2025 Deepal S07 review

A new Chinese-built arrival in the Aussie EV space stands out from the crowd, but is it for the wrong reasons?

Three Deepal S07s in yellow, red and silver parked on a shorefront with sunset ocean scene behind

Many Australians will be unfamiliar with the Deepal nameplate, but that’s hardly surprising given just two years ago no one in the entire world had ever heard of it. Introduced in 2023 as an offshoot of Chinese state-owned Changan Automobile, its first vehicle to launch here is the stylish and technology-packed S07 electric SUV. After a glitzy unveiling at Bondi Beach in October last year, some teething issues with its driver assistance features and adaptive cruise control came to light, which Deepal has been quick to address with an announced software update. Does the S07 have enough going for it to convince EV buyers? Let’s find out.

How much does the Deepal S07 cost?

The S07 comes to us in one variant for $53,900 plus on-road costs. Its price undercuts a large swathe of its mid-size electric SUV competitors, such as the Tesla Model Y (from $55,900), XPeng G6 (from $54,800), Kia EV5 (from $56,770 drive-away) and BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990). However, none of these can hold a candle to the Leapmotor C10, which gets the value gold-star of the segment for its sharp starting price of $45,888, which is more on par with small electric SUVs.

What is the Deepal S07 like inside?

Deepal has clearly run with its ‘touch the future’ ethos inside the S07. There’s no button to start the vehicle and the driver is immediately greeted with an AI-type voice: “Hi, my name is Deepal, and I will be with you all the way.” It cycles through more phrases when you enter the vehicle at other times, but they can become tiresome, so you’ll likely want to turn them off.

The 15.6-inch centre touchscreen automatically tilts towards the driver and an augmented reality head-up display substitutes for the S07’s lack of a driver display. A gear selector masquerades as the right-hand indicator stalk, buttons replace door-opening handles, and there are speakers embedded in the driver’s headrest.

The panoramic sunroof floods the cabin with natural light and there’s a premium feel to all the materials and touchpoints, plus a good amount of space across both seating rows. In the front, a deep central storage bin extends as a floating armrest with cupholders, dual phone pads (one is a wireless charger) and more storage room underneath. Rear passengers could wear top hats for all the head room, while the boot offers 445 litres of space, or 1385 litres with the second row folded down, and there’s an extra 125 litres of storage in the frunk.

What equipment does the Deepal S07 come with?

With just one variant and optional extras limited to metallic paint, orange seat trim and 20-inch alloy wheels over the 19-inchers, Deepal has jammed a lot of standard kit into the S07. A walk around the exterior reveals daytime running lights, LED headlights with dusk-sensing and high-beam assistance, a powered tailgate, flush door handles, and auto-folding side mirrors that both flip out when the vehicle detects its smart key in proximity.

Interior goodies include a heated steering wheel, 14-speaker Sony audio system, two USB-C ports and one USB-A, electric sunroof shade, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and electronically adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. Controls in the second row let occupants alter the dual-zone climate control settings, activate the sunroof shade and move the front passenger seat forwards to gain extra space.

The Deepal S07 presents as a good-looking, high-tech and premium SUV inside and out, with a sticker price cheaper than many of its rivals. That said, it’s difficult to overlook the often-frustrating driving experience and implementation of its technology.

— Adam Smith

1/10

How safe is the Deepal S07?

Deepal’s maiden vehicle received a five-star ANCAP safety rating when tested in late 2024. It scored 95 per cent in adult occupant protection and comes with a long list of safety features. These include autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), front collision warning, lane departure warning, emergency lane keeping assistance, rear cross traffic alert, side exit warning, rear collision warning, blind spot detection, and traffic sign recognition.

The S07 is also equipped with a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, and an integrated dash camera. And for anyone wondering about the safety implications of no interior door handles, ANCAP said it demonstrated that, if the car entered water, the doors and windows would remain functional for the minimum required time period.

What powers the Deepal S07?

The S07’s single electric motor delivers 160kW and 320Nm to the rear wheels, giving the mid-size SUV a modest 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds. The battery size is just shy of 80kWh and provides a claimed range of 475km.

The maximum DC charge rate for the S07 is 92kW, which puts it behind many of its rivals and well below the 250kW in a top-spec Tesla Model Y. At the S07’s maximum rate, Deepal says it will go from 30 to 80 per cent capacity in around 35 minutes, while AC charging is up to 11kW, which will take around eight hours to fully charge.

What is the Deepal S07 like to drive?

The S07 can be a comfortable and enjoyable EV, with light steering and adequate ride and handling giving drivers little to complain about, yet the vehicle’s default settings definitely warrant a grumble or two. Its natural Eco drive mode feels unwilling to throw the S07’s hefty 2073kg weight around with any urgency and ramps up the regenerative braking to make smooth driving a challenge. The Sport mode is preferrable for daily driving duties and provides a settled nimbleness more in line with what you’d expect from an EV, though it sacrifices some range.

Further impeding a sense of joy is a driver distraction warning that will reprimand even the most conscientious behind the wheel. Operating the infotainment screen for a few seconds is enough to elicit loud beeps of increasing frequency, amounting to a caning over the knuckles instead of a rap. Deepal’s upcoming software update will address the issue once local testing is complete, but we’d suggest it should also tweak the overly sensitive lane departure assistance, which beeps and vibrates the steering wheel at every imaginable opportunity.

For now, drivers are compelled to dig into vehicle settings (by swiping down and left on the touchscreen) to switch off these driver assistance features every time they hop in the S07. The infotainment system itself has a steep operation learning curve and its home screen offers acres of real estate, yet important information and icons for the driver are relegated to small fonts at its edges.

Another promised fix is an adaptive cruise control that slows the vehicle on bends. We encountered it on a freeway while overtaking a truck on a slight corner at 100km/h, where the S07 slowed itself all the way down to 80km/h. This doesn’t inspire confidence, to say the least.

The S07 does appear to be quite efficient in its energy consumption. It showed 16kWh/100km on our city and highway loop in mostly Eco mode, adding credence to its claimed range.

The NRMA’s take on the Deepal S07

The Deepal S07 presents as a good-looking, high-tech and premium SUV inside and out, with a sticker price cheaper than many of its rivals. That said, it’s difficult to overlook the often-frustrating driving experience and implementation of its technology. While Deepal’s timely response to right some of these issues is a step in the right direction, how successful it’ll be remains to be seen. In the meantime, the S07’s slow charging rate and run-of-the-mill on-road performance will struggle to set it apart from the multitude of other EV releases in Australia.