Look out Toyota Kluger! Luxury hybrid Deepal S09 three-row SUV claims 180km electric range
Not content with just rivalling the Tesla Model Y with its mid-size S07, Changan Automotive has rolled out the new 2025 Deepal S09.
It’s a full-size three-row alternative to large family SUVs like the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Palisade and Volvo XC90.
If it gets the green light for Australia, the Deepal S09 will become the new brand’s flagship vehicle Down Under.
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While it lines up alongside the S07 mid-size SUV, the firm’s latest large SUV comes equipped with an advanced range-extender hybrid powertrain rather than being pure battery electric.
Said to combine a 110kW 1.5-litre petrol engine with either a single or pair of e-motors and an unspecified CATL-sourced lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP), the headline news is the S09 blends up to 362kW of power with a claimed electric driving range of up to 180km.
In the flesh, the Deepal S09 is Range Rover sized, measuring in at 5205mm long, 1996mm wide and standing 1800mm tall. The S09 also gets a 3105mm wheelbase and what should be acres of space within.
The cabin features two huge dual-touchscreens that stretch across the dash and are reportedly powered by tech developed by Chinese smartphone maker Huawei.
The most luxurious versions come with a 2+2+2 seating, with a pair of airline-style recliners in the second row.
One novel inclusion is a centre console that can slide from the front rearward to the third row. It contains a 10-litre storage compartment that can be chilled to -6 degrees Celsius or heated to 50 degrees, keeping your takeaways (Chinese, of course) toasty on the drive home.
Perched on top of the console is a wireless charging pad plus individual controllers for the second- and third-row climate control.
When it arrives on sale in China later this year the Deepal S09 is tipped to cost 350,000 Chinese yuan, which converts to around $80,000. That’s around $20,000 less than the cheapest Volvo XC90 costs Down Under.
Deepal’s local importer Inchcape (that’s also responsible for Subaru, Peugeot and Foton) has yet to announce whether it plans to bring the latest S09 to Australia.
But it has already expressed its desire to expand the Chinese firm’s offering to include the smaller S05 SUV.
