Another week, another Chinese electric SUV heading for the UK. This time it comes from Changan, one of China’s largest and longest-established car manufacturers, which is expanding its European presence with the Deepal S05.
Pros
+ Comfortable, composed ride with good real-world refinement
+ Strong performance once moving
+ Interior quality and design feel a cut above
Cons
– Over-reliance on touchscreen controls
– Noticeable hesitation when pulling away
– Doesn’t stand out against established rivals
On paper, the S05 slots neatly into the now-familiar mould: mid-size proportions, competitive range figures, generous equipment, and a price tag that is likely to tempt buyers away from established European and Korean brands.
After spending time with the S05 on public roads and a closed test track, the reality is both encouraging and occasionally frustrating. There is a genuinely good car here – it’s comfortable, refined and easy to get along with – but also one that seems determined to test your patience.
Importantly, while the price is competitive, this is not a budget disruptor. With prices starting just shy of £38,000, Changan isn’t chasing bargain hunters. The S05 is pitched directly into the heart of the mainstream electric SUV market, which means it goes head-to-head with everything from the Kia EV4 and Skoda Enyaq to the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID4. That’s a bold move.
Drivetrain: Plenty of pace, curious hesitation
The S05 is offered in a refreshingly simple line-up: one generously equipped Max trim, available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Even in rear-driven form, performance is more than sufficient for a family SUV. With nearly 270hp on tap, the S05 gathers speed with surprising urgency once underway, feeling brisk rather than merely adequate. There’s no shortage of overtaking ability, and motorway pace arrives quickly.
But there’s a catch.
Press the accelerator from a standstill, and you’re met with an unexpectedly long pause before the car actually responds. It’s not dramatic enough to be alarming, but it’s noticeable, and occasionally awkward. Darting into fast-moving traffic or squeezing onto a busy roundabout requires a little more faith than you might expect from an EV, where instant response is usually the norm.
Once moving, however, the power delivery is smooth and predictable. The car’s electronic systems do an excellent job of maintaining composure, and despite the rear-drive layout, provoked oversteer is difficult to achieve. Under heavy enthusiasm, physics eventually wins out in the form of gentle, progressive understeer – a trait unlikely to trouble anyone on the weekly Tesco run.
Cold, wet mountain roads are rarely kind to EVs, yet efficiency proved more reassuring than expected. Over a gentle but entirely normal drive through mountainous Austrian routes, in poor weather and temperatures hovering around zero, the S05 returned 3.53 miles per kWh. For a mid-size electric SUV operating in snowy conditions, that’s a perfectly respectable result. Basic maths suggests that equates to roughly 240 miles of real-world range — a figure likely to improve in milder UK conditions.
Driving: Comfort first, composure second
Austrian roads are famously well maintained, so any assessment of ride quality comes with the usual caveats. Still, the S05 leaves a strong first impression.
The suspension is undeniably soft, and body roll is certainly present when pressing on. Yet it never feels uncontrolled or floaty. Even when deliberately unsettled on broken surfaces or through sudden manoeuvres, the chassis quickly regains composure. There’s a sense of underlying discipline that prevents the car from feeling loose or clumsy.
Compared with its larger S07 sibling, the S05 feels notably more resolved. It’s a car clearly tuned with comfort as the priority, but without sacrificing basic body control.
Steering, on the other hand, is best described as competent but characterless. It’s direct, light enough to make manoeuvring easy, and weighted firmly enough to feel secure. But it isn’t engaging, with little feedback and even less sense of connection, which suits relaxed commuting but does nothing to encourage spirited driving.
None of this is unusual for the segment, but keen drivers won’t find much to excite them.
Interior: Looks great, logic less so
Step inside, and the S05 makes an excellent visual first impression. Material quality is strong, fit and finish appear convincing, and the overall design is clean and contemporary. Space up front is generous, storage provision is thoughtful, and the cabin feels more expensive than most similarly priced rivals.
And then you start using it.
Like many modern EVs, the S05 leans heavily – excessively so – on its central touchscreen. In theory, everything is intuitive, customisable and elegantly digital. In practice, even simple tasks can become unnecessarily and frustratingly fiddly.
Adjusting the door mirrors, for example, involves sliding through menus, selecting icons, confirming choices, and then using steering-wheel controls. Opening the sunblind requires digging through multiple layers of the interface. Changing the temperature while driving means taking your eyes off the road, only to miss the correct on-screen target when the car hits a bump.
It’s not that the system is poorly designed. It’s responsive and visually slick. But no amount of software cleverness convincingly replaces the simplicity of physical buttons for frequently used functions.
And the rotating display? Novel, yes. Necessary, no. A fixed screen would be perfectly adequate and considerably less distracting.
Still, there are positives. Seating comfort is good, perceived quality is impressive, and the absence of a glovebox aside — that’s right, there isn’t one — everyday usability is largely solid.
Rear passenger space is perfectly acceptable for the class — the S05 is a little larger than a Nissan Qashqai — easily accommodating adults without complaint, though it doesn’t feel cavernous. The boot, meanwhile, offers competitive rather than standout capacity, comfortably handling family duties without threatening segment leaders.
A useful front storage compartment – or frunk – adds welcome flexibility and even comes with a drain hole if you want to use it to keep your muddy boots in. It’s neat, and the packaging feels well judged for typical household use.
Changan Deepal S05: The early Average Joes verdict
The Changan Deepal S05 is, at heart, a likeable and fundamentally competent electric SUV. It rides well, feels refined, delivers strong performance, and has an interior that punches above its weight in visual quality.
Yet it also exemplifies a growing industry obsession with touchscreen-centric design that prioritises novelty over ergonomics. Living with the S05 will be pleasant enough, once you’ve made peace with its infuriating interface.
At its asking price, the S05 doesn’t radically undercut established rivals, nor does it dramatically outshine them. Instead, it arrives as a solid new contender with a few quirks and frustrations.
A very good first impression, then – but one that could be even better with a little less digital cleverness and a better focus on usability.
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.