Deepal S05

First Impressions

The S05 REEV is Deepal's smart play for the indecisive middle ground. It's a Range Extended Electric Vehicle—meaning it's battery electric at heart, but carries a small gasoline engine along for the ride. That engine never drives the wheels directly. Instead, it sits there quietly generating electricity when you need it, either to top up the battery or feed power straight to the motor. The engineering is clever: you get the daily driving experience of an EV, the range security of a hybrid, and the flexibility to top up at any fuel station on Earth. Walk around the outside and you'd never guess what you're looking at—no telltale badges, no visual gimmicks. Even the fuel door and charge port sit side by side without fanfare. It's an honest, practical approach to a real problem.

Deepeal claims the S05 REEV will travel over 1,000 kilometres on a full battery and full tank combined. That's worth taking seriously for long-distance drivers or people without home charging infrastructure.

Design and Exterior

The S05 inherits DNA from Deepal's larger S07, and that's no bad thing. The shark-nose front end, split LED headlights, and squared-off proportions work well at this size. What strikes me most is the sheer footprint: 4,620 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, this SUV is genuinely one of the largest in its segment. Stance it against rivals like the MG5, AION Y Plus, or BYD ATTO 3—the S05 wins on length and width. That translates to real interior space, which I'll get to.

Detailed touches impress. The active-flap grille opens and closes based on cooling demand. The 18-inch alloy wheels come standard even on the base model. Flush door handles and frameless windows read as premium. The rear end mirrors the front's design language, with a full-width light bar and the Deepal logo integrated into the LED cluster. One genuine letdown: the reverse light is tiny, barely visible from behind—a poor choice for a car that emphasises family safety.

The tailgate is fully electric. Pop it open and you'll find 464 litres of boot space. That's respectable, but here's where Deepal got creative: the rear seat base has a removable cushion. Pull the pin, lift out the pad, fold down the seats fully flat, and everything sits flush with the floor. Total capacity jumps to a remarkable 1,250 litres if you fold both rear seats. The engineering feels considered, not rushed.

Interior and Technology

Step inside and the S05 immediately impresses for the price point. The dashboard centres on a 15.4-inch touchscreen angled toward the driver—Deepal calls this the 'Sunflower' design, as if the display follows the sun. It's more than gimmickry: the angle feels natural rather than flat. The software is genuinely fluid, pulling together controls for charging ports, sunroofs, windows, and air vents into intuitive category menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come wireless. A wireless phone charger sits in the centre console, flanked by two cup holders and a deep storage bin below.

The cabin feels genuinely spacious. I sat in the back with the front seat at its furthest rearward setting and still had comfortable legroom. The panoramic glass roof is glorious—a real asset in Thailand's heat—and comes with an electric shade to manage solar gain. Headroom is generous.

The one real frustration is rear air conditioning. There's a single vent with one control. Whoever wants the airflow gets cool air; the other rear passenger gets nothing. Middle seat? You're split the difference and both stay warm. It's a cost-cutting decision that feels penny-wise, pound-foolish.

Driver assistance systems are impressive across all trims: 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking. Deepal isn't stingy with tech at this price, which genuinely shifts the landscape for vehicles around one million baht. There's no secondary instrument cluster behind the steering wheel—just a small head-up display—but the main screen handles everything you need.

Driving the REEV Powertrain

This is where the S05 separates itself. The 218 hp electric motor delivers 320 Nm of torque instantly—figures you'd struggle to find in a petrol SUV at this price without jumping to a far pricier model. Initial response is smooth rather than thrilling. I tested Sport mode and Comfort mode back-to-back. Neither mode feels urgent in the way a performance EV does. That's intentional: this is built for practicality, not bragging rights at traffic lights.

The real innovation lies in three selectable power modes. EV mode forces the car to run purely on battery electricity—the petrol engine stays locked off regardless of throttle input, perfect for urban commutes where you've charged overnight. Combine mode lets the car decide: battery power is the default, but the engine wakes up if you demand hard acceleration or if the battery charge drops to conservation levels. Field mode—essentially 'charge'—keeps the engine running to top up the battery, useful when driving towards a city where you want to finish on electric power alone.

The 27 kWh battery is deliberately small. Deepal claims 170 kilometres of range on a full charge under the NEDC test cycle; real-world WLTP range is probably 140–150 kilometres. This limitation is not a flaw—it's the design. With the gasoline engine, you're never stranded. Home-charging people will treat this as a pure EV most days. Road-trippers and people without charging infrastructure gain immense flexibility. At a petrol station, you fill the 45-litre tank, and the engine can generate electricity while you drive, effectively extending your range indefinitely.

When the engine does run to generate electricity, it's a 1.5-litre four-cylinder tuned to work at low, efficient RPM. It consumes regular E20 fuel, not expensive premium. Deepal claims 24–25 km/litre efficiency when running as a generator alone—better than most compact cars burning fuel traditionally. The engine barely makes itself heard, producing none of the high-revving racket of a Plug-in Hybrid. You might not even notice it's engaged.

Suspension strikes an honest middle ground: not plush, not firm. It's set up to soak bumps without unsettling occupants, prioritising comfort for family use. There's no sport tuning here, no illusion of performance. It's a car designed to be driven, not to impress.

One small oddity: when folding down the third rear seat, there's a belt-routing procedure to engage before the seat folds flat. It's an extra step most modern cars don't require, and it feels slightly clunky compared to simpler competitors. Raising the seat back up is straightforward, though.

Practicality and Real-World Use

The genius of the REEV formula is flexibility without compromise. If you're a daily commuter with home charging, the S05 behaves exactly like a small EV. You leave home on a full battery, enjoy silence and zero emissions, and plug in again at night. The 170 km range easily covers most commutes plus weekend errands.

For people without home charging—renters, apartment dwellers—this car solves the EV puzzle. You drive on battery when convenient, and when the charge runs low, you pull into any fuel station on the planet. No waiting hours for a fast charger, no range-anxiety spirals. You're not burning petrol all day like a traditional hybrid; the engine is only there if you need it.

For long-distance travel—Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Krabi—you can aggressively manage the battery. Charge fully before leaving town, drive on pure electric, and when the battery hits a defined reserve level, switch to Combine or Field mode and let the engine help you arrive with battery still available. In a city, finish on silent, emission-free electricity. It's a clever game, and it works.

The 15.4-inch screen controls almost everything intuitively. The sunroof with electric shade is perfect for Thailand's intense sun. Cargo capacity is excellent. Standard safety features are comprehensive. There are no real gotchas here except the rear air-con design.

Value for Money

In the sub-one-million SUV segment, the S05 REEV changes the equation. You're not compromising on space, technology, or capability compared to established Japanese competitors. Instead, you're trading familiarity for genuine innovation at a keener price.

The base REEV starts at 949,000 baht. The range-topping REEV Max hits 999,000 baht—still under the psychological barrier. For that, you get a roomy 4.6-metre SUV, a 15.4-inch touchscreen with wireless phone charging, a full suite of driver-assistance systems, a modern powertrain that delivers 218 hp of electric torque, the flexibility to use petrol or electricity, and genuine 1,250-litre cargo space when seats fold flat.

If you're uncertain about full electric conversion, or if your commute is longer and your local charging network is nascent, the REEV offers a bridge. It's not a compromise vehicle—it's a smarter vehicle for people with realistic needs. Deepal also offers a pure BEV variant with a larger 54 kWh battery if you want full electrification; that starts at 799,000 baht.

Final Verdict

The S05 REEV is an honest, practical vehicle that solves real problems without pretence. It delivers the driving feel of an EV, the range security of a petrol car, and enough space and technology to satisfy a family. It's not thrilling or sporty, and it doesn't pretend to be. For someone caught between range anxiety and environmental guilt—someone who isn't quite ready to commit to full electrification but refuses to go backwards to ancient petrol—this is genuinely compelling.

If you have home charging and a predictable daily commute under 150 km, a pure BEV might suit you better. If you must have sports-car thrills, look elsewhere. But if you're practical, value flexibility, and want cutting-edge technology at an honest price, book a test drive. The S05 REEV deserves serious consideration.