Deepal S05 PHEV and EV details remain unclear for Australia as distributor stays quiet on timing

Deepal Australia has confirmed only that announcements are coming for the S05 and S07 'in the coming weeks', with no local timing, specifications or pricing locked in for the incoming small electric SUV.

The statement from distributor Inchcape Australia follows parent company Changan's confirmation of plug-in hybrid versions of the S05 and S07 for Europe, and leaves open whether Australia will get the EREV-style powertrain alongside the battery-electric models.

What Deepal Australia is saying

An Inchcape Australia spokesperson said the company expects to have more to share in the coming weeks, including further details on the S05 and S07 lineups, as well as local specifications and powertrain options. The distributor added that it is not in a position to comment on specific models or timing just yet.

The S05 was originally promised for Australia in the latter stages of 2025, but the timeline has slipped: the model now looks on track to arrive very late this year or early in 2027.

The PHEV that behaves like a range extender

Changan has confirmed plug-in hybrid versions of both the S05 and S07 for Europe, with the S05 PHEV due in right-hand drive UK showrooms later this month.

Despite the PHEV label, the drivetrain works more like an extended-range electric vehicle: a 63kW 1.5-litre petrol engine serves mainly to charge the battery, while a 172kW electric motor does the driving, for total system output of 190kW.

The UK-spec S05 PHEV pairs that with an 18.4kWh LFP battery, good for up to 100km of electric-only driving. Combined WLTP fuel consumption is rated at 2.0L/100km, and total driving range stretches to roughly 1000km.

Charging is modest by EV standards: up to 11kW on AC power and 55kW from a DC fast-charger. Vehicle-to-load output is standard in the UK.

What the EV versions look like

Australian certification documents uncovered in January point to a likely launch range for the battery-electric S05: a 200kW single-motor rear-wheel drive variant and a 320kW dual-motor all-wheel drive variant, both using a 68.82kWh battery.

Range figures for the Australian EV variants have not been published, and neither has any pricing for the S05 in any market covered here. Changan has not announced an Australian price, and no local pricing has been confirmed.

Where the S05 sits

The S05 is a mid-size SUV that slots beneath the S07 in Deepal's range, and the PHEV would give the brand a direct rival to the BYD Atto 3 as well as offerings from the Chery-Omoda-Jaecoo group.

The open question is which powertrains reach Australia. The European PHEV confirmation suggests the EREV-style variant is a live possibility for local showrooms, but Inchcape has stopped short of confirming anything beyond 'further details' to come.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has put the updated GLE450e plug-in hybrid on sale, priced from $156,900 before on-road costs for the SUV and $160,900 for the Coupe. The five-seater joins the GLA and GLC as the brand's third PHEV line locally, slotting into a revised GLE range that opened with a six-cylinder turbo-diesel wagon.

The 450e pairs a 240kW 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six with a 135kW electric motor for combined outputs of 320kW and 680Nm, sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. Both body styles claim 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, 0.6 seconds quicker than the GLE350d diesel already in showrooms.

How it sits against the rivals

The PHEV carries a premium over the turbo-diesel GLE350d, which lists at $142,300 before on-roads and is, like the 450e, imported from the US. It also edges past the outgoing BMW X5 xDrive50e M Sport at $153,600 plus on-roads, though pricing for the new-generation X5 PHEV due here in November has not been announced. The Mercedes undercuts the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, which starts at $164,800 as an SUV and $171,400 in Coupe form.

The timing is no accident. PHEV sales in Australia are up 124.2 per cent year to date to September, and the category took 9.3 per cent of all new vehicles sold last month. Mercedes is landing its most powerful GLE variant into the fastest-growing corner of the market, and pricing it between the BMW and Porsche alternatives rather than above both.

A 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery drives the wheels on electric power at speeds up to 140km/h. Claimed electric-only range is 87km for the SUV and 91km for the Coupe, the latter managing more despite riding on larger 21-inch wheels against the SUV's 20s.

Charging is where the specification gets unusual. DC fast charging is a $1100 option, and even then a 10 to 80 per cent recharge takes 29 minutes. On AC at 11kW, a full charge from flat takes two hours and 45 minutes. Paying extra for DC capability is rare at this end of the market, and buyers who mostly charge at home may not miss it, but anyone counting on public chargers for their electric kilometres should budget for the option from the outset.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has not published local fuel consumption figures. The US and UK versions of the 450e claim a combined 88.3mpg, equivalent to 3.2L/100km, plus 21.6kWh/100km of energy consumption. For reference, the current GLE350d diesel is rated at 8.2L/100km combined. Local figures should land closer to launch, and buyers comparing the two on paper will want them before signing.