Changan South Africa has launched the Deepal S05, priced from R699 000, Saffarazzi reported on Friday, 30 October. The range-extended SUV comes in one version, the S05 REEV, and the importer, Jameel Motors South Africa, says the first cars reach dealers in the first week of November.

The S05 was designed in Turin and sits below the larger Deepal S07. An electric motor drives the rear wheels at all times, while a small petrol engine acts only as a generator, topping up the battery on longer trips.

How the range extender works

Changan lists a 160 kW and 320 Nm rear motor fed by a 27.28 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, and its South African page claims up to 175 km of electric driving on the NEDC test cycle. NEDC figures have historically been found unrealistic, Australian motoring site Drive notes, with owners saying they could not achieve them, and says WLTP figures are more accurate.

When the battery runs down, a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 55-litre tank produces electricity for the motor. Changan says this gives a combined range of more than 1 000 km, and the launch release carried by Saffarazzi puts the generator's output at 72 kW and 125 Nm.

For buyers, this means daily commutes can run on electricity charged at home, with petrol as a back-up on long trips where public fast chargers are scarce. The S05 can also power appliances through vehicle-to-load (V2L).

Charging and performance

Changan's page lists a fast charge in under 20 minutes but does not say over what range of charge. The launch release carried by Saffarazzi is more specific: DC fast charging takes the battery from 30% to 80% in 20 minutes. Changan claims 0–100 km/h in under eight seconds, and the release gives a top speed of 175 km/h, a figure Changan's page does not list.

Size and equipment

The release puts the S05 at 4 620 mm long, with a 2 880 mm wheelbase, a weight of 1 847 kg and a 464-litre boot. Changan lists:

  • 18-inch alloy wheels and a drag coefficient of 0.25
  • a 15.4-inch central touchscreen
  • a 1.9-metre panoramic roof
  • five colours on its South African page: Electric Blue, Comet White, Silver, Dark Grey and Eclipse Black

The launch release uses different colour names, so buyers should confirm the exact shades with a dealer.

Warranty and service plan

The price includes a five-year or 90 000 km service plan, a five-year or 150 000 km vehicle warranty and an eight-year or 150 000 km battery warranty, according to Changan.

Chelsy Pinto, General Manager for Marketing and Product at Jameel Motors, said in the release that the S05 "brings together the appeal of electric driving and the reassurance of a petrol-powered range extender".

What is still unknown

Changan has not published a WLTP range figure for the S05, and its electric range has not yet been independently tested on South African roads. Petrol use once the battery is flat is also still to be measured.