Less than three months after announcing it’ll pull Citroen from Australian showrooms by the end of the year, automotive importer Inchcape has confirmed the next brand it’s bringing to local shores – Deepal.
The electric vehicle (EV) brand – owned by Chinese carmaking giant Changan – is launching in Australia during the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December).
It’ll join Inchcape’s existing roster which includes Subaru and Peugeot. Another Chinese brand – ute specialist Foton – is also due here in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Deepal and Foton will be among a slew of Chinese brands tipped to come to Australia within the next 12 months, which includes Geely, Xpeng, Zeekr, Jaecoo and Leapmotor, to name a few.
The S07 will be the product Deepal launches with in Australia, and the electric SUV has previously been spied testing in Australia and was recently approved for sale locally.
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Official specifications and pricing are yet to be locked in by Inchcape.
According to the Australian government documents, the Deepal S07 will be powered by a 160kW electric motor.
There’s also a 190kW electric motor offered in China.
In China, the S07 is offered with a choice of 66.8kWh and 79.87kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The former offers 520km of range on the more lenient CLTC cycle, the latter 628km.
Deepal also offers the S07 with a range-extender powertrain, featuring a 1.5-litre petrol engine.
Measuring 4750mm long (on a 2900mm wheelbase), 1930mm wide, and 1625mm tall, the S07 is the same length and height as a Tesla Model Y, but slightly narrower.
Weighing 2073kg, the S07 has approved braked and unbraked towing capacities of 1500kg and 750kg, respectively. The former figure is 100kg less than the Model Y.
Additional information in the government documents shows the S07 has only been approved with 20-inch wheels, despite the spied example sporting a smaller and different design than what’s been shown in press materials.
In China, the safety equipment list includes adaptive cruise control with stop/go, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and lane departure warning, and traffic jam assist, as well as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic assist, driver fatigue monitoring, and automatic high-beam.
Overseas model shown
The cabin is equipped with a head-up display with augmented reality navigation and a 15.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, gesture control, online music and navigation, and over-the-air updates.
There’s also a wireless phone charger, ambient lighting, and a 14-speaker sound system which includes speakers in the headrests,
While the S07 is Changan’s first model approved for sale in Australia, Deepal is understood to be preparing the G318 – a body-on-frame off-roader – for right-hand drive markets such as the UK.
It’s expected the G318 will borrow the S07’s drivetrain options, with styling to rival the Toyota LandCruiser Prado and Land Rover Defender.
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