The Changan Deepal S07 is the leader of the current Changan portfolio, which was introduced to South Africa late last year. We spent a few days with the electrified family SUV to bring you this review.
We spent the better part of our festive-season break behind the wheel of a Changan CS75 (read full review here). Shortly after the new year began we took delivery of another product from China’s oldest carmaker. The Changan Deepal S07 is a slightly different proposition from its sibling as it is the brand’s first full EV to go on sale in South Africa.
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Eye-catching
From the moment the Deepal S07 arrived at our ‘offices’ we had people asking about it. Curious neighbours and passersby craned their necks to get a second and third glance. The crisp lines, geometric shapes, slim headlamps, massive alloys and profile drew universal approval. The badge, which is a completely unknown locally, led someone to remark: I didn’t know Tesla starting selling cars in SA. A motorist at a traffic light queried: nice car, what is it? The lights turned green before we could answer. We really hope he reads this.
Suffice to say, the S07 is a handsome prospect that seemed to draw universal approval. Unsurprisingly, we learn that Changan has an Italian design studio in Turin that was responsible for this car’s external appearance. The ‘Europofication’ of the design was a smart move as the S07 really stands out from other Chinese offerings, and in a good way. We gotta say, faced with the option, we’d go for one of the bolder colours such as the orange or mossy green offered locally.
Modern, Sumptuous Cabin
If the external appearance doesn’t leave you impressed then perhaps the cabin will. The design aesthetic is minimalist with very few buttons about the facia. All materials feel high quality to the touch. In addition, there is a nice blend of tactile finishes from the wood-look trim on the doors, material-covered speaker covers and soft upholstery on the seats, all help make the Deepal S07 feel premium.
Standard equipment includes electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone climate control, a 14-speaker audio system that sounds superb, a panoramic roof, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, keyless entry, a wireless phone charging pad and full 360-degree parking cameras, among many many others. Again, the look and feel was very much that of a high-end European brand such as Volvo.
High Tech
The dashboard is dominated by a 15,6-inch portrait touchscreen. The unit can swivel automatically towards driver or passenger or set to a neutral, centre position. Almost all functions lie within the infotainment system, even the mirror adjustment and wiper controls, which can be a bit frustrating when you want to make a quick change. However, the OS is fast and the screen graphics are crisp.
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In addition there is voice control functionality for the likes of the temp control, panoramic roof, etc, which makes life a little easier once you get used to the commands. There is no traditional instrument cluster. Instead there is a standard augmented-reality head-up display that projects vital driving info onto the inside of the windscreen, but it somehow looks as though it is outside the car.
A Frunk
Space in the cabin of the Deepal S07 is enough to accommodate four adults, and maybe a fifth for shorter distances. The panoramic roof floods the cabin with light to make it feel even more airy. One, particularly tall friend mentioned that he felt as though the roofline was close to his head when seated on the rear bench. However, he is well over 1,85 metres. Most adults should be okay. The design of the floor and packaging of the battery leaves a nice amount of foot room in the rear.
The boot volume is adequate in this vehicle, quoted as 445 litres. The slightly high loading lip makes access a little tricky, especially of you were lifting a heavy suit case or multiple grocery bags. Handily, there is also a frunk (fore boot) where the engine would normally be placed in a family SUV. This little compartment adds a handy 125 litres to the equation.
One Powertrain
The Deepal S07, as mentioned, is an EV. It is powered solely by a battery. In this case an 80 kWh unit. This drives an electric motor that delivers 160 kW of power exclusively to the rear axle. That power output endows the S07 with a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7,9 seconds. It is not quite as quick off the mark as we have become accustomed to with EVs. In comparison, the single-motor Volvo EX30 (the S07’s closest rival) offers 200 kW and can reel off the benchmark test in 5,3 seconds.
Click here to read our review of the twin-motor Volvo EX30.
However, the Deepal S07 doesn’t feel slow just more relaxed. In addition the S07 counters with more range (500 km) than the Volvo. There is plenty of punch when accelerating while on the move, just don’t expect to blow away any hot hatches at the traffic lights. The lower power output also doesn’t result in uncomfortable G-force jerking for passengers, a characteristic of powerful EVs, who aren’t ready for it.
An Appliance
The powertrain feels more like a refined ICE unit. While it may feel like an ICE unit, there certainly aren’t any noises to make you think that. In fact, the cabin remains commendably silent, in part, thanks to double-glazed front windows which keep the cabin well isolated from the outside world. The sense of isolation continues from the helm, which feels disconnected from the front wheels. The Deepal S07 has no sense of engagement from a dynamic point of view. This car is an an appliance for those who want transport in luxury and comfort. And in that regard it excels.
Summary
Keen observers of the SA automotive market may know that Changan had a brief foray here before. However, those products have almost no relation to the brand’s current crop of vehicles. Imagine if you had experience of a Beetle twenty years ago and hopped into a VW Tiguan today, they step-change would be massive. The same applies here with Changan. The CS75 Pro that we drove earlier left a favourable impression. In part that was due to the package on offer at an extremely competitive price.
The Deepal S07 is a different prospect in that it is just shy of a million rand and a pure EV. EV adoption still remains slow in SA, particularly with limited charging infrastructure. And asking a buyer to part with so much money on a relatively unknown product is a big ask, especially when you have the likes of a similarly priced Volvo competitor. Changan SA must know all of this, but offers the S07 anyway, placing it as a halo in the range helping to showcase what it is capable of. We expect these to be a pretty rare sight on SA’s roads. But at least you won’t have to ask: What is it?
Model: Changan Deepal S07
Price:R995 900
Engine: single electric motor
Transmission: RWD
Max power: 160 kW
Max torque: 320 N.m
0-100 km/h: 7,9 sec
Top speed: n/a
Range: 500 km
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