Deepal, the latest Chinese car brand to arrive in Singapore, marked its official launch here with the opening of its showroom at Alexandra Road on March 27.
The brand is represented locally by Premium Automobiles, and the Deepal showroom is on the second floor of its massive facility at 281 Alexandra Road. Fellow Chinese brand Xpeng is on the first floor.
Premium Automobiles said that the Deepal showroom space will have enough room to accommodate 12 cars, a customer lounge area, a kid-friendly play area, and a cafe.
The building will also house the service centre for both Deepal and Xpeng at the basement level.
What is Deepal?
Deepal is a brand from Chinese carmaker Changan Automobile, one of the ‘Big Four’ state-owned car manufacturers in the country, alongside Dongfeng, SAIC Motor, and FAW Group.
The brand’s Chinese name translates to ‘Deep Blue’, although how that turned into ‘Deepal’ is much of a mystery.
The company started out as a division of Changan, responsible for the development of ‘new energy’ automotive technology, focusing on hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). It gradually evolved into a car manufacturer, and adopted its English name Deepal in 2022.
Exports started in 2023, and Deepal now has a presence in several countries including Thailand, Australia, Mexico, Nepal and Pakistan, with Singapore the latest to join the fray.
What is Deepal offering in Singapore?
Deepal’s first model to be offered for sale here is the S07 mid-size electric SUV, which was first previewed at the Singapore Motor Show earlier this year.
The S07’s launch price of $220,999 with COE puts it within range of a whole bunch of electric SUVs that have come into the market of late, but it sits closest to the recently-launched Hyptec HT Premium.
Other similar-sized Chinese EVs around this price range include the BYD Sealion 7 and Premium Automobiles’ own Xpeng G6.
The Deepal S07 tries to marry style with practicality, with a sleek coupe-SUV design combined with a generous 2,900mm wheelbase, translating into plenty of room inside for occupants.
Up front, the main highlight is the 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that can tilt in either direction towards the driver or passenger. There’s also an augmented-reality head-up display that showcases information about road conditions and navigational guidance.
Driving the S07 is a single electric motor powered by a 79.7kWh battery, and it produces an output of 160kW/218hp and 320Nm of torque. Fully charged, Deepal says that S07 can travel up to 475km before the batteries are depleted.
What other models can we expect from Deepal?
Deepal used the launch event to preview two other models that it intends to bring in later this year. The S05 is a smaller-sized SUV that is likely to be placed in COE Category A, and go up against the reigning sales champ in Singapore, the BYD Atto 3.
The more interesting car that Deepal presented though was the E07. Dubbed a utility vehicle, it comes with a retractable glass window that opens up to reveal a flatbed cargo area, akin to a pickup truck.
The E07 is still pending approval from the authorities, but Deepal is confident that it can be classified as a passenger vehicle when it eventually goes on sale here.
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ben.chia@asiaone.com
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