EBRO S900 PHEV 4x4 test drive: the family seven-seat SUV with a Zero emissions label that offers the most for the least money

Some cars catch your attention because of the figures in their technical specifications. Nowadays it is less about power or performance and more about consumption or range, especially in the case of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. In other cases it is the price, that “hook” that makes you consider them as a purchase option even if they weren’t on your radar. Then comes the second part: whether the car delivers on its promises and wins you over in everyday driving. The EBRO S900 does all three.

On paper, it dazzles with its calling card: 425 CV, seven seats, all-wheel drive, up to 140 km of electric range, Zero emissions label… The price also places it in an unbeatable position: apart from its “cousins” in the Chery group, those offering something similar cost far more. And premium-brand SUVs that cost the same are smaller, less powerful and have much less equipment. But the best part is that, beyond its figures or price, when you use the S900 every day, with every kilometre that passes you become convinced that it is a “masterful purchase”. I believe these are the best 45,000 euros you can invest in a car today.

Yes, we know that buying a car is not exactly an investment, even less so when we are talking about large, expensive cars with lots of technology, because depreciation is enormous as soon as you register it and drive it off the dealership forecourt. But if we take into account what you pay and what you get, the EBRO S900 seems to me one of the most interesting cars you can buy right now.

A large SUV in every sense

At 4.81 metres long, the EBRO S900 is a truly large SUV. It is not a car for someone looking for something manageable in any garage space, nor for someone who always drives on narrow streets. That is why, although its calling card and what I will tell you later may make you consider buying it even if your goal was a more compact car, my advice is to “measure” your abilities carefully – never a truer word was spoken. Ideally, visit the dealership and try it out, see how you feel behind the wheel and, above all, be clear about where you will park it every day and what your garage space is like: whether it is big enough, whether it requires manoeuvring…

That said, EBRO has done a good job so that, despite its dimensions, the S900 does not intimidate behind the wheel. Good visibility in all directions, parking sensors and the excellent 540-degree panoramic camera help a great deal. But in addition, the S900 also includes as standard an automatic parking assistant and a function that memorises the last metres travelled, which allows a reversing manoeuvre to be undone without driver intervention. These are aids that in a car of this size are not a simple technological extra: they are used and appreciated.

If we talk about design rather than dimensions, the S900 has an imposing presence. The enormous front grille that inevitably recalls the “Singleframe” of certain models from a few years ago, the 20-inch wheels, the flush door handles, the design of the light clusters…

Its look is very premium, especially with the matte grey paint, which completely transforms the car. This type of paint requires more care than conventional metallic paints, especially when washing the car. And it will probably also make you turn around sooner if you leave the tarmac and see the track narrowing and branches that could scratch the paintwork appearing. But for the less than 1,000 euros it costs – it is the only option available for the S900, everything else is standard – I would not hesitate. The standard colour is snow white, and the metallic green, black and grey tones cost 500 euros.

Inside: premium ambience and lots of comfort

The interior is another of the S900’s great selling points. Not only because of the space available, but because of the overall sense of quality. The dashboard design is clean and pleasant, the 15.6-inch central screen has good resolution and quick response, and the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is complemented by a Head-Up Display which, without reaching the sophistication of those seen in some German brands, with dynamic graphics and augmented reality, is very useful because the presentation of information in the instrumentation is not the best.

The overall feeling is very good, with a combination of different materials that is pleasing, and details such as the neoprene-style trim on the doors which help create a carefully crafted atmosphere. I am not so convinced by the piano black, which is as eye-catching when clean as it is impractical for daily use. But overall the S900 conveys a perceived quality far superior to what one expects for its price.

The seats are magnificent. The front ones have electric adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage, and the passenger seat adds a zero-gravity-type function that lets you travel as if in first class on a plane, with an extendable area to rest your legs. In the second row there is also plenty of space, electric adjustment, heating and ventilation. Even the third-row seats have electric operation, and access is easier than usual thanks to a specific function that facilitates entry at the touch of a button.

The 14-speaker Sony sound system works really well, with a very useful feature: the speakers integrated into the driver’s headrest allow a privacy mode for calls or navigation instructions. Add the huge panoramic roof, the ambient lighting, the good sound insulation… and the feeling is that of travelling in a higher-category car.

Seven seats, a large boot and good modularity

The configuration is seven seats in a 2+3+2 layout. The first two rows offer plenty of space and a high level of comfort. The third row, as in almost all SUVs of this type, must be understood for what it is: two useful seats for children, teenagers or adults on not-too-long journeys. They do not replace the space of a large MPV, but they are there and can solve many family situations.

The boot varies depending on the configuration. With all seven seats in use there are 148 litres, enough for little more than backpacks or small bags. With five seats in use the capacity rises to almost 450 litres, exceeding 800 litres if measured up to the roof. And with the second and third rows folded down, it exceeds 2,000 litres, with the possibility of forming a loading surface up to 2.2 metres long. In other words, you can forget about renting a van when you go shopping at IKEA.

In real use, what matters is that the S900 adapts very well to each situation: family trips, big shopping runs, weekend getaways or occasional transport of seven occupants.

Hybrid system: electric in daily use, efficient on the road

The EBRO S900 PHEV combines a 1.5 TGDI petrol engine with three electric motors. One acts as a generator to charge the battery on the go, another is coupled to the transmission and supports the front-wheel drive, and the third, located on the rear axle, is what drives the car in most situations. The combined stated power is 425 CV and the maximum torque reaches 580 Nm. The transmission is a 3-speed 3DHT automatic and, thanks to that rear motor, it has full traction.

All this sounds very good on paper, but what matters is how it translates into real driving. And the hybrid system is convincing. The transitions between electric operation and the combustion engine kicking in are practically imperceptible in normal driving. Only in very specific situations, such as hard acceleration on a slope or some excursion off the tarmac, is it more clearly noticeable when the combustion engine comes into play.

In daily use, the S900 moves in electric mode with surprising agility for its size. The response is strong, immediate and very pleasant, and you will rarely have to floor the accelerator to get the combustion engine to kick in. In fact, in town and its surroundings it drives like a large, silent and very comfortable electric car.

The battery has almost 35 kWh of capacity, a very high figure for a plug-in hybrid. This allows the EBRO S900 to claim up to 140 km of electric range on the combined cycle and 177 km on the urban cycle. In a real motorway test, at normal cruising speed and using the “Eco” programme, it is possible to cover around 100 km before the battery reaches the level at which the hybrid mode comes into play, keeping just under 20% of capacity in reserve. If your daily route involves a lot of city driving, you will easily cover 150 km without using a single drop of fuel.

Charge at home, charge quickly and forget about the plug a bit

Despite this large battery, the S900 allows real electric use even without a specific home charging installation. I have charged it from a conventional domestic socket, and only if you fully discharge the battery every day is it possible that it will not be enough to charge to 100% in one night. In that case you will need to consider installing a reinforced socket to charge at 16 amps and 3.7 kW, or go straight for a wallbox installation. But do not treat this as necessary from the start.

It also supports DC fast charging up to 70 kW, an unusual figure for a plug-in hybrid. I was able to test it on a trip and in practice I saw power close to 70 kW in the first phase of charging, which allows you to recover up to 80% of capacity quickly. EBRO quotes 25 minutes to go from 30 to 80% on DC, and 3 hours on AC at 6.6 kW for the same interval.

Mind you, using fast charging on a trip is not always worthwhile, given the price per kW and, above all, the fact that the S900 does not consume much once the battery is depleted. But having that option adds versatility, especially if you want to recover electric range at a specific stop or reach a city with enough battery to then drive without burning petrol. It also has bidirectional V2L functionality, with up to 6.6 kW to power external devices. It is a feature that fits very well with the car’s family and leisure focus.

Real consumption: here is one of the big surprises

EBRO declares less than 2 l/100 km of weighted combined consumption and less than 7 l/100 km with the battery depleted, according to the WLTP cycle. As always with a PHEV, the homologated figure depends enormously on electric use. But what is relevant in this case is that, even when the battery is low, the car remains reasonably efficient, and that with the 70-litre fuel tank you can cover more than 1,000 km of total range.

The ideal approach for travelling is not to exhaust the battery in electric mode from the first kilometre, but to manage the system in hybrid mode. If you select HEV mode, the S900 can travel many kilometres with consumption around 3.5 l/100 km while conserving and managing the battery’s energy. Depending on the type of road and the driving, that scenario can be maintained for around 250 km.

When the battery runs out, consumption naturally starts to rise. But even then you can travel at motorway pace with figures around 7.5 – 8 l/100 km, which I find very good for an SUV of this size, weight and performance. If you completely disregard the accelerator, it is easy to exceed 9 l/100 km or approach double-digit consumption, but it does not soar as it does in other plug-in hybrids with similar stated power and bigger combustion engines.

Performance: 425 CV on paper

With 425 CV and 580 Nm, the S900 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and reaches 180 km/h. These are very serious figures. However, they should not be interpreted as if we were dealing with a high-performance SUV. The EBRO S900 goes, but its character is not aggressive at all. It is clearly oriented towards comfort, smoothness and ease of driving. In fact, when driving it you do not get the sense that it has that power.

In “Eco” mode, which is the one you will end up using most, the car already pushes hard enough and offers the best balance between consumption and performance. “Normal” mode adds a bit more response, and Sport is really noticeable, both in the accelerator and in the way it delivers power. Steering and brake feel can also be configured from the screen; you will probably end up doing what I did, which is selecting Sport mode for both and never touching them again.

When you set off on a trip with the battery charged, the system warns you once you have used up the capacity and lets you continue in intelligent hybrid mode with a battery reserve around 20%, though you can choose to keep drawing on the battery until it is fully depleted. If you do, and you demand maximum acceleration with the battery empty, you will notice that the S900’s performance no longer corresponds to a car of more than 400 CV. But the system recovers charge in the battery quickly and does not leave you feeling short-changed. It is simply worth understanding how it works and using the driving modes with some logic… or letting the car do everything on its own and limiting yourself to choosing between the Eco, Normal and Sport programmes.

On the road: comfortable, quiet and easy

The S900 is a very pleasant car for travelling. The suspension filters well, the sound insulation is well achieved and the hybrid system works very smoothly. It does not have air suspension, and it is possibly the only thing missing to round off that feeling of “total premium”. But you do not miss it on the road, because the comfort compromise is very well resolved.

It is clear that it is not a car for sporty thrills on a winding road. The steering does its job, the brakes are up to the task and the chassis conveys confidence, but its natural habitat is long journeys, motorways, wide roads and family trips. Where it really shines is when you drive without apparent haste and in a certain silence, although you always know you have a large reserve of power under your right foot.

The driver assistance systems are not as intrusive as in some other Chinese cars either. They are there, they are numerous – EBRO quotes 26 ADAS systems – and they add safety, but they do not turn driving into a constant battle with warnings and corrections. This matters, because in many modern cars this aspect can greatly condition the experience of use.

During my time with the S900 I also had the chance to make some small excursions along tracks and dirt roads, and the truth is that it was a surprise: it performs much better than I expected from an SUV of this size and focus. The electric all-wheel drive helps, the suspension works well and the off-road angles allow simple tracks to be tackled with confidence. And the dedicated Snow, Sand and Offroad modes are a good help. That said, let’s not get confused: it is not an off-roader. Off-road it feels firmer and some jolts appear when the surface gets tricky. But for reaching a country house, driving on a track or tackling a rough path, it is more than adequate.

What I liked least

The truth is that it is hard to find weak points in the S900. If I had to say what I liked least, it would be the reliance on the screen. Many functions require navigating menus, and although the multimedia system is fast and allows shortcuts to be configured, and there is voice control support too, I would prefer to have physical controls for certain operations. I also miss paddles to adjust energy recovery, a practical solution that would make a lot of sense in a plug-in hybrid like this.

Being picky, at this car’s level it would not hurt to offer, even as options, elements that some premium SUVs do offer, such as matrix headlights or air suspension. But as I have already mentioned, the standard suspension works well, and the full LED headlights are more than sufficient for night travel with total comfort and safety.

The other point to consider is size. It is not a defect as such, because whoever buys an SUV like this knows what they are getting into. But it is important to keep in mind. The S900 manoeuvres well thanks to the cameras and aids, but it is still a car of almost five metres. What I mean is that if you had not planned on a car of this size, but are attracted by everything the S900 offers for its price, its dimensions may end up catching up with you.

Price and equipment: the definitive argument

The EBRO S900 PHEV 4×4 is offered in Luxury trim with a very complete standard equipment list, including elements such as the panoramic roof, the Sony audio system, leather upholstery, electric seats, panoramic camera, seven seats with electric operation of all seats…

The S900’s list price is almost 50,000 euros including the official discount, but the brand advertises it from 44,490 euros with financing and Plan Auto+. And to think that at launch in our market it was available for 39,000 euros! Even if we take the current list price as a reference, it is still very difficult to find a comparable PHEV SUV in terms of size, power, electric range, equipment and Zero label. For reference, that price is 6,000 euros less than what a Audi Q3 e-hybrid with 272 CV in basic Advanced trim costs.

Verdict: a car that wins you over the more you use it

The EBRO S900 does not have the brand prestige of a European premium SUV, nor a long commercial track record behind it that would allow us to speak with the same confidence about residual value or long-term reliability yet. But as a product, it offers a great deal. It is large, comfortable, powerful, efficient if used well, very well equipped and with an electric range that means you do not burn petrol in daily use. In town it can work like an electric car, on the road it travels at reasonable consumption, and on a family trip it offers space, silence, comfort and top-level equipment.

After a week using it in all kinds of conditions – town, road, daily commuting to work and even a short family holiday getaway – the EBRO S900 seems to me not only a good purchase on paper. I believe it is one of the best options available today for anyone looking for a large family SUV with a Zero label.

EBRO S900 – Image gallery