Deepal E07 locked in for 2025 Australian launch

The Changan Nevo E07 is coming to Australia, where it will be sold under the Deepal brand.

With hints of Tesla Cybertruck, the Deepal E07 is a radical five-seat electric SUV with a ute-inspired rump that cleverly opens to reveal an open-air load tray.

Deepal already has E07 evaluation cars in the country and says the newcomer will be on sale before the end of the year, likely in the third quarter.

Local importer Inchcape – which also manages Subaru and Peugeot in Australia – says it will release more details next month.

“E07 will be making its way to Australia in the second half of 2025,” said Cormac Cafolla, general manager of Deepal Australia. “We’ll be rebadging it under the Deepal brand.”

The E07 has a sleek fastback-style SUV shape with some futuristic additions, including an illuminated grille that’s unlikely to make its way Down Under due to local regulations.

It has five seats and a flat floor with generous interior space and a panoramic sunroof.
However, its most interesting element is its tailgate.

Press a button and the small back window retracts into the tailgate before the sloped rear windscreen slides up over the sunroof, allowing overhead access to the load space.

In front of the folding rear seats is a separate backrest incorporating a retractable glass screen that can also be folded, allowing items to be loaded up to the backs of the front seats.

It’s a clever solution and one that not only gives the E07 a distinctive look but also some impressive functionality.

Throw in a big hit of technology in the cabin – including pixels sprawled across the dash – and it’s something that stands out in the market.

Cafolla says the E07 is unlike anything on the road and could appeal to a broad audience.

“You could benchmark a couple of utes, you could benchmark a few large SUVs … we’re just going through that process at the moment,” he said.

Beneath the skin is a choice of two drivetrains: either a single-motor, rear-drive model making 252kW and 365Nm or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model making 440kW and 645Nm.

Each has an 89.98kWh battery providing driving ranges of 560km and 520km respectively, according to the WLTP test cycle.

The E07 will be rated to tow, although Deepal hasn’t yet confirmed its tow capacity.

There’s also a range-extender EV version available in China. It adds a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo as an onboard generator to allow owners to travel anywhere they can buy petrol.

Cafolla says that EREV (extended range EV) version is only currently available in China, but that “they’re exploring it for right-hand drive markets”.

“We think the Australian market is open to multiple powertrains; we’d like to explore the capability across the Changan Group in their technology from range-extender EVs to battery-electric vehicles.”

And a range of accessories typically fitted to off-road SUVs are on the cards for the E07.

“We will look at working with the OEM [manufacturer] but also potentially with local partners to see what we can develop that suits the demands of Australian consumers,” said Cafolla, adding that everything was on the table, including bullbars.

One option the company is keen for is a tub liner that would provide protection in the rear when loading hardware or sporting equipment.

For now, Deepal Australia is preparing the E07 for an Australian viewing at the upcoming Everything Electric show in Sydney and the Melbourne Motor Show in April.

Local testing and validation is also being conducted.

“We’re bringing a couple of the product engineering team out from the Changan Group to help us make sure that that car is set up for the Australian market,” said Cafolla.

“They’re very keen to understand how the Australian market uses the vehicles in those segments to make sure we can bring the car … with the right set-up.”

Of course, the big question with the E07 is what it would cost in Australia.

Clearly it’s going to be more expensive than the S07 electric SUV that the brand launched with early in 2025. That car sells from $53,900 plus on-road costs.

The question is how far north it will head from there.

With plug-in hybrid versions of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha priced in the $60K bracket and plenty of mid-sized electric SUVs at similar money, you’d think it wouldn’t want to venture too far up.