Deepal S07

First Impressions

Walking up to the Deepal S07 in Bangkok was my first proper encounter with it outside a test track, and honestly, that made all the difference. I'd seen this car multiple times before, but this was the first real chance to drive it on actual roads and put it through a proper one-day trip to Ayutthaya. Fresh smell, that new-car feel, and the striking orange paint immediately grabbed attention—but the real test was whether it could deliver on a 70 km journey.

Interior and Comfort

The moment you sit down, the interior feels clean and cohesive. The orange accents are bold without being obnoxious once you're settled in. The driver's seat adjusts in six directions with good lumbar support, though the passenger side only gets four-way adjustment—a minor inconsistency. What impressed me more was the panoramic sunroof: it's genuinely large and bright, and unlike many cars, it comes with an electric blind that's actually motorized, not manual.

The touchscreen is massive and everything's logically laid out. You don't hunt for functions. The paddle shifters on the steering wheel control driving modes smoothly, and the heads-up display is adjustable for height—crucial for drivers of different builds. What really won me over was the small stuff: the cup holder sits perfectly within arm's reach, there's proper phone charging on both sides of the cabin, USB-C and USB-A ports, and the climate-controlled seats work at three levels. The passenger rear even has their own sunshade control button, which sounds trivial until you realize how convenient it is.

Technology and Practicality

The infotainment is where the S07 genuinely shines. You can customize the driving modes extensively—choosing throttle response, steering weight, and regenerative braking strength all independently. I ran it in comfort mode for most of the drive and played with sport mode steering in town traffic; it felt responsive without becoming twitchy. The heads-up display is brilliantly customizable, showing navigation, safety warnings, or just speed—and you can swipe through different themes without taking your eyes off the road.

The V2L charging system deserves mention. We used it to power a hair dryer mid-trip in Ayutthaya—3,300 watts through a regular AC outlet in the car. It actually worked. That's not a gimmick; it's genuinely useful for road trips or camping. The frunk is deep and practical, and the interior storage is thoughtfully designed throughout.

Adaptive cruise control worked reliably, though like most systems, it still needs steering input in tighter curves. The 360-degree camera feed and blind-spot monitoring are present and functional. There's also a trip-recording feature that captures video and photos—handy for documenting drives without fiddling with a phone.

Driving Experience

This is where the S07 surprised me positively. On the track, it felt a bit soft and top-heavy in sharp cornering. On real roads with real traffic, that same softness becomes a virtue. The suspension is genuinely comfortable without being floaty, and the car doesn't tire you out over longer distances. Throttle response is adjustable across three levels, which matters because in normal mode it feels measured, but in custom mode you can dial in whatever behavior suits you.

The steering in sport mode is my preference—not too light, not too heavy, just responsive enough to feel planted without requiring constant input. But this isn't a car built for enthusiast driving. It's an SUV shaped for families, and it handles that role honestly. Top speed is 180 km/h, which is more than adequate for Thai highways.

Energy consumption averaged 15.8 kWh per 100 km over our run, which is solid. We started at 89% battery and arrived in Ayutthaya at 78%, having covered approximately 65-67 km in real conditions. The estimated range adjusted downward as we drove, settling around 291 km remaining—enough to return to Bangkok without any range anxiety.

Charging and Battery

The 66.8 kWh battery supports 7 kW AC charging and 87 kW DC charging. That DC figure is on the modest side by 2024 standards, but practically speaking, most owners will rarely need ultra-fast charging for daily commutes. AC charging is slow, as always. What matters is that the real-world range is honest and conservative in its estimates—we never came close to being stranded.

What Doesn't Quite Work

The regenerative braking needs careful tuning. The default settings can feel jarring if you're used to coasting, and the highest setting actually brings the car to near-stops too aggressively for everyday driving. I ended up running it at zero percent, which gives a floating-feel similar to traditional automatics—not ideal, but more livable.

If you want a sporty SUV experience, look elsewhere. The body roll is noticeable, and the sheer size means it's never going to feel nimble. There's only one trim level, so no spec flexibility, and that orange interior isn't for everyone, even if it is eye-catching.

Final Verdict

The Deepal S07 is genuinely impressive once you live with it, not just test it. It's comfortable, practical, loaded with genuinely useful tech, and it delivers on efficiency. The build quality feels solid, and the driving experience is relaxed and composed—exactly what a family SUV should be. It's not for people chasing performance thrills; it's for people who want a stress-free, modern, capable daily driver. On that measure, it delivers convincingly. After spending a full day behind the wheel, I'm far more convinced than I was after the track session.