Yet another Chinese EV brand is set to enter Malaysia. Bermaz Auto (BAuto) will be in charge of the official distribution of Deepal cars in the country. After previously acquiring the distributorship for Xpeng, BAuto currently owns four brands in total, including Kia and Mazda.
Changan Automobile who owns Deepal, says that the brand is expected to go on sale in the middle of 2025. The brand is starting to assemble cars in Rayong, Thailand, and will import them (CBU) from there.
In addition to exporting right-hand drive models in the area, the plant can scale up to 200,000 units if necessary, with an annual capacity of 100,000 units.
In Malaysia, the Deepal C-segment S05 and D-segment S07 SUVs will be introduced first. Additionally, Deepal offers extended-range EVs (EREVs), which increase a vehicle’s electric range by means of an onboard internal combustion engine that is used as a generator to charge batteries.
Both the standard battery electric vehicle (BEV) and EREV variants will be available for the S05 and S07. A 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine that solely charges the batteries is part of the latter’s powertrain.
While we think an EREV introduction would work here, the tax exemptions for BEVs means it’s likely Deepal Malaysia will introduce that configuration. Berjaya China Motor was the previous name under which the Changan brand sold commercial vehicles in Malaysia.
A 66.8 kWh Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt-Oxide (NMC) battery powers the Deepal S07 in BEV form, giving it a 485 km NEDC range.
Customers can choose between an 18.99 kWh, 31.73 kWh, or 39.05 kWh battery and a 1.5-litre engine for the EREV S07, which has a range of 1,045 km, 1,130 km, or 1,200 km.
The S05 has a 56.12 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a CLTC range of 510 km, although it is not available in Thailand. The rear-mounted motor has 238 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque.
It just so happens that the car’s headlights are available with Huawei’s Xpixel technology which project patterns onto the road thanks to its 1.3-megapixel resolution, and works similarly to Mercedes-Benz’s Digital Light headlamps.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Yet another Chinese carmaker enters the fray with hi-tech EVs boasting smart design and half-decent range and charging capabilities. What really interests me however is the range-extender EV model which used an onboard engine as a generator to charge batteries. I feel such tech will help to act as a conduit for those considering a switch to EVs from petrol-powered cars.