Changan Deepal S05 review

Utterly bland. By which we don’t mean ‘complete rubbish’. It’s just a long way from rewarding, as (we hope) you’d demand from a class-leading vehicle in any segment.

Acceleration is progressive – 268bhp from the rear-wheel drive setup is enough, but it feels like it’s got more shove scooting out of villages than it does out of a junction. There’s a faint amount of delay from the throttle, but not enough to be annoying. The brake pedal’s sensitive at first, but you’ll get used to it within five minutes.

It’s an electric car, so there’s regen braking. No paddles to adjust it on the go, but there’s a menu in the touchscreen where you can set it to ‘Standard’, ‘Stronger’ or ‘Custom’ with a slider from 0 to 100 per cent. Literally 101 levels of regen. Which must be a record. The highest level isn’t that strong, but more frustrating is the lag between lifting off and the retardation kicking in. Makes the car less fluid than it could be.

Any modes? There must be modes.

Yep, there are three – Eco, Comfort and Sport, with a custom setting to adjust the accelerator and steering response. You’ll need Spiderman-level senses to tell the difference. No adaptable suspension here, so you’ll just have to swerve around the potholes.

On which note… the Deepal S05 deals with cratered surfaces well, so you won’t need a deep tissue massage after driving it. At low speed there’s some side-to-side shake, and the car gets a bit boaty over crests and dips. But body control is generally solid. Very quiet too, until you get to the national speed limit, where Changan’s ‘40 sound-reducing designs’ can’t contain the growing road roar and wind noise. Might be taxing over a long journey, especially if you’re turning up the radio to compensate.

How long a journey can I do, exactly?

The RWD car claims 303 miles. On a mild day on mixed roads we achieved 3.77 mi/kWh, suggesting you’ll get 260 miles from a full charge. That’s a pretty good return for a 68.8kWh battery, and no doubt you’ll get more in warmer weather.

The Deepal S05 has a drag coefficient of 0.25Cd (neither incredible not awful), and Changan has deployed a number of drag-reducing measures to eke out every mile. An active grille saves 8.8 miles of range, sealed lights chip in 3.5, the rear diffuser another 1.7, and aero wheel covers a whopping 11.7. If you prefer, you can strip those off to reveal 20s with six-spoke alloys.

The AWD version claims 278 miles, but we’ve not tested that one yet. It weighs almost two-and-a-half tonnes, and 100kg more than the single motor.