New Chinese Changan brand launches in the UK

Around six months ago, 150 invited guests gathered at the Pyramide venue on the outskirts of Mainz, Germany. The reason for this gathering was to unveil Changan’s business strategy and brand structure for the European market. At this point, you’re probably thinking “Who?”. At the same time, you've probably already guessed. The brand-new Changan Deepal S07 is the latest example of China’s expertise in EV technology.

Changan Automobile, one of the top four largest car manufacturers in China, has now entered the UK market with the introduction of the Deepal S07 SUV, soon to be followed by the more compact Deepal S05.

First things first: who is Changan?

Despite only building its first car in 1984, Changan has rapidly grown into a giant of a carmaker that today, is already half the size of Toyota. It’s achieved that growth by taking the long view.

It may have only just entered the UK market – it actually entered the European market last year, launching across Germany, Netherlands, and Scandinavia – but Changan had already established a European design centre in Italy all the way back in 2003, and since 2005, the Chinese brand has maintained significant manufacturing partnerships with Ford and Mazda. Changan has also operated a UK-based engineering centre focused on powertrain and energy research since 2010.

In other words, Changan has spent the last 20 years studying the European market before it felt it was ready to launch its first model, the Deepal S07.

And that time spent learning the market has clearly been put to good use.

Not only was it designed in Italy, but Changan's design chief is a chap named Klaus Zykoria, the former head of design at Volkswagen and the man responsible for VW’s current ID range. The Deepal S07 was designed as a “European” car from the start.

The elegant, hatchback-inspired design combines the sportiness of a coupe with the versatility of an SUV. A wide radiator grille, combined with those muscular looks and a choice of either 19-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels, creates an impressive road-presence that is enhanced by the contemporary LED light signature. It is also available in a choice of five exterior paint finishes and three interior colour schemes.

The interior features a blend of comfort and technology in a clean and simple cabin layout.

With space for five people in generous seats (heated and ventilated in the front), plenty of legroom, and a large panoramic roof that floods the interior with natural light, the Deepal S07 certainly looks like a nice place to sit on a long journey.

In terms of technology, there’s an awful lot of that in here as well.

The dashboard features a 15.6-inch touchscreen that can be rotated in the direction of the driver or passenger as needed, allowing for quick access to entertainment, navigation, and vehicle settings. The Deepal S07 also boasts the latest safety features, a head-up display, 360° camera, wireless phone charging, an electric tailgate for convenience, and a premium sound system with 14 speakers. You can even use your smartphone as the car’s key if you download the app.

And to keep things simple, Changan is offering the Deepal S07 in just one specification, so everyone gets everything on that rather generous equipment list. All you need to decide on is the colour, the rest is included in the price.

The single specification also applies to the powertrain too.

While there may be other electrified options at a later date, for now, Changan has opted for a rear-wheel drive configuration with a single motor generating the electrical equivalent of around 215bhp. That should be more than enough to give the Deepal S07 a healthy dose of performance.

The power comes from a 79kWh battery pack that should offer a range somewhere in the region of 290-300 miles. DC charging is slightly slower than some of its rivals, taking around 48 minutes for the usual 10%-80% charge.

That might mean a few extra minutes of charging time here and there, but with an expected list price of just under £40k, that could be a trade-off worth considering for many people thinking of leasing a new EV.

And as the brand-new Changan Deepal S07 is already available to order in the UK, there’s nothing stopping you from finding out for yourself.