• The Deepal S07 is a Chinese-made car and the company's first EV SUV.
• I drove this midsize SUV around Singapore for two days and was impressed by its handling capability.
• The company's goal is to hit $10 billion in overseas market investment by 2030.

At first glance, the Deepal S07's aggressive stance, sharp lines, and coupe-like roofline gave off serious Lamborghini Urus vibes. But while it resembled the Italian, gas-powered SUV, the S07 is fully electric.

The Raging Bull is also not the type of brand that this Chinese EV looks like it's trying to compete with. Instead, the Deepal S07, the company's first SUV, would be better compared with other EVs, including Tesla, Volkswagen, and BYD.

Still, I thought it made a bold first impression — just in a smaller, much more wallet-friendly package than the Lamborghini. I later found out that Deepal's flagship SUV was designed in Turin, Italy, and assembled in Nanjing, China.

Deepal is an electric vehicle brand under state-owned Changan Automobile, one of China's oldest automakers. While Deepal is a newer player in the EV space, Changan started building cars in 1959 and released its first Deepal model in 2022.

Changan has big aspirations for the Deepal brand. At the end of last year, Deng Chenghao, the president of Deepal, gave a speech to celebrate the rollout of the company's 400,000th car. He said the company aims to deliver another 500,000 cars — 400,000 in China, and 100,000 for the global market — by the end of this year, per iChongqing, a government-affiliated English-language news platform.

In China, the Deepal S07 is priced between 169,900 and 197,900 Chinese yuan, or $23,300 and $27,200.

The brand expanded into Thailand in 2023, followed by Australia, Mexico, Nepal, and Pakistan. In March, the cars began selling in Singapore.

In a press release from March, Shen Xing Hua, the managing director of Changan Southeast Asia, said Singapore plays a pivotal role in the company's globalisation strategy. "This will support our goal of surpassing $10 billion in overseas market investment and achieving over 1.2 million annual sales in overseas markets by 2030," Shen said.

Over my 22 years in the automotive scene, I've test-driven cars in Singapore and abroad, getting behind the wheel of everything from supercars to pickup trucks.

The Deepal S07 is being marketed as a premium EV SUV

So what's the Deepal S07 like to drive?

For two days in mid-April, I test drove a fully specced S07 across Singapore. Here, the car retails for 220,000 Singapore dollars, or $170,000. Car prices are significantly higher in Singapore than most other countries because of the extra tax and registration costs. The Lamborghini Urus costs around SG$1.5 million, and BYD's Sealion 7, the S07's direct competitor, retails for between SG$212,888 to SG$237,888.

Marketed as a premium EV SUV, the S07 had 19-inch wheels, a large glass roof with a sunshade, and sleek door handles that popped out only when I unlocked the car. I found that the bold front and dynamic rear design were a refreshing change from the more rounded contours of the Tesla Model Y, another midsize SUV.

The cameras and sensors are tucked neatly into the body. And, as I'm into the details, I liked that the panel gaps were minimal. In all, it was a far cry from the Chinese cars I test drove 15 years ago. Back then, it often felt like I was checking out unfinished prototypes — the kind that made me wonder how long they'd hold up.

The improvement in the Deepal S07 is a testament to the strides Chinese manufacturers have made.

Comfortable back seats

I drove the SUV around most of Singapore and felt comfortable behind the wheel the whole time. I had great visibility from the expansive glass area throughout.

My butt was comfy on the terracotta leather cushioned seats, but I did feel like the driver's seat could use better shoulder support for long drives.

I tried sitting in the back and found the rear seats comfortable for two adults — there's plenty of space. The flat floor also gives the third person in the middle enough legroom.

Take in the view

All the windows were double-glazed, which helped cut down wind and road noise from outside, even at highway speeds. I didn't go over 65 miles per hour (thanks to Singapore's speed cameras), but even when I came close, it was impressively quiet inside.

I tested out the 14-speaker sound system by blasting John Mayer on Spotify while driving along the highway — the audio quality was impressive.

Plenty of trunk space, both in the front and back

Both the front and back of the Deepal S07 have a lot of space for storage. Travelers can fit two big suitcases and a few duffel bags into the rear trunk and a carry-on in the frunk.

It's all on the screen

The lack of physical buttons — most functions are handled through a 15.6-inch touchscreen — gives the cabin a clean, modern look. That said, I couldn't help but think I'd need some time to adjust if I bought this car. Part of that's because I'd be a first-time EV owner, but also because almost everything runs through the screen. Wiper speed, climate control, seat heating, audio — it's all digital.

Sticking with the button-less theme, the hazard light switch was mounted on the ceiling. It took me a few minutes to find, and it made me think it was a pretty impractical spot.

Smooth acceleration and steering

One pleasant surprise with the S07 was how it skips that "rocket launch" feeling I've felt in other EVs — the kind of jolt you get with some Teslas and Porsches. There were no sudden sprints that might leave a passenger clutching their seat. It accelerated with a smooth ease, proving that performance doesn't always have to come with a side of whiplash.

The steering had a reassuring weight and precision to it. As I navigated a series of bends, I noticed an uncanny similarity to the way a BMW X3 handles.

Let down by the tires

That said, the factory-fitted tires didn't quite do the car's chassis justice. A higher-performance tire with better grip and sidewall stability would probably bring out the S07's full dynamic potential.

This car stands out as a strong alternative to the more established EV SUVs. If I were shopping for one, I'd definitely look beyond the usual suspects and give the S07 a serious look.

• Tesla is having a rough year, but the company's Chinese rivals are having a great few months.
• Shares in BYD, Geely, and Xpeng have surged in 2025, even as Tesla's stock price has plunged.
• The strong performance of Tesla's Chinese competitors adds to the challenges Elon Musk faces right now.

It's been a rough year for Tesla — and a very good one for its Chinese rivals.

While Tesla's stock has climbed a little in recent days, it is down 40% since mid-December. By contrast, its Chinese rivals' share prices have surged on the back of booming sales and breakthroughs in autonomous driving and EV charging.

BYD's share price has risen almost 40% so far in 2025 and hit a record high last week after it unveiled new charging tech it says can charge an EV in five minutes.

EV startup Xpeng has seen an 85% rise in its share price in the first three months of the year, while Nio and automotive conglomerate Geely — which owns EV startup Zeekr and others — have also enjoyed double-digit share price rallies.

The stock divergence comes as Tesla faces numerous challenges in China, its second-largest market behind the US.

Once the most innovative player in the world's largest car market, Elon Musk's automaker has lost market share as local rivals have undercut Tesla on price with a wave of affordable EVs and hybrids.

The likes of BYD, Xiaomi, and Xpeng are now eyeing up Tesla's tech crown too, packing their cars with new autonomous driving and AI features and branching out into humanoid robots and flying cars.

As warning lights flash across Elon Musk's EV empire, here are four reasons the billionaire should be most worried about China.

Sales collapse as rivals surge

Tesla has seen sales plunge around the globe this year — but the drop in China comes as its local rivals enjoy a sales boom.

Sales of Teslas manufactured in China dropped nearly 50% in February compared to the previous year, even as BYD saw its own sales rise by 161%.

This week, BYD released its 2024 annual results, revealing that it had surpassed Tesla in overall revenue. It reported revenues of 777 billion yuan, equivalent to around $107 billion at the latest exchange rate. By contrast, Tesla had revenue of $97 billion in 2024.

The 30,688 vehicles Elon Musk's company shipped from its Shanghai plant was the lowest since August 2022, and was only narrowly ahead of rival Xpeng.

Tesla's sales will likely get a boost in the coming months from the rollout of an upgraded version of its best-selling Model Y, with deliveries beginning this month.

But the company still faces a raft of competition from more affordable alternatives such as smartphone-maker Xiaomi's SU7 electric sedan, prices of which start around $6,000 cheaper than Tesla's new Model Y.

Upstaged on autonomous driving

After years of waiting, Tesla owners in China have finally got access to some of the company's 'Full Self-Driving' features.

The company began rolling out limited driver-assist features last month to Chinese users who have paid about $8,800 extra for access.

That sum is only slightly less than the cost of BYD's cheapest car — the $9,500 Seagull EV — and it came after Tesla's Chinese rival announced it would install its own autonomous driving tech on its entire model lineup for free.

BYD's announcement set off a ripple effect across the industry.

Other EV makers, like Xpeng and Zeekr, quickly announced they would include driver-assist features on upcoming models. Zeekr CEO Andy An told CNBC that the EV startup would follow BYD's lead by offering the features at no extra cost.

BYD's charging breakthrough

Weeks after unveiling its "God's Eye" autonomous tech, BYD made headlines around the globe again as it announced a new EV charging system that promised to charge an electric vehicle in five minutes.

The automaker says its new 1,000 kW chargers can add 250 miles of range in five minutes, outstripping Tesla's current superchargers, which can add 200 miles of range in 15 minutes.

The unveiling of BYD's "super e-platform" last Tuesday sent the company's stock surging to a record high, pushing Tesla's share price down on the same day.

Tesla's supercharger network has been crucial to the company's EV expansion, but BYD's announcement suggests the Chinese firm has taken a key technological lead over its rival.

Tesla's China headache goes global

Right now, the pressures Tesla is facing from its Chinese rivals are confined to China — but that may not stay the case for very long.

China's EV makers are increasingly going global as they look to expand beyond the country's hyper-competitive domestic market.

Exports of EVs and hybrids from China hit a record high in January, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, and BYD reported successive record overseas sales in January and February.

While China's EV giants are blocked from competing with Tesla in the US thanks to high tariffs, the likes of BYD, Xpeng, and Zeekr are expanding rapidly in Europe, where Tesla's sales have plummeted in the first few months of the year.

In the UK, which has no tariffs on Chinese EVs, BYD outsold Tesla for the first time in January, and Tesla's sales in Europe were also overtaken by Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC Motor.

Competition from Chinese brands is likely to grow, with Xiaomi president William Lu confirming that the company plans to sell EVs globally "within the next few years" earlier this month.