Petal design units, while the tail-lamps are LED Star Flame-Through type. The doors are frameless, and we notice the double-glazed front door windows. There’s a power tailgate, a panoramic glass roof and those ubiquitous electric hidden door handles that pop out when needed. Overall, as you can see from our photos, the S07 cuts a fine dash. It’s also got 175 millimetres of ground clearance which is fine for road-running. It’s not likely you’re going to take your S07 mud-plugging, anyways.

Mech & Tech

For testing purposes, we were given access to a rather nice 190-kilowatt (254 horsepower) variant, but customer cars will receive a 99 kilowatts (133 horsepower) motor due to our (unfair) taxation system that penalizes every single kilowatt that the motor puts out. The vehicles will still be rear-wheel drive though, which is nice, dynamically. Plus, there’s a 160 kilowatt variant available that costs a little more (due to taxation). The motor makes 320 newton-metres of torque and is powered by a 68.8 kilowatt-hour battery. Braking is accomplished via strong regenerative braking that sends energy back into the battery. Furthermore, ventilated front disc and solid rear disc brakes are standard. The rear suspension is multi-link which sets a nice tone for handling, while the front uses the typical MacPherson strut arrangement.

Driving Experience

The S07’s driver seat appears to be swung all the way back as I open the frameless driver door to get in. Once I close the door, the power-adjustable seat smoothly motors forward. Ah, this is comfort access system that also works for the front passenger seat, aiding entry and exit. Once you’re settled, you can activate the ventilated front seats to keep you cool while you drive. In fact, the driver seat of our test S07 remained in full cooling mode throughout my test drive. 

The next thing you notice is…where’s the gauge cluster? Aha, like the E07, the S07 eschews a traditional gauge cluster (digital or analog), in favour of a 12.3-inch heads-up display that projects vehicle and navigation information onto the driver’s side of the bottom of the windshield. I kept a close eye on it during direct sunlight conditions and found it to be quite bright and easy to read. But personally, I’d have liked a proper gauge cluster screen. Others might not be so picky, as you get used to reading the heads-up display very fast.

The gear shifter lives on the steering wheel. Foot on brake, flick it into D and…where’s the handbrake? Relax, the car has released it for you. Select your preferred driving mode if you wish (there’s Eco, Comfort, Sport and a custom mode) and away you go. Eco mainly dulls throttle response and cranks regenerative braking up to maximum while Comfort gives you a blend of performance and efficiency. Sport, on the other hand gives you everything that’s available. This was my favourite mode, and since we got a 190-kilowatt tester, we spent quite a few electrons here. Even 99-kilowatt variants have a fair bit of pep to them.

The multi-link rear suspension and the rear-wheel drive configuration make the S07 quite a sporting thing for keen drivers. Granted, it’s an EV so you don’t have any gears to change or an internal combustion engine to roar along. But, you can hustle this thing along at a decent clip without disturbing your passengers, thanks to the relatively low level of body roll. When it’s time to brake, the regeneration and the disks do their thing very well although I did notice a smidge of over-sensitivity at the top of the brake pedal’s travel. It’s something owners will get used to very fast, though.

Living With The Deepal S07

Our tester had the black interior, but there’s a fetching orange interior too. Regardless of colour choice, you’ll get leather-upholstered seating, three-zone climate control with a PM 2.5 filter, and a 15.6-inch ‘Sunflower’ touchscreen that’s control central for everything in the S07. The interior’s minimalistic design means that everything is touch-controlled, apart from the power seats and a few other things. You’ve also got multi coloured LED ambient lighting, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, gesture and voice recognition. A 40-watt wireless phone charger is standard, as is a smart key, front and rear USB charging ports and even an in-car monitor.

Sounds are played courtesy of a Sony 14-speaker sound system that includes speakers in the driver’s seat headrest. But, there’s another cool feature that utilizes the external speakers. Almost all EVs have external speakers because they’re supposed to emit a synthesized noise at low speeds to warn pedestrians of the vehicle’s presence. In the S07, you can even use this to play your music, turning the vehicle into a giant boombox of sorts!

Another neat feature is the Cabin Intelligent Scenario Modes. These adjust various parameters including the internal and external lights, seat positions, climate controls and more. There are several modes, including Camping Mode, Music Light Show Mode, Privacy Mode and Baby Care Mode. But my favourite has got to be Nap Mode. Here, the climate control and ventilated seats work, the front seats motor into a near-horizontal position, the car doors lock for your safety, and soothing sounds play. Yes, you can take a nap, and don’t worry about oversleeping because you can even set an alarm for the car to wake you up! Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the doors are unlocked via electric unlocking through door-mounted buttons. Don’t fret though, there’s a manual release too.

Regarding cargo capacity, the S07’s trunk can carry 475 litres of luggage. You can also split-fold the rear seat backs to enhance this. But wait, there’s more. The front also features a trunk, or frunk in EV parlance. Here, you’ve got an additional 125 litres of storage space, which is similar to what a traditional sports car might offer. There’s also a deep centre console bin and a storage shelf beneath the upper centre console. You’ve even got front cup holders, something that not all modern cars seem to provide.

Safety and ADAS Features

Deepal outfits the S07 with a long list of ADAS features. We’ve got a front collision warning system, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, a driver fatigue monitor, traffic jam assist, lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking. This is part of the vehicle’s integrated adaptive cruise control system which we were able to try out with impressive results. The S07 was even able to identify pedestrian crossings and slow down for them as a precautionary measure. Then, you’ve got your usual 360-degree camera system, but this includes a drive recorder too, so no need to buy one aftermarket. There’s also a transparent chassis mode for the surround-view camera system, helping you see what’s beneath your vehicle when driving in tricky situations. Then, you’ve got your usual airbag suite, child seat anchors, hill hold and hill descent control, tire pressure monitor and electronic stability programme. Plus, in the event of a collision, the vehicle will automatically power down and unlock its doors for safety.

Range and Charging

The 68.8 kilowatt-hour battery is rated at 485 kilometres on the NEDC driving cycle. This should work out to around 420 kilometres in a realistic Sri Lankan sense that includes stop-go traffic, city driving and some waiting with the vehicle powered up and the air conditioning running. If you’re more careful and use your regenerative braking smartly, you can easily eke out more range. The S07 supports AC charging as well as DC fast charging. Using the latter, a 30% to 80% charge can be accomplished in as little as 35 minutes, claims the brochure. The S07 also gets V2L (Vehicle to Load) capabilities, where you can power domestic home appliances via the vehicle if the battery has sufficient charge. Deepal Sri Lanka throws in a 7-kilowatt wall-mounted home charger and a 2.3-kilowatt portable AC charger free of charge with the S07 and other Deepal models purchased from them.

Price and Warranty

At the time of writing, the Deepal S07 retails at Rs. 19,995,000. Deepal Sri Lanka is giving a 5-year / 120,000 kilometre warranty on the vehicle and an 8-year / 240,000-kilometre warranty on the battery. The electric drive system is also covered by an 8-year / 150,000-kilometre warranty. Oh, if you want more accelerative thrills, you can shell out around 26 million rupees for the 160-kilowatt variant of the S07. This extra dough is because of the tax on the increased motor output.

Final Words

The Deepal S07 is a well-equipped electric luxury crossover that manages to sneak in under the magic 20-million-rupee price point. Its rear-drive layout and impressive array of features are definitely enough to wow prospective buyers, as is its minimalistic interior aesthetic. Perhaps the only sticking point for buyers might be the lack of a traditional gauge cluster - but do visit Deepal Sri Lanka, take a test drive and you’ll quickly get used to it. Especially when you discover that the S07 is pretty nice to drive – slowly or quickly.