Deepal S07 review: lower price sharpens the value case, but slow DC charging persists

A lower price changes the picture

Carscoops' review of the Australian-market Deepal S07, published in October 2026, describes a vehicle that has improved in the two areas where it was weakest at launch: price and software. The outlet reports the S07 is currently available from AU$47,990 including all on-road costs, roughly AU$10,000 less than when it launched locally, and calls it a compelling package at that price point even though it is not the best vehicle in its class. ¹

The pricing journey matters. Gridly reports the S07 launched here in late 2024 at $53,900 before on-road costs and has been discounted twice since, with the current $47,990 drive-away offer running until 31 July 2026 or while stocks last. Gridly notes this is a runout on 2025-built stock that includes 20-inch wheels, and that Deepal has not yet announced an updated 2026-specification car for Australia, meaning buyers are getting the launch car with its known quirks. Carscoops, by contrast, labels its test vehicle a 2026 Deepal S07 and places the initial local launch in early 2025; the two outlets' launch-timing descriptions do not fully align. ²¹

Against rivals, the value case is strong. Carscoops notes the S07 undercuts a base Kia EV5 by about AU$2,000 and a Tesla Model Y by more than AU$15,000. Gridly's July 2026 comparison shows the S07's $47,990 drive-away price sitting between a Leapmotor C10 at $43,888 before on-roads and an XPeng G6 at $51,800 before on-roads, with a Tesla Model Y listed at $58,900 - though these figures mix drive-away and pre-on-roads bases and come from a single source, so should be read as Gridly's own market snapshot. ¹²

Specifications and equipment

The S07 is sold in Australia as a single configuration, offered with either 19- or 20-inch wheels. Carscoops' specification rundown lists a 79.97kWh ternary lithium battery driving a rear-mounted motor with 160kW and 320Nm, a 7.9-second 0-100km/h time, a 2,073kg curb weight and vehicle-to-load output of 3.3kW. CarExpert's 2025 review confirms the same powertrain figures. The 1,500kg braked towing capacity figure comes from Gridly, which also flags that range can drop 40 to 60 per cent when towing near the limit. Gridly further qualifies the vehicle-to-load capability: the 3.3kW function works through an adapter cable that is sold separately. ¹⁵²

Deepal claims up to 475km of range (WLTP) and combined consumption of 18.6kWh/100km. Carscoops says its test averaged 17.8kWh/100km, meaning it judges the claimed range achievable in the real world. Gridly advises planning on roughly 355 to 405km at sustained highway speeds with air conditioning - about 75 to 85 per cent of the WLTP figure - which is Gridly's own estimate rather than a manufacturer figure. ¹²

Standard equipment is extensive for the money. Carscoops highlights the 15.6-inch central touchscreen that can sit centred or angle toward driver or passenger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an augmented-reality head-up display in place of a conventional instrument cluster. Gridly adds heated and ventilated front seats, a panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, a 14-speaker Sony sound system and a built-in dash cam to the list, describing the equipment as reading like a car costing $20,000 more. ¹²

Dimensions

Carscoops lists the S07 at 4,750mm long, 1,930mm wide and 1,625mm high, on a 2,900mm wheelbase. CarExpert's specifications table for the Australian S07 matches those figures exactly. Neither outlet states whether the width is measured with or without mirrors, so no basis can be confirmed. ¹⁵

Charging remains the weak spot

Every reviewer identifies DC charging as the S07's biggest drawback. Carscoops reports a peak DC rate of 92kW, taking 35 minutes to charge from 30 to 80 per cent, with AC charging at up to 11kW. NRMA's review makes the same point, noting the 92kW peak is well below the 250kW of a top-spec Tesla Model Y, and quotes Deepal's 30-to-80 per cent figure of around 35 minutes. CarExpert's specifications record the same 92kW peak rate with a 35-minute 30-to-80 per cent time. Chasing Cars cites a circa-50-minute advertised 10-to-80 per cent charge time and points to the 220-volt architecture - well down on the 400-800 volts of much of the competition - as the constraint. ¹⁴⁵³

Home charging is a different story. Gridly notes the 11kW onboard AC charger is generous for the class - though three-phase power is needed to use all of it - and estimates a full charge takes around 11 hours on a common 7.4kW single-phase wall charger. Carscoops highlights the 3.3kW vehicle-to-load function as a welcome addition, while Gridly notes the adapter cable required for it is sold separately. ²¹

Efficiency findings vary by test but consistently flatter the claim. CarExpert recorded 15.6kWh/100km over roughly 850km of mostly freeway driving; NRMA saw 16kWh/100km on a city and highway loop; Carscoops averaged 17.8kWh/100km. Chasing Cars reported no worse than 16kWh/100km in its 2025 review. All four beat or match Deepal's 18.6kWh/100km claim. ⁵⁴¹³

Software: much improved, not perfect

The launch-era criticism centred on driver-assist calibration, and the 2026 evidence suggests real progress. Carscoops writes that when the S07 first launched it drew fierce criticism for feeling unfinished and having poorly calibrated safety systems, but that several software updates over the past year have mostly worked. The outlet found the overzealous driver monitoring system can now be easily disabled - and, importantly, stays off after a restart - though it still found adaptive cruise control hugging freeway lane lines rather than centring in the lane. ¹

The earlier reviews show how bad it was. Chasing Cars' January 2025 review described a barrage of poorly calibrated warnings and a labyrinth of submenus needed to silence them, concluding the car suffered for not feeling finished. NRMA's March 2025 review reported a driver distraction warning that reprimanded conscientious drivers, an adaptive cruise control that slowed the car to 80km/h while overtaking on a gentle 100km/h bend, and settings that had to be switched off every time the driver got in - with Deepal promising a software update at the time. ³⁴

Other reviewers' criticisms were more mixed. CarExpert found the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto worked flawlessly during its week with the car, praising the augmented-reality head-up display as one of the cabin's best features, but found air vent adjustment tedious and much of the car's functionality locked behind a registered account. Carscoops praises the swivelling 15.6-inch touchscreen as a genuinely good idea, and notes the cabin materials give a premium feel. ⁵¹

Ownership, safety and the verdict

Ownership terms are a genuine strength. Chasing Cars reports a seven-year vehicle warranty capped at 160,000km and an eight-year/240,000km battery warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 10,000km after a free 5000km/six-month check, and the first five paid visits (5.5 years/55,000km) totalling $2,320.85. Gridly separately cites a seven-service capped-price servicing total of $2,984.43, which it attributes to CarExpert's January 2025 review; that figure is not corroborated in the CarExpert review text itself, so it should be read as Gridly's claim. ³²⁵

There is also a tax benefit at the current price. Gridly notes that at $47,990 drive-away the S07 sits well under the $91,661 luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles in 2026-27, so it qualifies for the fringe benefits tax exemption on electric cars under a novated lease, which Gridly says can cut effective ownership costs by thousands per year. That assessment is Gridly's, based on the current drive-away price. ²

On safety, NRMA reports the S07 received a five-star ANCAP rating when tested in late 2024, scoring 95 per cent for adult occupant protection, and that ANCAP confirmed the electronic door releases would remain functional if the car entered water. Chasing Cars' January 2025 review had described the S07 as unrated at the time of writing, so the rating timeline should be verified against ANCAP's own records before relying on it. Chasing Cars also noted the absence of a spare wheel, with only an inflator kit provided. ⁴³

Sales context tempers the enthusiasm. Carscoops cites Australian sales data showing 522 S07s sold through the end of June, ahead of the Leapmotor C10 and roughly on par with the Hyundai Elexio but far behind more than 3,000 Kia EV5s over the same period. Gridly, citing VFACTS figures reported by CarExpert in July 2026, gives the same 522 figure against 6,756 for the Geely EX5. The overall picture the reviewers paint is consistent: strong value, a big battery, generous equipment and good efficiency, undermined by slow DC charging and software that has improved but not fully matured. Buyers who charge at home and mostly drive locally are best placed to benefit. ¹²