Does Australia need yet another fully electric compact SUV from China? Deepal seems to think so, which is why the S05 will arrive on our shores in the second half of 2025.
For the Changan-owned and Inchcape-distributed Deepal brand, this follows the launch of the larger S07 mid-sized SUV and the announcement that it will also bring the E07 SUV/ute to our market. We believe the G-Wagen lookalike G318 won’t be too far behind either.
The Deepal S05 is set to compete directly with established models such as the BYD Atto 3 and Chery Omoda E5 in what is going to be the most competitive segment for 2025 and beyond.
Measuring 4620mm long, 1900mm wide, and 1600mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2880mm, the S05 maintains the Deepal family look with a modern exterior design, plus features like frameless doors and hidden door handles all enhancing its contemporary aesthetic.
But should you buy an S05 over the more established options from BYD, Chery, GWM and MG? That’s a hard question to answer without a direct comparison, but our initial impressions of the S05 during our short drive in China were reasonably positive.
The electric SUV looks nice, presents well, and drives reasonably well for its size. Given its seven-year/160,000km warranty (not as good as MG’s 10-year warranty), and the fact it will be distributed here by the same company that has managed Subaru for decades, there is a lot of trust in the product and its long-term viability.
Having said that, the competition in our market is so vast that buyers are presented with more options than ever before, meaning the S05 needs to be incredibly good to be worthy of purchase consideration.
How much does the Deepal S05 cost?
Pricing for the Deepal S05 is yet to be confirmed. However, given the BYD Atto 3 starts at just under $40,000, it would be fair to assume the S05’s entry price will be similar.
More details are expected by the end of March, ahead of the car’s local launch in the second half of 2025.
What is the Deepal S05 like on the inside?
Inside the cabin, the Deepal S05 boasts a 15.4-inch central control screen powered by the Qualcomm SA8155P chip and running Deepal OS 3.0. This is strangely different from what we found in the S07 and E07, which seem to have more options and features in their infotainment systems.
Like a Tesla, there is no traditional instrument cluster, but unlike a Tesla, a useful head-up display (HUD) provides drivers with essential information directly on the windshield. We found this to be well-integrated and easy to use.
Our test car had a gorgeous baby blue interior that sets it apart from the bland black and basic colours available in similar vehicles we have seen.
It remains to be seen what colour options we will get in our market, but we hope Deepal Australia gives buyers more reasons to pick the S05 over its competitors and plenty of interior trim colour choices is certainly one good reason.
The interior quality is top-notch. It’s hard to know how controlled or over-validated our test car was and how that will reflect on vehicles showing up to our market en masse, but the Deepal S05 we drove was amazingly well put together with all surface-level materials feeling great to touch and everything aligning up almost perfectly.
You would be hard pressed to find faults with its fit and finish. So much so that we are willing to go out on a limb and say it was better screwed together than some luxury European brands that have slid down the quality index massively in the last decade.
During our very brief drive, we found the seats, especially the driver’s seat, to be comfortable and supportive for this tester measuring 179cm tall. There’s also excellent front and rear visibility.
Space for passengers in both the front and rear seats is more than enough. You can easily have adults sitting behind adults.
However, I’m not sure you would want to have five big adults in this car for extended periods of time. It’ll happily take four without complaint.
What’s under the bonnet?
Although exact details are yet to be officially confirmed for Australia, the Deepal S05 offers two powertrain options in other markets.
The battery-electric variant has a rear-mounted electric motor delivering 175kW of power and 320Nm of torque. This model houses a 56.12kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, providing an estimated range of up to 510km on the more lenient CLTC cycle.
The S05 also comes with a range-extender electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain in other markets, but that is unlikely for Australia for the time being.
This model combines a 160kW electric motor with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that acts only as a generator. It offers up to approximately 200km of electric range, before having to rely on the petrol engine. The total range exceeds 1200km when utilising both power sources.
How does the Deepal S05 drive?
We drove the Deepal S05 for perhaps five kilometres at most, and during that limited testing window we felt positive about the car’s ride and driving capabilities.
The electric motor is smooth and effective at delivering its torque, without sudden bursts of energy that would otherwise light up the front wheels.
We felt it had a little more body roll in corners than we expected, but it remains to be seen what chassis configuration we will get and whether China’s spring settings will be changed to suit our driving needs.
According to Deepal Australia, the annoying beeping of the bigger S07’s safety system will also be addressed for both SUVs. This would alleviate one of our biggest complaints about the S05’s bigger brother and, hopefully, the S05 itself.
The testing facility that Changan offers to Deepal has proven itself to be of great use as the company’s many vehicles ride and drive well with good steering and throttle response. However, we will reserve full judgment of the S05’s driving characteristics until it’s on local roads and tested in Australian conditions.
Is the Deepal S05 safe?
There is no independent safety data for the S05 at this time.
However, Deepal’s S07 has scored very well across numerous safety tests and as such we suspect that the S05 would also likely carry through that high standard when and if it gets crash-tested.
How much does the Deepal S05 cost to run?
No servicing costs are currently available for the S05.
Nonetheless, we believe that service intervals for the smaller SUV will be 12 months or 20,000 km, like the S07. However, the one-year intervals seem more in line with keeping the dealer network happy and busy rather than any requirements for the vehicle itself.
CarExpert’s Take on the Deepal S05
This is more of a first taste of the S05 than a comprehensive review.
Deepal is a brand that has a long way to go before it becomes an established and trusted choice for new car buyers in Australia. So far though, the product has been solid, and the rate of development and updates to fix bugs and annoying features has been impressive.
This ability to quickly adapt and respond to customer feedback leaves us feeling pretty confident that if Deepal can get the price of the S05 right and pitch it competitively against the likes of BYD, MG and Chery, then it should do well.
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