Coupe-SUVs are certainly too commonplace today, while pick-up trucks might well be too rugged for the average urban dweller.
In an automotive landscape where homogeneity is fast becoming the new pandemic, however, Deepal's upcoming electric star has a unique proposition: Be both.
Dubbed the E07 (the car is sold under Changan Automobile's 'Changan Nevo' sub-brand domestically), it shares roughly the same coupe-SUV silhouette as something like a BMW X6 or Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe in pre-evolved form. Based purely on dimensions, it would share roughly the same 'full-size' classification too, stretching out at more than five metres long, and nearly two metres wide.
There are already clues that point you to the car's rugged status, such as the fat, matte wheel arches and those chunky roof rails. But the E07's metamorphosis is only complete when you fiddle with some buttons either near the rear number plate holder or from within the infotainment touchscreen.
There is some shifting of panels; without you realising it, the tailgate has swallowed some metal. The entire rear windscreen has simultaneously popped out, then slid upwards. In an instant, what stands before you now is a pick-up truck. If your mind has subconsciously wandered to the Tesla Cybertruck by this point, you're probably not alone.
It's a neat trick in an era (especially of electric cars) where you wouldn't fault a prospective buyer for thinking everything new that hits the showroom these days is essentially more of the same. By making you sit up and take notice, even before you've set foot in or driven it, the E07 already has half the battle won.
Given that attention was the ostensible prize for the team here, it should come as less of a surprise that form appears to have taken precedence over function.
The E07's load-bearing capacity of 300kg, notably, isn't much compared to a typical pickup truck. (The Cybertruck, already not the most competitive weightlifter, has a payload of more than more than 1.1 tonnes).
Still, its atypical layout has practicality to offer apart from the thrill of transformative potential. You can imagine the tailgate's fold-down mechanism would make sliding heavy items into the boot a breeze, while its trunk would easily swallow strollers or folded wheelchairs. Not having a massive tailgate that lifts up into the sky also means not having to worry about carparks with low ceilings – especially nifty for urban drivers (or all of us here in Singapore).
More cushy-passenger-car than tough-ute
Otherwise, the E07 feels more cushy-passenger-car than tough-ute.
In similar vein to the S07, the cabin is bathed in expensive-feeling synthetic leather, but trades physical buttons and a traditional instrument cluster for a massive head-up display and a massive touch infotainment screen.
If you thought the Deepal S07's dashboard was minimalist, the E07's feels more desert-like still, given the dearth of traditional labels and icons on its steering wheel (at least on the unit we drove). Passenger space, however, is offered in the truckloads thanks to a generous 3,120mm wheelbase.
The rest of the car is impressive on a technical level for an EV, if (again) not as exciting as its physical versatility.
The unit we drove briefly in Chongqing was said to be motivated by a single electric motor sending 252kW and 365Nm of torque to the rear wheels, enabling the car to crack the century sprint in 6.7 seconds.
While the limited stretch of tarmac meant we reached the braking point before we could hit 100km/h - at which the E07’s estimated 2.3-tonne weight was as clear as the Chongqing sun that day was scorching - the burst of acceleration still means the car feels blisteringly quick, and confoundingly so too, for such a large and heavy vehicle. One can only imagine the more hardcore experience on the all-wheel drive variant and its sub-four-second timing.
Speaking of which, driving range from the 89.98kWh battery (based on units available in Thailand) is commendable even when it must support two motors. It's rated at 590km for the all-wheel drive variant, and 640km for the rear-wheel drive one, though both figures are admittedly ambitious given that they are derived from the less stringent NEDC cycle.
More impressive, however, is said battery's ability to support DC charging at a rate of up to 240kW, which should see it recharged from 30-80% in just 15 minutes. Changan produces range-extended iterations of the E07, which are further supported by a 1.5-litre turbocharged generator that exists purely to feed the battery with more energy - but specific variants slated for our shores have yet to be confirmed.
Initial impressions also point towards a driving experience that's more car- than truck-like. The E07's steering may not offer much feel, but isn't slow for a vehicle of its stature. Instead of leaf springs, it also gets air suspension on top of double wishbones up front and a H-arm multi-link item at the rear. We didn't spend enough time with the E07 (nor were we able to take it out onto public roads) to make absolutely conclusive statements, but these ingredients, coupled with its full-electric drivetrain, bode well for its refinement on the move.
All of this should make it clear where the E07's priorities lie: Not with the folks that genuinely need a tough-it-out electric ute in the vein of something like the Ford F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T in the U.S.A. After all, it's hard to imagine your typical pickup driver being satisfied with a machine with a mere 300kg payload. Neither would you picture its average buyer taking it out regularly to tackle muddy and treacherous terrain.
Instead, the E07 appears to have been built for those who want a modern electric car (we repeat, not truck) that revels in being different, yet remains practical and does all the EV stuff well where it counts. Sure, argue if you will that this stands more as a design exercise - with arguably high levels of oddball appeal - more than a thoroughbred offroader. But at a time where novelty has rapidly become a scarce resource, it might well also be a powerful antidote to those already jaded by homogeneity.
The Deepal E07 is slated for arrival in Singapore before 2025 comes to a close.
