Changan Deepal S05 review – first UK drive

Make and model: Changan Deepal S05 
Description: Mid-sized electric SUV
Price range: £37,990 to £39,990

Summary: The Changan Deepal S05 slots into the innocuous middle of the mid-sized electric family SUV chart – it scores for space and equipment but these qualities are dulled by less impressive driving manners.

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The Changan Deepal S05 is the second model from a manufacturer that might appear to be just another of the many new Chinese brands to arrive in the UK over the past couple of years.

But this is not quite the same as most other Chinese cars entering the market, as its engineering has mostly been developed in the UK, and its styling comes out of a studio in Italy.

Changan has had a footprint here longer than most of its rivals, opening its first R&D centre in Birmingham in 2016. That was all part of long-term plans for a UK sales launch, which eventually happened last year with the arrival of the Deepal S07 mid-sized electric SUV.

Now visitors to Changan’s so-far 60-strong UK dealer network can check out the S07’s slightly smaller sister, the S05. It’s pitched as an alternative to the likes of the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq and an increasing number of other rivals.

Currently, the Changan S05 is available as a single electric vehicle option with either front or all-wheel drive. Changan also intends to launch a plug-in hybrid version in the next year or so.

According to the design team on the launch, the Deepal S05 has been inspired by aviation, inside and out – we’re not convinced by that, but visually it holds its own against rivals.

Price and equipment

Changan follows the recent trend towards simplified model lines to the letter; there’s only one trim level, but with a choice of drivetrain – a single-motor, rear-wheel drive (RWD) version or a dual-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) version.

The RWD S05 is priced at £38K, which puts it in the middle of the market cost-wise, while going AWD adds an extra £2K. There is no list of extras – even the Marmite orange interior trim over the standard black adds nothing to the price. The only significant option is a panoramic sunroof – including an electric or voice-controlled sunshade, which costs a hefty £1,000. You can also get a towbar for the car, the S05 offering a towing capacity of up to 1,600kg.

Standard equipment is extensive – every car gets a 15-inch touchscreen, a head-up display, 14-speaker audio, a dual and ventilated wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry, a surround-view camera and heated and vented front seats. The front passenger seat has a ‘zero gravity’ function, reclining almost to flat and extending its leg rest. Also included and useful in these times of increasingly aggressive road manners is a built-in dashcam system.

The Deepal S05 comes with the now increasingly standard long list of electronic safety and driver aids – the car secured a top-level five-star rating in its Euro NCAP crash test. All versions come with a long warranty – seven years/100,000 miles on the car and eight years/124,000 miles for the battery.

Inside the car

It’s another minimalist interior in this car – an enormous touchscreen and a few buttons on the steering wheel, but little else. It does look well put together; lots of faux leather is employed with buyers getting a no-cost choice of black or orange trim – the latter will divide opinions but our reviewer quite liked it. The attention of the Italian design studio shows in neatly stitched upholstery and flowing lines, though it doesn’t take too long to find some hard plastics.

Changan’s USP with its 15-inch touchscreen unit is that it automatically angles itself by up to 15 degrees towards whichever front-seat occupant gets in the car first. It can then be adjusted to tilt towards either the driver or passenger as you prefer.

A row of touch buttons along the base of the screen helps with the most-used functions, but this is again a car where a few more physical buttons would be preferable. The touchscreen menus are somewhat fiddly at times, but the voice control – included as standard – is better than some other recent examples.

Also standard is a head-up display in front of the driver. This can be configured to individual preferences with up to six driver information functions – the cars at the launch event included navigation map graphics to a level of detail that some drivers might find distracting.    

In terms of space, there’s plenty up front and an adequate amount in the rear. Luggage storage is also generally good – the 492-litre boot expands to 1,250 litres with the rear seats folded flat. There’s also extra space under the boot floor, with enough room to store the charging cables and hide a laptop.

While some rivals offer bigger boots, you also get a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet. At 159 litres, it’s bigger than most; it will take a suitcase and it has a handy drain plug if you want to pile it high with muddy items and then hose them down before taking them out.

Another neat touch is that among the several in-cabin storage areas, a 13-litre compartment in the centre console can be chilled down to five degrees C.

Driving range and charging

The RWD version employs a single electric motor rated at 272hp, while the AWD variant adds a second on the front axle of 163hp. Both are fed by a single lithium iron phosphate battery of 69kW, which produces an official driving range of 303 miles in the RWD version, 278 miles in the AWD – while adequate, this lags behind several rivals that can exceed 350 miles.

Better than some rivals is the public (DC) charging – the Deepal S05 will charge at up to 200kW, going from 10 to 80% in around 23 minutes. Some rivals can do significantly better than that, but the UK doesn’t have all that many charging stations that can deliver that rapid rate of charging yet. AC charging on a home wallbox is up to 11kW, which is better than most homes can supply anyway. 

On the road

The Deepal S05 demonstrates all the ease of use typical of an EV. Acceleration is rapid, and it will then cruise quite happily, with quite a soft ride compared to some rivals. In corners, this softness and rather divorced steering feel makes for less assured progress – even a series of slalom and braking challenges staged by Changan on an airport runway during the launch could not inspire more confidence here. The vaunted UK engineering does not appear to have made the Deepal S05 particularly well-suited to UK road surfaces.

You don’t get brake regeneration paddles behind the steering wheel but you can choose three modes for the level of regenerative braking. The third is known as ‘custom’ and has far too many levels of retardation which have to be selected via the touchscreen, but they don’t include one-pedal driving. You can also feel the difference in retardation between the Eco, Comfort and Sport driving modes.

Verdict

The Changan Deepal S05 is a somewhat curate’s egg car, good in parts. It’s a reasonably roomy car, generally well put together, with tech that is less irritating than has been the case with many recent releases. The one major improvement would be for Changan’s UK-based R&D department to do some more work on the car’s road manners.  

Those who value space and a long specification will be drawn to the Deepal S05, but those who enjoy their driving will be less impressed. 

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