The new Shenlan S7 SUV was unveiled in China, looking great in fiery red. The media event was held out in the open on the famous Bund in Shanghai, with the dramatic skyscrapers of the Pudong district in the background across the Huangpu river.
The Shenlan EV brand is a joint project between Changan, battery maker CATL, and technology giant Huawei. The brand is positioned above the base Changan brand and below the Avatr brand. Shenlan sells only one car at the moment, the Shenlan SL03 sedan. The English brand name of Shenlan is Deepal.
The rear-wheel drive Shenlan S7 will be positioned as a mid-sized SUV. The design is sporty with some sharp edges. It has black window frames, black wheel arches, black sideboards, and a large spoiler above the rear window. The S7 stands on 20-inch wheels with brake calipers painted in body color. Size is 4750/1930/1625 with a 2900 wheelbase.
Shenlan will sell two versions of the S7: an EV and an EREV.
- EV. 258 hp and 320 Nm. The top speed is 180 km/h. Electricity consumption is 14.2 kWh per 100 kilometers. The curb weight is 1950 kg. Range and battery capacity haven’t been announced yet.
- EREV. Electric motor: 238 hp and 320 Nm. Gasoline engine: 1.5 four-cylinder with 95 hp. The top speed is 180 km/h. Electricity consumption: 19.4 kWh per 100 kilometers. Fuel consumption: 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers. The curb weight is 1900 kg. Again, no word yet on battery, EV range, or combined range.
The interior is a beauty, especially in this orange-brown trim. The S7 has a HUD and a central screen for infotainment. This differs from the SL03 sedan, which has an additional letter-box instrument panel. There isn’t a single button in sight on the dashboard and center stack.
The steering wheel has an interesting design, with two spokes, two small controller buttons, and a flat bottom.
The drive selector is mounted on the steering wheel column. We see that a lot in China recently, on both ICE and NEV cars.
The Shenlan S7 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip to make all the sensors and computers work. The system supports OTA upgrades.
Two large wireless charging pads for smartphones.
Frameless doors. That too is a new trend in China. More and more Chinese carmakers go for frameless doors, even on relatively affordable and not-that-sporty cars. The conventional inner door handle design has been canceled, and a new electronic button design has been adopted. Just press the button and the door will open or close electronically.
Deepal branding in the interior.
Lots of space in the rear with an almost-flat floor. The headrests of the front seats contain integrated speakers for the audio system. This, again, is a recent design trend. Many Chinese automakers are building speakers in headrests. Some even have noise cancellation, so that the driver can listen to navigation instructions while the passengers can enjoy music.
Pop-out door handles and a sensor on the front fender. The Shenlan S7 doesn’t have lidar.
The rear with a black spoiler above the window, with a brake light in the middle. Below the window a car-wide light bar, and in the bumper an F1-style fog light.
The Shenlan S7 will have its public debut at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show in April. It will be launched on the Chinese car market soon thereafter. The price is expected to start around 160,000 RMB (23,600 USD).
A long nose with cool blades on the sites. The EV version should have a sizable frunk.
