New Chinese brand Deepal to launch electric SUV under new Australian distributor

In August, a new electric SUV, the Deepal S07, was sighted in approved vehicles register that hinted at the entry of another EV brand into the Australian market.

Now, Deepal, a sub-brand of China’s automotive giant, Changan, has an official local distributor to bring the EV Brand’s products to Australian customers.

The Deepal S07 will be bought onto local shores this quarter by Inchcape, who have been operating in Australia for many years, distributing key automotive brands like Subaru.

Shen Xinghua, the president of Changan in the Asia-Pacific, says the company has studied the Australian market for several years.

“Changan sees Australia as a strategic market,” he said in a statement. “Collaborating with Inchcape and introducing our successful Deepal brand and product, we have strong confidence that we can deliver new energy mobility and better services to Australian customers.”

The Deepal S07 has been on sale in China along with Thailand which is also a right-hand-drive market like Australia. In that market, this SUV has been for sale over the last year and is now in the top 10 best-selling EVs in the country.

“We look forward to offering Australian consumers a range of all-electric vehicles that deliver a compelling combination of style, performance and innovative technology,” Colin Christie, the head of Inchcape Australasia, said in a statement.

Image: Inchcape

In Thailand, the Deepal S07 is priced under the Model Y with an expectation of a sub-$50,000 price point when it makes it to Australia in the coming months.

When it comes to the range of the vehicle, Deepal’s Thai website says that it can deliver up to 485 km on a single charge, thanks to the 66.8 kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery pack.

Charging rates from 30-80% are stated to be on 35 minutes with the battery pack offering vehicle to load (V2L) capability as well.

Although local pricing and specifications are yet to be released, the ADR filing documents revealed that the S07 SUV will be offered in a 160 kW drivetrain variant.

This variant will have a length of 4,750 mm, a width of 1,930 mm and is 1,625 mm high. For comparison, the Tesla Model Y has the same length and a lower width than the S07.

Along with that, local approval for up to 1,500 braked towing is also provided, making this EV ideal for towing.

The latest distribution partnership brings another new Chinese EV brand into the Australian market, making 2024, one of the most exciting years for EV model launches so far.

Details of pricing and local variant specifications will be announced in the coming months, ahead of Q4 launch.