Soueast S06 UAE Review: A 355 HP Hybrid SUV for Under AED 110,000

Abu Dhabi: Soueast is a new brand in the UAE’s automotive scene; most buyers visiting the showroom have not heard of it before. The Chinese brand recently entered the Emirates and is now gradually attracting attention with some of its new cars. 

Soueast is a subsidiary of Chery, the Chinese automotive group that also owns Omoda, Jaecoo, and Jetour. The S06 is Soueast's flagship for the UAE market; it comes in three variants, a petrol Comfort, a petrol Luxury, and the S06 DM, which is a plug-in hybrid with a combined output of 355 hp. For a car priced under AED 110,000, 355 hp and over 800 km of combined range are simply not available in the segment right now. 

Chery Brand

Before getting into the car itself, it helps to understand exactly what Soueast is and why the Chery connection adds real credibility.

The Chery Group is one of China's largest automotive manufacturers, with more than 27 years of production history and vehicles sold in over 80 countries. In the UAE, Chery's three sub-brands have each performed strongly since their local launches. Jetour registrations jumped 82% in one year. Omoda crossed 3,000 UAE sales faster than any previous Chinese brand launch. Jaecoo’s J8 is now increasingly discussed as a credible alternative to European mid-size SUVs in the UAE. 

Soueast uses the same production infrastructure, component quality standards, and PHEV technology architecture as the group's other brands. The Soueast S06 DM specifically uses the 1DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) system, which is Chery's own hybrid drivetrain. This is not a retrofitted petrol engine with a small assist motor bolted on. It is a purpose-built plug-in hybrid system.

In the UAE, Soueast currently operates showrooms at three key locations: Deira (Dubai), Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai), and Abu Dhabi. You can schedule test drives at all three locations, and the brand's online booking system at soueastuae.com allows you to make appointments in advance.

The Petrol Variants

The Comfort variant, priced at AED 89,900, is the entry point, and it is more complete than the price suggests. 

You get a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 156 hp and 230 Nm, a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox, leather seats, a 12.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered infotainment system. 

The Comfort also includes 32 storage compartments inside the cabin, a detail that sounds trivial until you spend a commute in Dubai traffic trying to find somewhere to put your phone, sunglasses, and parking ticket simultaneously.

S06 Petrol Variants

Spec	S06 Comfort	S06 Luxury
Price (AED)	89,900	93,000
Engine	1.5T, 156 hp	1.6T, 197 hp
Gearbox	6-speed DCT	6-speed DCT
Screen	12.8-inch	15.6-inch
Audio	4 speakers	8 Sony
Seats	6 way manual	6 way electric
Airbags	4	4
360 Camera	No	Yes
Sunroof	No	Yes
EMI From	AED 1,271	AED 1,320

The 540-degree panoramic camera with a transparent chassis view is available from the Luxury trim onward. . In a city where parking at Times Square or Deira City Centre tests patience daily, this is a real convenience.

The Luxury at AED 93,000 comes with extra features like the 15.6-inch touchscreen, 8-speaker Sony audio, 6-way electric seats, seat ventilation and heating, the 360-degree camera, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. The step from Comfort to Luxury at AED 3,100 more is one of the better value upgrades in the UAE compact SUV market right now. The Sony audio alone is worth the conversation.

The S06 DM Hybrid 

The S06 DM is where the lineup becomes particularly interesting, as this particular model has been a significant topic of discussion. 

The DM (which stands for Dual Mode, Chery's terminology for its PHEV system) combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and a 19.43 kWh ternary lithium battery. The combined output is 355 hp and 530 Nm of torque. For context, a Toyota RAV4 produces 203 hp and starts at AED 119,900. A Mazda CX-5 produces 188 hp and starts at AED 109,900. The S06 DM undercuts both on price and significantly exceeds both in outright power. 

The NEDC-rated electric-only range is 114 km. That means buyers who charge at home overnight in Dubai Marina or Abu Dhabi's Al Raha area, will run purely on electricity for most of their daily commutes. The combined range on a full charge and a full tank exceeds 800 km. If you have been hesitant about going electric because of range anxiety or charging infrastructure, the S06 DM is the most practical answer in this price range. You never have to worry about running out of charge, because the petrol engine is always there.

Spec	S06 DM (PHEV)
Price (AED)	Enquire at showroom
Engine	1.5T + Electric Motor
Combined Output	355 hp, 530 Nm
Gearbox	1DHT Dedicated Hybrid Transmission
Battery	19.43 kWh Ternary Lithium
Electric Range	114 km (NEDC)
Combined Range	800 plus km
Screen	15.6 inch
Audio	9 Sony speakers
Seats	6-way electric, ventilated, memory
Airbags	6 (front, side, curtain)
360 Camera	Yes
Sunroof	Yes

The system also includes a V2L (Vehicle to Load) function at 3.3 kW, meaning the car can power external devices or appliances. This feature is useful for camping weekends in Hatta or Ras Al Khaimah, as well as serving as a backup power source at construction sites or outdoor events.

The Cabin

The S06's interior is something that needs more special attention than it usually gets in compact SUV comparisons.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered infotainment system delivers quick response times and smooth graphics across the range, with the DM receiving the more advanced chipset setup. This is the same processor found in the Nio ET5, the Li Auto L9, and several vehicles in the AED 200,000+ category. Response times are nearly instant. Screen mirroring from a phone is smooth. Voice control works in both Arabic and English.

The 50W wireless fast charging pad is standard on the DM and Luxury. The multifunctional armrest box includes both heating and cooling functions. In a UAE summer where the cabin temperature can hit 50 degrees and your phone overheats on the seat, both of those details are worth noting.

The interior also features:

• Dual-zone automatic AC with rear air vents
• CN95 air purification with PM2.5 display
• Anion generator and carbon monoxide monitoring on the DM
• 9-speaker Sony system on the DM 
• Ambient lighting throughout the cabin
• 32 storage compartments, including a cooled glovebox on the DM

Safety

The S06's safety suite is worth listing because it punches above what buyers expect at this price:

• Adaptive Cruise Control 
• Integrated Cruise Assist with Traffic Jam Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist 
• Lane Departure Warning
• Forward Collision Warning 
• Advanced Emergency Braking 
• Blind Spot Detection 
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Door Open Warning
• 360-degree panoramic visual parking assist with 180-degree transparent chassis view
• 6 airbags on the DM variant, including front, side, and curtain airbags 
• Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill Hold, and Rollover Inhibition

Conclusion 

The S06 makes far more sense once you understand the Chery engineering and infrastructure behind it. Chery Group has spent years refining this technology across its brands in the UAE. The S06 DM is that refinement applied to a practical, affordable, well-designed compact SUV at a price the competition cannot currently match.

Currently, the showrooms in Deira, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Abu Dhabi are open for test drives. Given the DM’s specifications and price positioning, it is worth exploring for anyone looking for a new compact SUV.

Also Read: 350 OMODA & JAECOO Owners Gather for First Abu Dhabi Circuit Event