There’s a new electric SUV in town, and if you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry — almost nobody has. The Changan Deepal S07 is the latest in a wave of Chinese cars arriving in the UK, and on paper it sounds promising: smart design, lots of tech, plenty of space, and a price tag that sneaks in just under £40,000.
Changan isn’t some startup. It’s actually one of China’s oldest carmakers, tracing its roots to 1862 and manufacturing cars since 1984. It’s even got a design studio in Italy and a proper UK engineering base
in Birmingham, where it says the S07 was tuned for British roads. After driving it, though, it’s hard to imagine which roads they had in mind.
Plenty of polish, not much personality
You’d never call the S07 ugly. It’s smooth, sleek and very on-trend, with slim headlights, flush door handles, and a full-width light bar at the back. But it’s also completely anonymous, the kind of car that looks like a dozen others parked outside Starbucks.
Inside, there’s a minimalist, modern vibe: a big portrait touchscreen in the middle, vegan leather seats, and a huge panoramic glass roof that floods the cabin with light. It looks great at first glance, and the space inside is impressive, especially in the back seats, where passengers get loads of legroom (enough to ensure kids in car seats won’t be kicking the back of your seat) and their own climate controls.
Spend a bit longer with it, though, and some of the shine fades. There are no real buttons, so everything from your wipers to your mirrors lives somewhere in that touchscreen, making it difficult to use on the move. The infotainment system can swivel to face the driver or passenger, which sounds cool but feels more like a party trick.
And then there’s the boot’s parcel shelf, a flimsy, loose-fitting bit of fabric that does absolutely nothing to keep noise out of the cabin or your cargo secure. It’s a small thing, but it makes the car feel unfinished.
Lots of tech for not much money
To give credit where it’s due, the Deepal S07 is loaded with features. Heated and ventilated seats, a big head-up display, a panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control, surround-view cameras, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — all standard. There’s even a ‘Smoking Mode’ that automatically opens the windows. You can take the car out of China, but you can’t take China out of the car.
It’s also covered by a seven-year warranty, and Changan already has a UK parts base and growing dealer network. This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan brand, although it’ll be some time before you see a Changan dealer in every town.
Changan hasn’t skimped on safety, either; the Deepal S07 has been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP and awarded a full five-star rating.
Perfect drive… on perfect roads
The Deepal S07 is powered by a single electric motor at the back of the car, producing 218hp. With an 80kWh battery, official figures say it’ll run for 295 miles, although around 250 is more realistic. It’s quick enough — 0–62mph in around eight seconds — and smooth to drive in town. The steering is light, the brake pedal feels natural, and visibility is good.
The trouble starts when the road gets rough. On anything less than a freshly resurfaced dual carriageway, the ride turns fidgety and unsettled, constantly reminding you that our roads aren’t as smooth as the ones in the brochure. It never feels properly comfortable, which is a shame because everything else about it encourages a calm, easy pace.
At higher speeds, there’s also more road noise than you’d expect from a car like this. It’s not unbearable, just another reminder that refinement is clearly one of the compromises made to hit that tempting price point.
While the S07 looks after the basics, it never really feels special. The Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq are more polished and more enjoyable to drive, even if they cost a little more.
Changan Deepal S07: The verdict
The Changan Deepal S07 is the automotive equivalent of a beautifully wrapped present that turns out to be socks. It’s perfectly fine, just not very interesting.
It’s spacious, well-equipped, and sensibly priced, but it lacks the charm or comfort to make you fall in love with it.
If you just want a good-value electric SUV that looks modern and does everything you need, it’s worth a look. But if you’re hoping for something with a bit more sparkle, there are better options.
Model tested: Changan Deepal S07
Price: £39,990
Average Janes rating: ★★★☆☆
