First Look: Deepal S05 & S07 – Malaysian-Bound EV SUVs, Coming in 1H 2025?

In case you missed it, local automotive group Bermaz Auto Berhad(BAuto) was recently appointed as the official distributor of Changan’s Deepal vehicles in Malaysia. Through its newly-formed subsidiary known as the Bermaz Changan Sdn Bhd (BCSB), the company is poised to launch two new EVs into our market, namely the Deepal S05 and S07.

Here’s a quick look at the upcoming Changan Deepal S05 & S07 EV SUVs, set to debut in Malaysia next year...

Ahead of their local debuts, which is touted to happen some time later in 2025, we decide to have a quick look at both the Deepal S05 and S07, just to give an idea of what Malaysians can expect from these EV SUVs from Changan.

Changan Deepal S05 EV SUV

Starting with the S05, this is essentially Changan’s attempt at making a C-segment EV SUV, which appears to be quite a famous vehicle segment not only among the Chinese but also Malaysians in general. On the design front, the S05 gets a pretty sleek SUV bodystyle, featuring sharp digital LED lights on both ends that use Huawei’s Xpixel technology, sculpted shoulder lines, as well as riding on big wheels with an enclosed design.

Dimension-wise, the Deepal S05 is not far-off from other C-segment EV SUVs such as the Geely Galaxy E5 (or Proton eMas 7 for our local market), measuring 4,620 MM long, 1,900 MM wide, 1,600 MM tall, and a wheelbase of 2,880 MM.

On board, the Deepal S05 seems like a pretty neat and well-equipped interior, featuring the typical minimalist layout Chinese EVs are known for. Some key pieces of equipment primed here include a 15.6-inch central infotainment display powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset, an augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD), a floating central console with wireless charging pads and storage compartments, to name a few. On the practicality front, the S05 is also not too shabby, as it gets a claimed segment-leading rear passenger legroom of 954 MM and a decent boot space of 492 litres.

Now for the most important bits, the China-spec Deepal S05 comes in both battery electric (BEV) and range-extender EV (REEV) forms, although prior reports suggested that BCSB is only bringing in the former for our market. The BEV model is powered by a single rear electric motor rated at 234 HP (175 kW) and 320 NM that allows the S05 to go from 0-100 KM/H in 7.3 seconds, en route to its top speed of 180 KM/H.

Said motor is juiced by a 56.12-kWh LFP-type battery pack that promises to deliver up to 510 KM, at least according to the more ‘optimistic’ CLTC standards. Charging-wise, the S05 can support DCFC at up to 170 kW, which will charge the LFP pack from 30-80% in about 15 minutes.

Changan Deepal S07 EV SUV

Moving on to the second upcoming model, the Deepal S07 is essentially the slightly larger version of the S05. While the S05 is exclusively available in its native Chinese market for now, the S07 has already been sold in several international markets such as Australia and Thailand, to name a few.

Measuring 4,750 MM long, 1,930 MM wide, 1,625 MM tall, and a wheelbase of 2,900 MM, the S07 is on-par with several midsize EV SUVs such as the Xpeng G6, BYD Sealion 7, and the Tesla Model Y. While the S07 gets several similar styling cues as the S05, such as the X-shaped front bumper and sharp LED lights, this midsize EV SUV does get a slightly angular and sharper bodystyle, giving it a sportier and more distinctive look despite its larger facade. 

The similarities between the S05 and S07 continue into the interior, as the latter is also dressed in a typical minimalistic manner. The cabin amenities list, on the other hand, is quite comprehensive, as the S07 is primed with a 15.6-inch central infotainment display, which is also powered by the Snapdragon 8155 chip, an AR HUD, an expansive panoramic glass roof, ventilated and massage-ready front seats with a built-in ottoman for the passenger’s side, as well as a 14-speaker Sony audio system.

Although no exact dimensions were mentioned, the S07 comes strictly with a five-seater layout spread across two rows, thus promising it to be quite spacious, just like some of its fellow five-seater adversaries.

On the powertrain front, the Deepal S07 is also offered in both BEV and REEV versions, but just like the S05, we’ll be focusing on the former for now.

In Thailand, the S07 is offered in two versions, namely the baseline S07 and the extended-range S07 L. Starting with the former, the baseline S07 is powered by a single electric motor that delivers 255 HP (190 kW) and 320 NM to the rear wheels, allowing the S07 to blast from 0-100 KM/H in 7.6 seconds and a V-Max of 180 KM/H. battery-wise the Thai-spec S07 uses a 68.82-kWh Ternary NMC battery pack that provides it with up to 485 KM of EV range, according to the NEDC standards.

Meanwhile, the Thai-spec S07 L gets a larger 79.97-kWh LFP battery pack plus a de-tuned single RWD motor setup that now delivers 215 HP (160 kW), slowing down its century sprint time to 7.9 seconds in favour of a longer maximum travel range of 560 KM (NEDC). Regardless of variants, both S07 and S07 L only support DCFC at up to 92 kW, which sees the latter’s 30-80% charging time expanded to 35 minutes, as opposed to S05’s 15 minutes.

In its native Chinese market, the Deepal S05 retails from CNY 119,900 to CNY 149,900 (RM73,000 to RM91,000 approx.) for the BEV version, while the Deepal S07 is priced from THB 1.399 million (RM180,000 approx.) onwards. Given how BAuto managed to price its first Chinese EV model—the Xpeng G6—competitively at RM165,000, we can expect the Malaysian-bound S05 and S07 to be in the same price bracket as some of its upcoming rivals.