ORA 03 GT electric drive by Steve Rogers
Breaking news…. A Chinese car that has not torpedoed its rivals on price.
In fact it has been the total opposite with the Ora’s price dropped to bring it into line with the opposition.
Time to press the pause button. What the heck is an Ora 03? It is one of the lesser known Chinese brands and part of the GWM company, some may remember it as Great Wall who produced the Steed pick up until a decade ago. It was the first of the company’s five brands to come to the UK and here is where you might be confused.
I can hear you say the shape is familiar but not the name. Correct, the car started life as the Funky Cat which suited its quirky retro shape to a T, but the company decided it was too off the wall and came up with something more conservative. Pity.
Ora is a supermini sized entry into the growing world of electric cars, and it is a tough old world with a big cast from Europe, Korea, and Japan, some of which are cheaper.
To get a foothold in the market Ora is following the familiar Chinese formula of loading cars with kit and safety features normally found on bigger, more expensive models. That is the case here but with eye catching styling to pull punters into the showroom.
Ora has certainly got a retro feel, the clamshell bonnet and round headlights gives the look of a sixties Porsche 356, or our very own Mini. The back is even more interesting. Where are the lights? Closer inspection shows a light strip running along the base of the base of the window. Now that is clever.
Is it all style over substance? I had my doubts as Ora comes from the same family as the Haval Jolion, the only other GWM brand in the UK, and reviewed a few weeks ago. That was a disappointment but Ora is a lot better.
It is a small car with a short wheelbase so you would expect the suspension to struggle with our potholed roads but it does rather well. Ora does not match the cushioned ride of the new Citroen C3 but then nor does any of its rivals. The light steering means it’s a doddle driving round town and behaves well enough on the open road. With an electric motor acceleration is instant and there is a decent amount of grunt for overtaking.
There is nothing spectacular about the cabin design, apart from Mini Cooper style switches for quick entry to heating controls. The single screen is split in two with the driver’s binnacle showing a video game display of the vehicles surrounding the car. Some might say it's a distraction but my wife and I found it useful.
The central screen holds a library of information and like other Chinese models is a bit of a headache to work out especially with the small font sizes. Once again I was grateful for voice control which helped out with everyday functions.
Small it might be but Ora’s cabin is a bit like a tardis. The amount of space is surprisingly good and I doubt there is another supermini that can match its back seat legroom. It might be at the expense of boot space which is way smaller than a Renault Clio or Volkswagen Polo. A two level arrangement would be useful as there is a big drop to the floor.
There is a three model line up, Pure with a 48kW battery and 192 mile range, Pro, 63kW battery and 261 mile range and GT with the same battery pack. This is where it gets interesting because for around 25 grand the Pure is packed with kit including navigation, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and start, and 360 degree surround camera system. Just as well because the small back window has no rear wiper. Whoever thought that was a good idea got it wrong.
Pro looks the best bet at £28,995 with its larger battery pack and extra features like heated front seats, auto parking assist and front sensors. The safety pack is standard across the range and earned Ora a five star Euro NCAP rating.
Which brings us to the range topping GT. It looks great with its roof mounted spoiler and extensive red detailing around the body and in the cabin, but without any extra performance is it worth another three grand for a lot of red, a heat pump, powered ventilated front seats and sunroof?
The big challenge for Ora 03 is getting established in a strong market of small electric cars, but it should be on the shopping list.
Favourite feature: The funky styling.
Fast facts
Ora 03 GT
£32,995
Range 261 miles
Battery unit: 63kW
168bhp
0-62mph 8.2secs; 99mph
Co2 emissions: Zero
Boot: 228-858 litres
Warranty: 5 years; battery 8 years
Insurance group 3
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