Looking for My Next EV: The Deepal S07 Almost Won Me Over

A few months back, my BYD Seal got T-boned on the driver's side. Given the damage, the car may be written off, which means I'm on the hunt for my next EV. It's not the ideal way to go car shopping, but here we are.

While I've been doing my research, the Deepal S07 caught my eye. I managed to get down to the depot to check one out in person, and honestly? There's a lot to love about this Deepal S07, but there are also a couple of things that steered me towards other EVs.

Let me start with the Deepal S07 interior. It's properly polished and feels genuinely premium. The centre console screen tilts towards either the driver or passenger depending on who needs it—small detail, but it shows thoughtful design. They've also gone with the latest Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. As a tech enthusiast, I know that's the same powerful chip powering most high-end tablets.

The augmented head-up display is another clever move. Instead of the traditional instrument cluster, they've pulled a lot of that information into the display that projects onto your windscreen. It's smart thinking, though I did notice it becomes hard to read if you're wearing polarized sunglasses—worth knowing if that's something you wear.

The rear passengers get their own climate control screen, so they can adjust the temperature independently. That's the kind of thing that makes longer drives more comfortable for everyone. Sitting at the rear, you can also use the rear touch screen to adjust the front passenger seat forward to give yourself more leg room.

The sound system is genuinely nice. They've even included speakers that play outward from the car rather than into the cabin—so if you're camping or at the beach, you can play music outside the car. Is it a gimmick? Yeah, probably. Will I ever use it? Honestly, almost never. But it's there if you want it.

Beyond that, you've got a three-sixty camera, a powered automatic tailgate, which is basically a must-have for me, and the exterior design is really sharp. The front end looks great and the overall shape is sporty. The only thing I'd say is that the base model wheels aren't as impressive as the body deserves—you'd need to step up to the performance version to get the nicer rims.

And the price? That's genuinely competitive for what you're getting.

When I first came to know the S07, it’s at the top of my list. After researching a bit deeper and seeing the car itself, it is no longer on top of my EV shortlist.

Battery Chemistry. When I dug into the technical specs, I discovered the S07 uses a ternary lithium battery—specifically NMC chemistry, which stands for nickel, manganese, and cobalt. That's older technology. Now, older doesn't always mean worse. And it's true that NMC batteries are actually better in cold weather and they support faster charging. But here's the thing—they're less thermally stable, which means they're less safe than newer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. My BYD Seal has an LFP battery. If I switch to the Deepal S07, it would mean downgrading to older battery technology, and I'm just not comfortable with that trade-off.

Electronic doors. To open or close the Deepal S07 doors, you press a button. The thing that worries me is what happens when electronics fail, I'm not sure if there's an obvious mechanical way for me to get out of the car. It's fine for the door to be electronic as a convenience feature, but there needs to be a clear mechanical override that works without any power. I could not find one after researching on the internet. If there is a method, let me know in the comments. For my BYD Seal, pulling the door handle twice will mechanically open the door without electronics, even when it is locked.

Apart from those couple of things, the S07 is a brilliant car and I genuinely enjoyed sitting in it. If Deepal uses newer battery chemistry and adds a proper mechanical door release for their next model, I’ll definitely consider it for my next EV. Hopefully by then their brand will also be more established in Australia.