Australia has a well documented obsession with SUVs and utility vehicles. They are both deeply ingrained in Australian culture, sometimes for practical purposes, sometimes as lifestyle symbols. In fact, over half of new car sales in Australia are SUVs, while utes are estimated to make up 1 in 4 new car sales.
The Deepal E07 is not quite a ute, and not quite an SUV. It’s Deepal’s answer to a question few Australians realised they were asking, what if the one vehicle was both? The Driven was on hand at the Australian launch to find out more.
At first glance, the E07 looks sleek and futuristic. It’s wide stance, coupe roofline, and sculpted tailgate stand give it a very different vibe to the usual ute models that we see so often.
There’s an element of Tesla’s Cybertruck, but with less of a doomsday preparation feel, instead more Scandinavian coffee machine. If you were thinking about setting up a landscaping business to service Elon Musk’s colony on Mars, this could be just the ticket.
Approach the rear of the vehicle and say “Hey Deepal open the boot” (or push a button if you’re old fashioned) and the E07 stops pretending to be an SUV, beginning its signature transformation. The glass retracts, tailgate folds flat, the seats vanish, and you’re now looking at an open tray that Deepal claims can fit a queen size mattress.
With 1654 litres of load space, 223mm of ground clearance, and a 600mm wading depth, it is more than worthy of a trip to the hardware store, not to mention the the 131 litres of frunk storage.
Image: Sam Parkinson
Inside, it’s unrecognisable from anything traditionally ute. Last week I published a piece on the Skoda Elroq, and applauded it as an almost refreshing departure from the space-ship style interior that we see now from some EVs.
This isn’t a criticism necessarily, but the E07 is exactly what I was referring to. It’s the antithesis of the Elroq when it comes to interior. Minimalists will adore it.
A bright orange fit out of ventilated, massaging seats (front & rear on all models) trimmed in Nappa leather, extensive ambient lighting customisation, and a 15.4-inch rotating infotainment display all combine to offer an interior that pushes well beyond expectations for a vehicle in this category (whatever category that is).
The E07 come in two variants. The RWD base model at $64,900 gives you 252kW of maximum power, 365Nm of torque, and 0-100km/h in a very respectable 6.7 seconds. Smooth, predictable, relaxed. Meanwhile the AWD performance model at $73,900 offers 440kW of max power, 645Nm of torque, and 0–100km/h in 3.96 seconds.
Line up next to a HiLux and you’ll be halfway to Bunnings and back before it finishes clearing its throat to shout an insult that will almost certainly be even more underwhelming than its 0-100 in 10 seconds.
Both iterations of the E07 use a 89.98kWh NMC battery with WLTP range of up to 550km (RWD) and 510km (AWD). On our drive from Sydney’s north-western suburbs to the Hunter Valley and factoring in traffic and some spirited driving, we averaged just under 19kWh/100km in the RWD, and 22kWh/100km in the AWD. Both are smooth rides, but the RWD model in particular I feel deserves a standing ovation for the air suspension alone.
Both versions will DC fast-charge at 240kW, which will take you from 30 to 80% in just 15 minutes. I’m starting to think the fast-charging times are starting to get almost too short, with 15 minutes being barely enough time to order my coffee, wait anxiously, and follow up on my lost toastie order.
Then there’s the vehicle to load capability (V2L). The E07 offers 6.6kW. Perfect for powering a TV, induction cooker, or half your mate’s camping setup because they forgot their generator. If they happen to also have an electric vehicle and you’re feeling saintly, you can even charge their EV. Or don’t. Let them learn.
The pessimist in me prior to driving the E07 was ready to label it as being a gimmicky albeit bold play into a market they have yet to really penetrate. But as a multi-purpose, high-spec electric crossover of which we’ve not really seen before and with a price tag that doesn’t trigger heart palpitations, it’s almost annoyingly competent.
I rate that Deepal is trying something really different here. The question now is whether Aussies, so dearly attached to their SUVs and utes, are ready to embrace something that tries to do both, wrapped in a vehicle that sounds Indian, is actually Chinese, and happens to be in my opinion one of the most compelling EVs we’ve driven this year.
Deepal E07 Specification Sheet
Sam is Chief Operating Officer for Renew Economy and EV Media. Sam has been working with Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid since 2014 and with The Driven since its inception in 2017. Sam is also the host of The Driven Podcast.