Another day, another electric SUV from China is trying to pick a fight with the best-selling Tesla Model Y. Today’s challenger is the new Changan Deepal S07, which will be arriving on UK shores within the next few months and is priced from £39,950. That’s more than £5,000 less than than the starting price of its chief rival.
The price tag for the Deepal S07 is within a few hundred pounds of the Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5 – two other electric mid-size SUVs we rate very highly – and undercuts fellow Chinese newcomer the XPeng G6 by a whisker. It can’t match the Renault Scenic though, which is available from close to £37k.
Range and charging look off the pace
But while the Deepal S07 can compete with rivals on price, its 295-mile claimed range is a long way off the class best, despite the car using a large 80kWh battery. For context, the most efficient version of the updated Tesla Model Y can cover up to 387 miles in one go, and even the base car has a 311-mile range.
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The Deepal S07’s charging capabilities don’t make up for the range shortfall. It has a maximum charging speed of 92kW, and as a result it takes a whopping 48 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent. Most of the Changan’s competitors can do the same job in less than half an hour, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 needs as little as 18 minutes.
High specification, Italian design
At least ordering the car should be quick, because there’ll be a single specification equipped with a panoramic glass roof, powered tailgate, 15.6-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging pad, a head-up display with augmented reality navigation, 14-speaker sound system with speakers in the headrests, and heated and ventilated front seats.
