South Africa next? Deepal adds combustion assistance to S07

Until now exclusive to China, Changan-owned Deepal has expanded the extended range version of the S07 to outside its home market for the first time. The changes Debuting in Greece this past weekend, the S07 PHEV, despite the latter nomenclature, utilises a range-extending electric powertrain in which the combustion engine is solely used as a generator for the electric system. Compared to its electric sibling, the PHEV has a reshaped lower air intake, new alloy wheels, different bumpers, semi-concealed instead of the former’s pop-out door handles and rear exhaust outlets.

Dimensionally, the S07 PHEV is unchanged from its electric sibling in that it has the following measurements: Length: 4 750 mm; Wheelbase: 2 900 mm; Height: 1 625 mm; Width: 1 930 mm REEV setup According to carnewschina.com, the range-extending powertrain comprises a normally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol developing 70 kW, and a 18.4-kWh battery pack powering a single electric motor. Supporting DC charging up to 55 kW results in an EV-only range of 100 km and a total of 1 000 km with the combustion engine included. Nothing yet Officially known as the S07 Ultra PHEV, Changan is yet to confirm whether the newcomer’s availability will be extended further to other markets, including South Africa.

Arriving before the end of the year, though, Deepal will launch its first range-extending EV in the shape of the S05 that premiered at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring in August. While more details of the S05 is expected in due course, Deepal importer, Jameel Motors, is still to make a formal announcement regarding the S07 PHEV.