Deepal L07 is essentially a further evolution of the Deepal SL03 model, but with a more refined interior design and more modern electronics from Huawei.
The mid-size light-duty SL03 became the debut model of the Deepal brand (aka Shenlan, aka Deep Blue), launched in 2022 by Changan. Deepal produces near-premium NEV models with good equipment and relatively affordable prices. The abbreviation NEV, we recall, stands for New Energy Vehicle, it unites electric cars, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen cars with an on-board electrochemical generator. In 2023, the Deepal model range was replenished with the mid-size crossover S7, later renamed S07. This year, the flagship brutal crossover Deepal G318, the junior crossover Deepal S05 and the liftback Deepal L07, which we have not talked about before, will hit the market.
It should be noted that the Deepal brand already uses the L07 index in foreign markets, namely in Thailand, but there it is simply a renamed Deepal SL03, and the Chinese Deepal L07 is a separate model made on the basis of the SL03. In China, the SL03 and L07 will be sold in parallel, that is, the L07 will not replace the SL03. On the outside, the L07 differs from the SL03 in its new bumper design, due to which the overall length of the liftback has increased from 4820 to 4875 mm, all other dimensions are the same: width — 1890 mm, height — 1480 mm, wheelbase — 2900 mm.
The Deepal L07 interior is completely new, even the design of the door panels and seats has been changed, the finishing materials have been improved, and more sophisticated LED lighting has been installed. The front panel has become more laconic in appearance and has lost the instrument screen — only the central multimedia with a diagonal of 15.6 inches remains, and all operational information is displayed on the projection screen on the windshield. Air fresheners are integrated into the beginning of the hovering central console.
Meanwhile, the key difference between the L07 and SL03 models is not the design, but the latest electronics from Huawei — entertainment and driving, including various electronic driver assistants, but there is no specific list yet, because the full premiere of the Deepal L07 is still ahead. Actually, Huawei initially supported Deepal as a supplier of individual components and software, it's just that the L07 model will have more electronics from Huawei than others, and therefore its price tag will most likely be higher than that of the Deepal SL03, which now costs in China from 139,900 yuan (1.66 million rubles at the current exchange rate).
There are no official technical details about the Deepal L07 yet, but the new product has recently surfaced in the electronic database of the Chinese Ministry of Industry, so some information about the hardware is already available. The electric version will have a single electric motor on the rear axle, its power is 185 kW (251.5 hp). The plug-in hybrid version has a 1.5-liter gasoline engine with a power of 72 kW (98 hp) installed under the hood in front, but it is not mechanically connected to the wheels, it works in generator mode and powers the battery, and the power of the only traction electric motor installed on the rear axle is 160 kW (217.5 hp). No changes have been announced in the platform: the front suspension is McPherson type, the rear is independent multi-link.
Let's add that Deepal sales in China are now growing steadily: from January to June of this year, 83,858 cars were sold, which is 101.46% more than sales in the first half of 2023. The Deepal brand is not officially represented in Russia at the moment, but its models are regularly brought to our country by gray dealers.