The Deepal S07: A Chinese Answer to Citroen?
By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring
The Deepal S07 is a unique and eye-catching electric vehicle that has left us with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. With its unconventional design choices, it's hard not to draw comparisons to Citroen, a brand recently dropped by importer Inchcape.
The Dashboard-less Wonder
One of the most notable features of the S07 is its lack of a traditional dashboard. It's like the car is teleporting us back to the early 2000s, reminiscent of the ill-fated Toyota Echo with its center-mounted speedometer. However, the Deepal S07 takes it a step further with a large, free-standing touchscreen that swivels towards the driver. But here's the catch: there's still no instrument cluster, meaning no speedometer.
To compensate, the S07 has a head-up display that projects the car's speed in the lower section of the windscreen. While it's a clever solution, it's not without its flaws. Polarized sunglasses wearers will tell you that it's not much use if you can't see it, and you'll need to tilt your head to one side to catch a glimpse.
A Quirky Brand, Limited Appeal
Deepal, the quirky Chinese brand, is an interesting replacement for Citroen. It also handles Subaru and Peugeot, but like Citroen, the S07 is likely to have limited appeal. The mid-sized, five-seat EV is an intriguing offering, but it may not be for everyone.
Cutting-Edge Technology and Luxury
Deepal claims the S07 represents a new era of electric driving, combining cutting-edge technology, remarkable performance, and luxurious design. The car's styling is designed in Italy, with an eye-catching exterior and a 'yacht-inspired' interior. The dimensions supposedly conform to the 'golden ratio', offering aesthetically pleasing proportions.
The car's sleek silhouette and slender headlights contribute to an impressive drag coefficient of 0.258 Cd, reducing wind noise and energy consumption. The modern aesthetic is enhanced by silent, electric-suction, frameless doors with double-glazed glass and hidden door handles.
Spacious and Feature-Rich Interior
The interior is spacious and futuristic, with a wrap-around two-level center console inspired by Mediterranean yachts. It features premium soft-touch materials and technology focused on comfort and luxury. Standard features include two-zone climate air with rear air vents, air purification, and an energy-saving heat pump.
The car also boasts synthetic quilted leather trim, a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats with six-way powered adjustment, and electric lumbar support for the driver. 64-color ambient lighting adds to the ambiance.
Additional 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 more.
Infotainment and Safety
The infotainment system is a 15.6-inch touchscreen that rotates for better viewing angles. It offers Bluetooth, voice control, satellite navigation, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system also has a premium 14-speaker Sony sound system.
In terms of safety, the S07 earns a five-star rating with advanced features like seven airbags, a 360-degree camera, and autonomous emergency braking. It also includes lane support systems and an advanced speed assistance system.
Performance and Driving Experience
The S07's performance is described as 'okay but nothing special' in terms of EVs. It has a single electric motor driving the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission, delivering 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque.
The car offers a spacious cabin with a flat floor and good-sized luggage area. However, the driving experience has its shortcomings. The air-conditioning unit struggles in hot climates, and most controls are operated through the screen, taking eyes off the road.
The ride quality is decent around town but deteriorates on better roads. The car feels heavy and the springs become bouncy when encountering undulations and speed humps.
Charging and Battery Range
The S07's battery range is rated at 475km, which is reasonable but not the sweet spot. Larger batteries take longer to charge, so home charging is essential. The car supports DC charging, providing a 30-80% charge in about 35 minutes.
AC charging from 0 to 100% takes 11 hours with a 7kW charger or about eight hours with an 11kW charger. Regenerative braking helps top up the battery during driving.
Summary and Ratings
The Deepal S07 is a bold and unique vehicle that takes some time to get used to. It's a good fit for a company that sells Subaru and Peugeot cars, and it could be the Citroen of the electric vehicle world.
Ratings:
- Looks: 7.5
- Performance: 7
- Safety: 8
- Thirst: 7.5
- Practicality: 7
- Comfort: 7
- Tech: 8
- Value: 8
- Overall: 7.5
