Another day, another new Chinese SUV has been launched. It does seem like there’s been loads of them, doesn’t it? But this one – and maybe we’ve just been looking at too many of them – actually looks quite nice. We drove its big brother, the Deepal S07, at the end of the year and thought it was pleasantly average.
It’s the new Deepal S05, which mercifully keeps the options short and to the point. There’s one trim level, which comes with a 15.4in rotating touchscreen as standard, wireless Apple and Android connectivity, a massive augmented reality head-up display, heated and ventilated seats, plus fancy audio system. A panoramic sunroof and tow bar are optional extras should you fancy them.
You can have the Deepal S05 in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive flavours – both come with the same 68.8kWh LFP battery, so you can take your pick between a perky turn of speed or a bit of extra range.
The 272hp RWD car will get from 0–62mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds and offers 303 miles of WLTP range. The rather more powerful AWD option has 435hp and gets to 62mph in 5.5 seconds, which is quicker than a high-performance Vauxhall Mokka GSE. The AWD car gets 278 miles of WLTP range.
The battery will rapid charge at a peak rate of 200kW, which Deepal says is good for a 30–80% charge in 15 minutes, while the car comes with 11kW AC charging as standard and even offers V2L capability at a heady 6kW, which means you can run some powerful electronics off the car. High draw items like kettles and air fryers typically run around 3kW, a lawnmower around 1.4kW.
The Deepal S05 was designed in Turin and apparently inspired by aeroplanes when the crayons were furiously scribbling away. The interior up front has been described as having ‘flight cabin’ vibes and the head-up display has practically come straight from a fighter cockpit.
Are those Easyjet prices, then? The car starts at £37,990 for the RWD car and £39,990 for the AWD version, with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard and eight years for the battery.
The Deepal S05 is available to order now from dealers, with the current array of 40 sites expanding to 60 over the next couple of months.
The Deepal S05 is inspired by aircraft, says its maker. So don't be upset when it loses your luggage 
