Here at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, one of Changan’s electric sub-brands has unveiled an electric off-roader that would probably be appealing to Filipinos. Say hello to the Deepal G318, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) off-roader that blends ruggedness with cutting-edge technologies and a premium interior.
But first, let’s start with the name. Chinese automakers these days have been using a strange mix of letters and numbers for their broad vehicle range, which isn’t surprising considering that most of the coolest words from the English dictionary have probably been taken already. The G318, however, has a more significant meaning, because it is the number assigned to a highway that runs from the city of Shanghai to Zhangmu, in which the latter is located on the China-Nepal border. The section of this highway in Sichuan Province and Tibet is scenic and rugged, which is why this rugged PHEV SUV is called the G318.
To reflect its rugged aspirations, the Deepal G318 has a rugged exterior design characterized by a combination of angular shapes and soft lines. The front end has a closed-off grille, with the lower air intakes being the only vents of this electrified SUV’s front end. There are LED headlights with C-shaped LED daytime running lights, while positioned on the roof is a set of LED off-road lights. Let’s hope these aren’t used to blind other drivers.
Moving towards the side, the wheel arches are the Deepal G318 come with widened wheel arches and flushed door handles as typical of many Chinese electrified vehicles these days. There are also roof rails for your cargo-carrying needs, while the rear end features a spare tire on the tailgate that opens sideways and a pair of C-shaped LED taillights.
Moving inside the Deepal G318, the interior has top-notch build quality and premium materials as expected from the brand based on our experience in the S7. There’s a generous use of soft-touch materials and leather surfaces. There’s even a good amount of physical controls. There are also two screens, one for the digital gauges and one for the main infotainment screen. There’s also a wireless charging pad, a panoramic sunroof, and power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, just to name a few.
As mentioned, the Deepal G318 is a plug-in hybrid by nature, or in their case, a range extender electric vehicle. There’s a 148-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that only acts as a generator and never powers the wheels–just like the Nissan Kicks e-Power.
That gasoline engine charges either an 18.4 kWh battery or a 35.1 kWh battery, while the electric drivetrain is either a single motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) version with 248-horsepower or a dual motor all-wheel drive (AWD) version with 424 horsepower. Opting for the dual motor AWD also lets this electric off-roader sprint from 0-100 kph in just 6.3 seconds. As for range, the G318 can supposedly run in pure EV mode for up to 190 kilometers when fully charged, though we assume this is for the single-motor RWD version.
The Deepal G318, however, doesn’t ride on a body-0n-frame chassis as most off-roaders do. However, thanks to having its battery pack inherently part of the structure, its chassis can withstand up to 45,000 Nm/deg of force. We don’t exactly know the torsional rigidity of popular body-on-frame vehicles since these haven’t been revealed by those manufacturers, so we’ll take Deepal’s word for it that it’s a highly-rigid monocoque structure. Other stuff to note about the G318 is that, it can climb a slope with up to 60 percent grade, and those flushed door handles enable this boxy electric SUV to have a low drag coefficient (for its class) of 0.35 Cd.
With these specs and features listed, should Changan Auto Philippines offer the Deepal G318 in our market?
0 comments on “2024 Deepal G318 Is A Plug-In Hybrid Off-Roader That Will Suit PH Roads”