Deepal S05: LiDAR on the roof, a 3nm cockpit chip and a presale from 30 July
deepal.com.cn
The updated Deepal S05 opens presales in China on 30 July with a roof LiDAR, two Horizon J6M chips and a 3nm cockpit processor. The current car starts at 116,900 yuan, about $17,220.
A roof-mounted LiDAR and a new 3nm processor are the main confirmed changes to the updated Deepal S05. Presales of the crossover start in China on 30 July 2026, and that is when the brand, part of Changan, will name its prices. A laser scanner does not turn the model into a self-driving car, though: LiDAR widens what the driver assistance systems can do, but the actual set of features will depend on the trim and the software.
According to the announcement of 29 July, the laser scanner is fitted to every version, and the top trims use a 128-line Hesai module. A pair of Horizon J6M chips handles the data, and the carmaker promises navigation assistance on motorways and in the city, plus automatic parking.
The current Deepal S05 is offered in China from 116,900 yuan, or about $17,220.
The manufacturer has also swapped the digital cockpit processor for the 8678 chip built on a 3nm process and has embedded the DeepSeek language model into the infotainment. Deng Chenghao, chairman of Deepal, said the update should noticeably improve how smoothly the system runs. In practice that will show in how quickly the screens start up, how routes are calculated, how the cameras behave and how the car switches between functions.
The dimensions are unchanged: 4620×1900×1600 mm with a 2880 mm wheelbase. Outside, the car gets semi-hidden mechanical door handles, frameless windows and 18-inch wheels, while a separate blue light now signals the status of the assistance systems. The cabin adds purple upholstery with multi-colour ambient lighting.
The electric version uses a 272 hp motor and batteries of 56.12 or 68.82 kWh. The claimed range on the Chinese CLTC cycle reaches 520 and 620 km. In the EREV, the petrol engine works mainly as a generator: it covers up to 215 km on electricity, and total range is quoted at 1310 km. With a depleted battery, consumption is 4.35 l/100 km.
According to the filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the updated S05 keeps both powertrains: the hybrid with a 1.5-litre 72 kW engine, a 175 kW rear motor and a 28.39 kWh battery, plus the purely electric versions. The full price list and the split of assistance features across trims will become clear when presales open.
