Deepal S05 Review: Nepal's First Look At Changan's EV Crossover Bet

Where The S05 Actually Sits In Kathmandu's EV Showrooms

Nepal's EV shelf has filled up fast, and the Deepal S05 arrives into it at Rs 57.99 lakh to Rs 62.99 lakh ex-showroom, brought in by MAW Vriddhi AutoCorp under the Changan/Deepal Nepal banner since 2024. That places it above the budget Chinese EV crossovers doing the rounds and into a bracket where buyers expect more than just a battery and a badge. What Deepal is selling here isn't outright power. Both variants share a 99 kW motor, which is respectable but not class-leading against some rivals pushing more. The pitch instead rests on cabin equipment, a long warranty runway, and a design language borrowed from Deepal's bigger S07.

For a Nepali buyer used to petrol crossovers in the same price bracket, the S05 asks for a different kind of trust: trust in a newer distributor network, trust in battery longevity, and trust that charging infrastructure keeps pace. MAW Vriddhi has been building out Deepal's presence with 44 showrooms and 9 service centres across the Changan network nationally, which at least means the car isn't landing in a vacuum.

A Crossover Silhouette With A High Hood Line

The S05's design leans on a tall hood line that gives it genuine crossover presence, while the rest of the body stays low and sleek rather than boxy. LED headlights sit cleanly into the front clip, and the rear gets a full-width LED light bar with an illuminated brand emblem, a detail that photographs well after dark and reads as a deliberate flagship touch rather than an afterthought.

Both variants ride on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235/60 R18 rubber, smaller than the 20-inch setups seen on some international variants of this platform, which should mean a slightly calmer ride on Nepali tarmac. The car measures 4,620 mm long, 1,900 mm wide and 1,600 mm tall, with a 2,880 mm wheelbase and front and rear tracks of 1,625 mm and 1,640 mm. That's a wheelbase longer than most compact crossovers on Nepali roads, and it shows up directly in cabin space, which we'll get to.

Build quality on the outside feels consistent with what Changan has been putting out globally: tight panel gaps, a confident stance, nothing that looks cut-price. It doesn't shout the way some EV crossovers do with fake vents and slashes. It's a quieter design that should age better.

The Cabin's Party Trick Is The Queen Co-Pilot Seat

Step inside and the S05 leans hard into comfort-tech branding. The front passenger gets what Deepal calls a Queen Co-pilot Seat, a reclining, extendable perch clearly designed to be the seat you want to sit in rather than drive from. Ambient lighting runs to 64 colours, which sounds like a gimmick until you're customising cabin mood for a Dashain road trip, and the seats themselves are described simply as Comfort Seats, suggesting extended padding and support rather than sport-bucket stiffness.

The infotainment stack centres on a 15.4-inch Sunflower touchscreen, one of the largest displays in this price band in Nepal, paired with a Sky Surround system running 14 speakers. That's a serious audio count for a crossover this size, more commonly seen in cars costing considerably more. Whether every one of those 14 speakers earns its keep is a fair question, but the ambition is clear: this is meant to feel like a premium cabin experience, not a bare-bones EV.

The party trick, though, is Remote Park In & Out, letting the driver manoeuvre the car into or out of a tight spot from outside the vehicle using the key. In Kathmandu's parking realities — tight basement ramps, narrow lanes in Patan — this isn't just a spec-sheet flex. It's a genuinely useful feature for exactly the kind of parking Nepali cities throw at drivers.

Why The Warranty Section Deserves As Much Attention As The Spec Sheet

This is where the S05 separates itself from most EVs sold in Nepal so far. Changan's original warranty covers the battery for 8 years or 240,000 km and the motor for 8 years or 150,000 km. Buyers can then extend that further: another 3 years and 60,000 km on the battery, taking total coverage to 11 years or 300,000 km, and another 3 years and 50,000 km on the motor, for a total of 11 years or 200,000 km. Put together, that's an 11-year, 300,000 km battery-and-motor programme, which is unusually long for this market.

The safety architecture behind it is called Golden Shield Battery 2.0, and there's a structured list of what the extended cover actually includes: the high-voltage battery pack and its related safety and control components, plus the traction motor assembly and motor control unit. It's a genuine attempt to de-risk the two most expensive things that can go wrong on an EV.

The catch, and buyers need to go in with eyes open here, is that this extended warranty is bundled with Shikhar Insurance. Year one insurance is arranged by MAW Vriddhi through Shikhar, and every subsequent year has to stay with Shikhar too. Switch insurers, and the extended warranty terminates on the spot. For 2024 model year cars already insured elsewhere, Shikhar can issue the extended cover only alongside its own Comprehensive Motor Policy, and may charge an additional premium to backdate coverage for the years already passed. Standard exclusions apply too: accident damage, water ingress from external causes, wear-and-tear items like tyres, brake pads and the 12V battery, unauthorised modifications, and servicing done outside authorised centres. None of this is unusual for an EV warranty programme, but the insurer lock-in is worth budgeting into the total cost of ownership conversation, not just the sticker price.

The Plus Versus The Max: What The Extra Rs 5 Lakh Buys

The range is simple on paper: two variants, both running the same 99 kW motor, separated by Rs 5 lakh.

• Plus — Rs 57,99,000, 99 kW
• Max — Rs 62,99,000, 99 kW

With motor output identical across the line, the jump to the Max variant isn't about outright pace. Our data doesn't break out feature-by-feature differences between the two trims, so we won't guess at what's exclusive to which. What we can say with confidence is that the Max, at Rs 62.99 lakh ex-showroom, is the version worth speccing if you're going to spend this kind of money on the S05 at all. It sits at the top of the range, carries the full weight of Deepal's cabin ambition, the 15.4-inch touchscreen, the 14-speaker Sky Surround setup, the Queen Co-pilot Seat, and the same 8-year battery and motor warranty backbone as the rest of the range. For buyers deciding between trims on a tighter budget, the Plus at Rs 57.99 lakh gives access to the same core warranty and the same motor output, at a real Rs 5 lakh saving.

The Geely Galaxy EX5 Undercuts It On Motor Output

The Geely Galaxy EX5 is one of the more direct electric crossover rivals circling this price band in Nepal, and on paper its motor output is stronger at 160 kW against the S05's 99 kW. Confirmed pricing for the EX5 isn't something we can compare directly here, but the power gap alone is significant enough that performance-focused buyers should cross-shop the two before committing. Where the S05 pulls back ground is in its warranty structure and the depth of its cabin tech, areas where a straight power figure doesn't tell the whole story.

The GAC Aion Y Is The Closest Match On Power

The GAC Aion Y is arguably the nearest thing to a like-for-like rival by motor output, running 100 kW against the Deepal's 99 kW, close enough that most drivers wouldn't notice the difference on the road. Pricing comparisons aren't confirmed on our side yet, so we can't say who wins on value. The decision here likely comes down to dealer network confidence, warranty terms, and cabin equipment rather than raw numbers, since the two are near-identical on power.

The Wuling Eksion EV Has More Motor, Different Positioning

The Wuling Eksion EV brings 150 kW to the table, a meaningful step up from the S05's 99 kW, though again price parity isn't confirmed in our data. Wuling has generally positioned its EVs as value-focused rather than premium-cabin-focused, so buyers drawn to the S05 for its Queen Co-pilot Seat and Sky Surround audio system are likely shopping a different priority list than Eksion buyers chasing outright range or power per rupee.

Running Costs And The Reality Of Owning An EV In Nepal

Our verified data doesn't carry a range or charging-time figure for the S05 specific to the Nepali market, so we won't publish one here. Prospective buyers should confirm real-world range figures directly with MAW Vriddhi before ordering, particularly given how much range claims can shift between test cycles and actual hill driving in Nepal's terrain. What we can say concretely is that the battery and motor are backed by that 8-year manufacturer warranty as standard, extendable to 11 years, which does more to protect long-term running costs than any single efficiency figure would.

Electricity tariffs in Nepal remain considerably cheaper than petrol per kilometre for any EV, and that basic arithmetic hasn't changed with the S05. The bigger running-cost variable for owners will be the mandatory continuous Shikhar Insurance requirement to keep the extended warranty alive, which buyers should factor into their annual budgeting rather than shopping around for the cheapest comprehensive policy each renewal.

Verdict

The Deepal S05 is a serious first outing for Deepal in Nepal, built around a genuinely long warranty commitment and a cabin that offers strong tech and comfort touches like the Queen Co-pilot Seat and the 14-speaker Sky Surround system. It doesn't try to win on motor power, both variants sit at 99 kW, and rivals like the Geely Galaxy EX5 and Wuling Eksion EV offer more muscle on paper. What it offers instead is peace of mind: an 8-year, 240,000 km battery warranty extendable to 11 years and 300,000 km, run through Shikhar Insurance.

That insurance tie-in is the one condition every buyer needs to understand before signing. Switch insurers after year one, and the extended warranty disappears with it. For buyers comfortable with that trade-off, and ready to spend Rs 62.99 lakh on the range-topping Max variant, the S05 is a well-equipped, well-covered entry into Nepal's EV crossover space. For those wanting maximum power per rupee, it's worth cross-shopping the Aion Y and Galaxy EX5 first.