A 215bhp electric motor spins the rear axle. It can be a bit hesitant from standstill, but the motor delivers good, smooth acceleration around town, with noticeably diminishing returns as you pass 60mph. There’s enough punch for overtaking, though. People driving their first electric car will be pleasantly surprised, but 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds feels about par these days.
The UK-tuned suspension set-up is lucky dip: body control is great over speed bumps, but every road contour is transmitted into the cabin, making the S07 fidget like a teenage maths class. And in fast corners, it rolls noticeably, making things a bit ungainly at times. But the brakes feel fine, even though a one-pedal mode wouldn’t go amiss.
We trundled the S07 peacefully through central Birmingham with the double glazing keeping the hustle and bustle at bay. At 70mph, however, there’s quite a lot of tyre rumble from the 20-inch Dunlop Sport Maxx rubber, and a bit of wind noise too.
Over 79 miles of stop-start city driving and some rural pottering, the S07’s trip computer posted an unimpressive 3.13 miles per kWh. And charging is off the pace: 35 minutes to get from 30 to 80 per cent (a cheeky head start as most manufacturers typically quote from 20 per cent) takes 35 minutes.
But what you do get is a spacious cabin – rear legroom is epic, and the standard glass roof makes it feel nice and airy back there – and the back benchers have their own heated seats, air-con and roof blind controls. The 510-litre boot is wide, shallow, devoid of underfloor storage, but unobstructed by a load lip.
The range is incredibly simple – one model, one price, dripping with kit. Highlights include a 14-speaker stereo, ambient lighting, gesture control (great for operating the in-car selfie mode, a popular Chinese passtime) and a hi-def parking camera. All the gear, otherwise nothing to see here.
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| Model: | Changan Deepal S07 |
| Price: | £39,990 |
| Powertrain: | 1 x e-motor, 80kWh lithium-ion battery |
| Power/torque: | 215bhp/320Nm |
| Transmission: | single-speed auto, rear-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 7.9 seconds |
| Top speed: | 112mph |
| Economy/CO2: | 3.34 miles per kWh/0 g/km |
| EV range: | 295 miles |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,750/1,930/1,625mm |
| On sale: | Now |
