Changan Deepal S05

FIRST DRIVE Mid-sized SUV is Chinese brand's second car for the UK market, but disappoints from behind the wheel

- Ellis Hyde [e-mail]

THIS is the new Changan Deepal S05, which has arrived to challenge the reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq, and other talented mid-sized electric-SUV contenders such as the Ford Explorer and Kia EV3. Changan may be the oldest Chinese car maker, but it only started selling vehicles in the UK late last year. Its models are designed in part by a team in Italy, and are powered by British engineering. The firm opened a brand-new powertrain R&D centre in Birmingham in 2019, and tunes cars on our roads.

The Deepal S05 is the marque's second offering, after the Deepal S07 which rivals the Tesla Model Y. As its name suggests, this new model is slightly smaller and as such, more affordable. However, it's not as cheap as some might expect a Chinese SUV of this size to be, with prices starting from £37,990. That's not just more than the base versions of the Elroq and EV3, but the long-range versions that can go quite a bit further between charges, too. This puts the S05 on the back foot from the start.

At least it's a nicely proportioned, angular and fairly smart-looking crossover, if rather forgettable. The simple, uncluttered interior makes more of an impression, and the steering wheel features proper physical buttons and controls.

The cabin feels well built overall and perceived quality is good, too, but the vegan-friendly leather alternative on the doors and other surfaces is just a very thin layer concealing hard plastics.