Changan brings Deepal S07 to Europe for 45,000 euros

It has been clear for some time that Changan wants to gain a foothold in Europe. In September 2024, the state-owned company from China founded a German subsidiary called Changan Automobile Deutschland GmbH based in Munich. The car manufacturer then announced a launch event in Europe for October 2024, but cancelled the event planned in Milan at short notice in the context of the Sino-European customs conflict.

Changan is now making a second attempt with a new venue in Mainz. On 21 March, high-ranking managers from the company want to present their model portfolio and design philosophy to the European media. Among other things, a speech by Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Automobile, has been announced. The launch event will focus on the European premiere of the all-electric SUV Deepal S07, which will gradually go on sale in the first European countries from April. In addition, Changan will also be bringing “selected models from the Deepal product family” to Mainz, which are due to arrive in Europe in the following months. Specifically mentioned is the Deepal S05 – a compact SUV that has been available in China since October.

We conclude from this that Changan probably only wants to pave the way in Europe with the Deepal brand for the time being. The Chongqing-based company operates or has a stake in several electric car brands that could be considered for export. Changan is the largest shareholder in Avatr, for example, and CATL is another investor. In China, the Changan brand Qiyuan (also known as Nevo) is also represented with electric cars. Changan is also a joint venture partner of Ford, Suzuki and Mazda in China – Changan-Mazda will also produce the EZ-6 electric saloon for the global markets.

With the Deepal S07, Changan is focusing on a mid-size SUV with electric drive for the European launch – a popular class in our part of the world, in which there is, conversely, a lot of competition from manufacturers. It is well known that bestsellers such as the Tesla Model Y and the Skoda Enyaq compete in this segment. The model was presented in China in April 2024. The length of the Deepal SUV is 4.75 metres, and the wheelbase is 2.90 metres. The boot has a capacity of between 570 and 1,510 litres, plus an impressive 125-litre frunk.

With an already publicised price of 45,000 euros, Changan is roughly in line with the two best-sellers mentioned above. The Chinese automobile manufacturer stated a range of 475 kilometres but has not released any details about the drive system at this stage. What we do know: In China, Changan offers two purely electric variants of the Deepal S07. The Deepal S07 520 has a 190 kW rear-wheel drive, which is combined with a 69 kWh battery from CATL for a 520-kilometre range in the Chinese CLTC test cycle. The Deepal S07 628 achieves a range of 628 kilometres thanks to an 80 kWh battery with cells from CALB, but the power output is only 160 kW. There are also versions with a range extender (EREV).

According to Nic Thomas, Changan’s Head of Marketing, Sales & Service for Europe, the Deepal S07 is the result of “our pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing and intelligent all-electric vehicle that improves the daily driving experience for European consumers.” Additionally, “In order to meet different customer needs in a timely manner, we are initially expanding our portfolio after the S07 to include the Changan Deepal S05 model, which offers both purely electric and range extender variants.”

For the roll-out in Europe, Changan is relying on a stationary dealer network, with Norway, Denmark, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands named as the first focus markets. Initial partnerships with car dealers in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK have already been finalised, according to the company, as have initial distribution agreements in Scandinavia. “These agreements represent the first step towards being present in over ten markets by the end of 2025 and operating around 100 dealerships throughout Europe,” the Chinese company announced. “The first step will be Norway with Motorgruppen, followed by a group of selected dealers in metropolitan areas such as Hamburg and Amsterdam.” In the UK, sales are also planned to start by June 2025 via a dealer network. In addition, Changan plans to set up a European spare parts warehouse in the Netherlands, which will serve as the first of several central distribution points for the dealer network.

In its latest press release, Changan describes the German subsidiary founded in Munich in September as the company’s European headquarters and states that it has already built up a workforce of 500 employees in the entire region. Changan sees its entry into the European market as a signal that it wants to become one of the global market leaders. After all, “Following extensive investment in research and development, intelligent mobility and electrification, as well as first-class production facilities worldwide, Changan is now ready to become part of the European automotive landscape.”

The state-owned manufacturer has been building cars since 1984 and has produced more than 20 million vehicles during this time. Changan opened its own design centre in Turin back in 2003, and since then, additional sites have been added in the UK (2010) and Germany (2021).

changan-automobile.prezly.com (in German)