The Deepal S05 does not feel like a newcomer demanding your attention, but rather a mature product that simply gets on with the job.
It would be amusing to describe Changan as one of China’s older carmakers, because in the context of the current automotive gold rush, “old” can mean a company that existed before TikTok.
Still, Changan has proper history. It has been building vehicles for roughly 45 years; beginning with vans in the 1980s, moving into passenger cars in the 1990s, and has since produced around 30 million vehicles across more than 100 markets.
Its Deepal sub-brand is a more recent creation, though, and the S05 is its latest attempt to make an impression in the crowded electric SUV space. If the larger S07 was Deepal announcing, “Hello, we’re here”, the S05 feels more like, “Right, now let’s get serious.”
This is a C-segment electric SUV with a large touchscreen, plush materials and a distinctly Chinese approach to technology. But compared with the S07, it is lighter on its feet, more efficient and arguably better suited to everyday urban life.
So, has Deepal found a way to stand out?
Familiar shape, polished execution
Visually, the S05 follows the modern electric SUV playbook rather closely. There is a smooth, grille-less nose, slim lighting, clean surfacing and gently rounded proportions that seem designed as much by aerodynamics software as by a human hand.
It is inoffensive rather than exciting, but, there is something to be said for restraint in a market where some rivals look like their designers were being paid by the crease.
The S05 carries a drag coefficient of 0.25Cd, helped by a number of small aerodynamic tricks. An active front grille, sealed lighting elements, a rear diffuser and aero wheel covers all contribute to squeezing out additional range.
Remove those covers and there are rather handsome six-spoke alloys underneath.
Comfortable rather than captivating
On the road, the S05 is easy to drive. Almost suspiciously so. Power comes from a rear-mounted electric motor producing 268bhp, which is more than sufficient for a car of this size.
Acceleration is progressive rather than violent, and there is none of the head-snapping nonsense some EVs indulge in simply because they can.
Throttle response has a slight hesitation before the power arrives, though not enough to become irritating. The brake pedal initially feels a touch sensitive too, but you adapt quickly.
Regenerative braking is adjustable through the touchscreen, with Standard, Stronger and Custom settings. The latter offers a slider from zero to 100 per cent, which means there are effectively 101 possible levels.
Unfortunately, even at its strongest setting, the regenerative braking is not especially aggressive. Worse, there is a slight delay between lifting off the accelerator and feeling the car begin to slow. It is not a major flaw, but it interrupts the otherwise smooth nature of the driving experience.
The steering is similarly competent but almost entirely devoid of personality. It points the car where requested, does so accurately, and asks very little of the driver.
Ride comfort matters more
The S05 copes reasonably well with broken surfaces and sharper imperfections, filtering out enough roughness to remain comfortable in daily use.
At lower speeds, there is some side-to-side movement through the body, and over larger crests or dips the car can feel slightly floaty. But body control is generally sound, and the chassis never becomes unruly.
There are three drive modes (Eco, Comfort and Sport), plus a Custom setting where throttle and steering responses can be adjusted. You will need finely calibrated senses to notice much difference between them, and without adaptive suspension there is only so much electronic menu-diving can achieve.
Still, I suspect most owners will select Comfort on day one and never touch the setting again. Which is probably the correct decision.
Quiet, for the most part
Around town, refinement is one of the S05’s stronger attributes. Road and wind noise are well suppressed at lower and medium speeds, and the cabin generally feels calmer than many similarly priced rivals.
Increase the pace, however, and more noise begins to creep in. At around “Malaysian expressway” speeds, tyre roar and wind noise become more noticeable, particularly over coarse tarmac. It is not unbearable, but over a long-distance journey you may find yourself gradually increasing the stereo volume to compensate.
Useful range from a modest battery
The rear-wheel-drive S05 uses a 68.82kWh battery and carries a claimed range of 485km. In real-world mixed driving, efficiency worked out to approximately 6.1km/kWh, which suggests a usable range of roughly 418km per charge, which is really respectable.
More importantly, it demonstrates that the S05 is not relying on an enormous battery pack to achieve useful range. Efficiency matters just as much as raw capacity, and this is one area where Deepal appears to have done its homework.
Inside is where it wins you over
The cabin is undoubtedly the S05’s strongest card. Not because the design is particularly original; we have seen this minimalist, screen-heavy arrangement countless times now, but because the execution is genuinely impressive.
Soft-touch materials are used extensively, stitching is neat, the vegan leather feels convincing, and the seats are plush and supportive. The overall impression is of a cabin that feels more expensive than expected.
Space is excellent too. Adults around 1.8 metres tall will have little trouble in either row, and even the middle rear seat is usable for shorter journeys.
Rear legroom is generous, the floor is not excessively high and the seats are deep enough to remain comfortable over longer journeys.
There is a sense of airiness throughout the cabin, helped further if you specify the panoramic roof.
Unfortunately, Deepal has followed the current industry obsession with removing physical controls. You get window switches, indicator and drive-selector stalks, a handful of steering wheel controls and little else.
Want to adjust the mirrors? Touchscreen.
Change the temperature? Touchscreen.
Open the sunroof? Yes, touchscreen again.
At least the air vents remain manually adjustable. We should probably celebrate that before someone decides those need software too.
The 15.4-inch central display itself is responsive and sharp, with only the more graphics-heavy menus taking a moment to load.
Deepal has also sensibly positioned frequently used functions close to the surface, meaning driver-assistance features such as lane keeping and speed warnings can be disabled without embarking on an archaeological expedition through the menus.
Deepal has also sprinkled in some genuinely useful features. The central screen can swivel 15 degrees towards either front occupant, which sounds gimmicky but actually proves handy.
Practicality is strong
The S05 is also sensibly packaged. Boot capacity stands at 492 litres, increasing to 1,250 litres with the rear seats folded, and there is also another 28 litres of storage beneath the boot floor.
But the best practical feature is arguably under the bonnet. Because the S05 is rear-wheel drive, Deepal has been able to create a substantial 159-litre front storage compartment.
It even has a drainage hole, meaning muddy shoes, sports equipment or wet gear can be dumped inside without turning the cabin into a mobile laundry basket.
Inside, the centre console houses a huge 13-litre storage compartment, which can be cooled to 5 degrees Celsius. Perfect for drinks. Or chocolate. Or perhaps emergency durians, assuming you do not value your friendships.
Everything but the spice
The Deepal S05 is a deeply competent electric SUV. It is spacious, comfortable, efficient and impressively well built. Its cabin feels premium, its technology offering is generous, and its real-world range is strong for the battery capacity. It also comes across as mature in areas that matter to everyday buyers.
But, what it lacks is character. There is very little about the driving experience that encourages you to take the long route home. The steering is mute, the drive modes barely alter its personality, and the regenerative braking could be better calibrated.
But does that really matter? For most people shopping in this segment, probably not.
Perhaps Deepal’s greatest achievement here is that the S05 does not feel like a newcomer desperately demanding your attention. Instead, it feels like a mature product that simply gets on with the job. In the crowded electric SUV market, being quietly excellent at the boring stuff can be its own form of brilliance.
Technical Specifications
Deepal S05
Powertrain: Single Electric Motor, Rear-Wheel Drive
Power: 99 kW (133 bhp)
Torque: 290 Nm
Gearbox: Single-Speed (A)
Acceleration: 11.4 Seconds (0-100km/h)
Top Speed: 180 km/h
Battery Capacity: 68.82 kWh
Drive Range: 485 km
Energy Consumption: 6 km/kWh
Price: S$189,999 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)
Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)
Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on YouTube and on TikTok!
