Mammoth range boost for small Chinese electric SUV

China’s Deepal hasn’t launched the S05 small SUV in Australia yet but a new super long-range electric version is reportedly set to be revealed in China tomorrow.

As reported by Car News China, this new Deepal S05 variant will offer up to 620km of claimed range, according to relatively lenient CLTC testing.

For context, the regular S05 EV variants in China offer 510km of range (CLTC).

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While the exact battery capacity of this new long-range S05 hasn’t been detailed yet, Car News China indicates it’ll continue to be sourced from CATL. Regular S05 EV variants have a 56.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

It’ll also reportedly have the same charging capability as the regular S05 EV, meaning it can charge from 30 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

Power reportedly still comes from a single, rear-mounted electric motor producing 175kW of power and 320Nm of torque.

Despite the extra weight of the larger battery pack, Car News China reports the long-range S05 EV can still do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 180km/h.

2026 Deepal S05

It’s worth noting Deepal also offers a range-extender (REEV) version of the S05 in China with an electric motor, smaller 27.3kWh LFP battery and 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine acting as a generator only.

The design of the S05 remains unchanged inside and out with the addition of this long-range EV variant.

At this stage it’s unclear what versions of the Deepal S05 will be offered in Australia. It’s currently set to launch locally in the third quarter of 2025.

2026 Deepal S05

CarsGuide contacted Deepal’s local distributor, Inchcape, regarding this long-range S05 EV variant and it offered no confirmation on specific variants at this point.

Deepal only launched in the Australian market in late 2024 with the mid-sized S07 electric SUV.

Following initial local feedback, the company tweaked the S07’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibration. It also lengthened the service schedule from every 10,000km to every 20,000km and removed the initial 5000km service.