Summary: The Deepal S07 certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but some people will love its eccentricities.

2026 Deepal S07 mid-size electric SUV

Pricing:  $53,900 (driveaway)

Options: 20-inch wheels $800, premium paint $800

Warranty: Seven-years/160,000km warranty, eight-year/240,000km battery warranty

Safety: Five-star ANCAP (2024)

Service intervals: 12 months or 10,000km

Engine: single electric motor

Power: 160kW

Torque: 320Nm

Battery: 80kWh ternary lithium

Transmission: single-speed auto, front-wheel drive

Body: 4750mm (long); 1930mm (wide); 1625mm (high)

Build country: China

Kerb weight: 2073kg

Towing capacity: 1500kg

Luggage storage: 445L, 1385L (rear seated folded), 125L (under bonnet)

Wheels: 19-inch alloy

Tyres: 235/50 R19

Spare wheel: repair kit

Turning circle: 11.5m

Claimed energy consumption: 18.6kWh/100km (WLTP)

Energy consumption on test: 15.8kWh/100km (325km)

Charging time: 35 minutes (fast charger, 30 to 80 percent), 50 minutes (10 to 80 percent),

11 hours (zero to 100 percent, AC charger), 8 hours (11 kW charger)

seniordriver.au consumption on test: not tested

[review]

The Deepal S07 has to be one of the weirdest cars we’ve driven in years.

Apart from anything else, it’s got no dash. That is, no instrument panel to tell you what’s going on.

It teleported us back to the turn of the century and the debut of the ill-fated Toyota Echo with its then-unusual centre-mounted digital speedometer.

The difference being that although the Deepal EV has a large centrally-mounted, free-standing touchscreen, which swivels to welcome the driver – there’s still no instrument cluster and that means no speedometer.

S07 does have head-up display which projects the car’s speed in the lower section of the windscreen and it can be the only reason the car received the stamp of approval for sale here.

However, as anyone who wears polarised sunglasses can tell you, it’s not much good if you can’t see it – not unless you cock your head to one side.

Nope. The only clue to how fast you’re going is a tiny, five-cent piece sized digital readout in the top right hand corner of the touchscreen.

You do get used to it. In fact, you can get used to most things eventually… but why is this regarded as acceptable?

Those with a long memory, might also recall that the Echo reverted to a conventional speedo the second time around when it was renamed Yaris.

What’s it cost?

The quirky Chinese brand is an apt replacement for Citroen, which importer Inchcape ditched 12 months ago.

It also handles Subaru and Peugeot, but like Citroen, the Deepal S07 is likely to have limited appeal.

While the mid-sized, five-seat EV is an interesting offering, it may not be for everyone.

Deepal says the S07 represents a new era of electric driving that combines cutting-edge technology, “remarkable performance” and luxurious design in an all-electric package that promises to redefine the SUV experience.

That’s a big call…

S07 comes in just the one grade, priced from $53,900 driveaway, with a $5000 sweetener and free servicing for three years if you buy one before the end of the month (which, at the time of writing, is a whole seven days away, and will have expired by the time you read this).

Our test vehicle was fitted with the optional 20-inch wheels which add $800 (premium paint is also $800).

Designed in Italy, the eye-catching exterior is matched by what Deepal describes as a luxurious, “yacht-inspired” interior.

The dimensions of the car supposedly conform to what is known as the ‘golden ratio’, offering aesthetically pleasing proportions and often used in photography.

A sleek silhouette with slender headlights contribute to an impressive drag coefficient of 0.258 Cd, helping to reduce wind noise and energy consumption.

The modern aesthetic is enhanced by silent, electric-suction, frameless doors with double-glazed glass for driver and front passenger windows, along with hidden door handles – inside and out.

The spacious interior reveals a futuristic wrap-around two-level centre console, inspired by ‘yachts of the Mediterranean’, including premium soft-touch materials and technology focused on delivering enhanced comfort and a luxurious ride.

Two-zone climate air with rear air vents, with air purification and an energy-saving heat pump are standard, along with synthetic quilted leather trim, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats with six-way powered adjustment and electric lumbar support for the driver.

Adding to the ambience of the interior is 64-colour ambient lighting.

Other features include 19-inch alloys with hubcaps, adaptive cruise control, all-LED lights, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limit, auto high beam, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and auto dipping exterior mirrors, auto lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, power-operated tailgate and a panoramic sunroof.

There’s also a built-in dash cam and questionable interior monitor.

This car doesn’t want for much.

Infotainment comes in the form of a 15.6-inch touchscreen which rotates 15 degrees left or right for better viewing angles.

There’s Bluetooth, voice control, satellite navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and premium 14-speaker Sony sound with an integrated speaker in the driver headrest.

Intelligent gesture recognition control allows passengers to control various functions like music, calls, and even taking photos with simple hand gestures.

The system also offers a range of scenario modes designed to enhance comfort, convenience, and functionality. Worth a look, but after that don’t bother.

USB-A and -C ports are located in the lower console, along with a 12-volt socket.

There’s also a 40W ventilated wireless fast phone charger.

The S07 earns a five-star safety rating with a comprehensive range of passive, active, driver assist, and advanced safety features.

Seven airbags and a 360-degree camera are standard including a centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes.

Autonomous emergency braking supports Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction & Crossing, Backover and Head-On situations.

The lane support system includes lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) with a speed sign recognition system.

There are also three tethers and two ISOFIX anchors in the rear for child seats.

The S07 comes standard with a seven-year/160,000km warranty and eight-year/240,000km battery warranty.

Service intervals are a relatively brief 10,000km or 12 months, after an initial complimentary 5000km or 6 months service.

There’s also fixed price servicing for 7.5 years or 75,000km.

What we like

• Different
• Well equipped
• Not too expensive

What we don’t like

• No instrument cluster
• Can’t see head-up display
• Ride and handling needs tuning

What over-50s need to know

The Deepal S07 is new and different and takes some acclimatisation.

We reckon it’s a good fit for a company that also sells Subaru and Peugeot cars (and Citroen until recently).

The S07 could well be the Citroen of the electric vehicle world.

The quirkiness starts with the pop-out door handles and buttons to open the doors from the inside, along with the complete lack of an instrument cluster.

You get a lot of car for your money however and for those with the time to get to know it, the S07 has a lot to offer in a practical SUV package.

seniordriver comments

The Deepal S07 will appeal to people who are keen to do things a bit differently. It will be up to you if you can live with the odd arrangement of no instrument cluster and having to read your speed from the HUD or the top corner of touchscreen.

We’d suggest you’ve missed the $5000 and free servicing deal, but it might be worth asking anyway.

Remembering that a drag coefficient of around 0.3 used to be considered rather special, the Deepal’s rating of 0.258 is remarkable.

We’ve never quite understood why door handles are such an embarrassment that they have to be hidden.

We’ve noticed with some other Chinese offerings that the air conditioning is only just up to the job, and the Deepal air conditioning should be more efficient. And we’d like to see physical controls for it, as well. Once again, demanding so many functions are controlled through the screen means you have to take your eyes off the road, and that’s hardly ideal.

Deepal (and others) should take a leaf out of Hyundai’s (and later Kia’s) book and tailor suspension settings for Australian conditions.

Chris Riley has been a journalist for 40 years and is the managing editor of cars4starters. He has spent half his career as a writer, editor and production editor in newspapers, the rest of the time driving and writing about cars, both in print and online. His love affair with cars began as a teenager with the purchase of an old VW Beetle, followed by another Beetle and a string of other cars on which he has wasted far too much time and money. A self-confessed geek, he’s not afraid to ask the hard questions, even at the risk of sounding silly.