Chinese carmaker Changan is broadening the appeal of its two-model range by adding a PHEV option to its Deepal S05 SUV. 

The company’s ‘ultra hybrid’ tech matches an 86hp 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol engine with a 234hp e-motor for a perk 258hp output between them. 

The electricity comes courtesy of an 18.4kWh LFP battery that offers both 11kW AC charging and 55kW DC rapid charging. Electric range is 62 miles and Changan says the car will get as many as 621 miles on a tank of petrol and a full battery. 

The Deepal S05 PHEV is rated at 141mpg on the WLTP test, but Changan reckons that it’ll still manage 52mpg once the battery has run out. 

The plug-in SUV benefits from Changan’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty and the electrical system gets eight years and 124,000 miles of guarantee from the carmaker. 

There’s no information from Changan yet as to what the car will cost and what equipment it will come with, but the firm says that it will announce pricing and specifications at a later date.

We do know that the Deepal S05 PHEV will come with V2L functionality as standard, where you can run electronics off the car. 

The plug-in powertrain is set to go on sale in ‘selected’ European markets first, with UK orders opening over the summer and deliveries expected around September. 

We’ve driven the electric version of the SUV that’s already on sale and were impressed by the level of equipment that comes with the car and the overall practicality, but as is the danger with the influx of Chinese brands some buyers could be put off by the lack of a recognised badge.