The Chinese automotive juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down with news another brand known as Deepal is set to launch here before the year is out.
It’s great news for the Australian consumer, because it will continue to force prices down — but could be the harbinger of doom for established brands that will struggle to compete on price.
Each new conquest represents a nail in the coffin of the smaller players that will eventually see them forced out, as happened not too long ago with French brand Citroen which has decided to call it quits.
Ironically, importer Inchcape has replaced Citroen with the newcomer Deepal. Sounds Indian, doesn’t it?
Inchcape also distributes Subaru and Peugeot and has picked up the rights to the Chinese Foton (remember them) and its range of utes which will also make an appearance before the end of the year.
Deepal joins recent arrivals Leapmotor and Zeekr, with a range of four EVs that will start with the Tesla-focused S07, an electric SUV about the same size as the Tesla Model Y.
The name Deepal translates as Deep Blue, a name some might say is a far better choice than the original — Chongqing Changan New Energy Automobile Technology.
The company was founded in 2018 and is currently building a plant in Thailand, where production is set to kick off in the first quarter of 2025.
S07 (previously just S7) will be powered by a single 160kW rear-mounted electric motor.
Based on the EPA1 platform, it was designed in Italy by Bertrand Bach, with exterior design by Georgios Koukos and interior by Jaromir Chech.
It has already been spotted testing on local roads and will be offered with a single, rear-mounted 160kW electric motor, although a more powerful 190kW unit is available in China.
A hybrid range-extender is also offered in China, with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that acts as a generator — but at this stage it’s EV-only for us.
In terms of performance, the rear-drive SUV does the dash from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
The electric motor will be paired with either a 66.8 or 79.87 kWh battery pack, with a range cited at 520 or 620km depending on battery size under the less-stringent NEDC standard.
With a fast DC charger, the battery can allegedly be charged from 30 to 80 per cent in as little as 15 minutes — presumably this refers to the smaller 66kWh unit.
All versions are expected to roll on 20-inch wheels, with high levels of equipment, including sophisticated head-up display with augmented reality style navigation, a large 15.6-inch touchscreen, 14-speaker sound, ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay (no mention of Android Auto), with gesture control and over-the-air updates.
Other features will include wireless charging, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and auto high beam and driver fatigue monitoring — let’s hope the latter is not intrusive.
S07 will be followed by the rugged G318, an electric off-roader targeted at the likes of the Toyota Prado, followed by the smaller S05 SUV and L07 medium sedan.
In China, car companies must partner with a local outfit if they want to do business in the world’s largest economy.
In the case of Mazda, it has formed an alliance with Changan, one that will see the SL03 restyled and rebadged to become the electric Mazda EZ-6.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Trump is talking about tariffs for Chinese vehicles (if he is elected).
Europe has also begun talking about import duties which is somewhat ironic.
If the Chinese put the Germans out of business what are the rich folks back in Shanghai going to drive?
Happy days.
S05
L07
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