There's been some changes going on in the GWM space. GWM is now the holding company for the Haval, Tank, Wey, P Series and finally, ORA series of vehicles aiming to fit different lifestyles and purposes. Their mission statement is to become a global player in the automotive space while still maintaining environmental sustainability. Thus, GWM has also been playing in the New Energy Vehicle space. We were in China recently to see what GWM had cooking in the crockpot. Not only that, we have a launch review of the ORA 400 GT, which you can check out here.
Related: GWM reveal estimated pricing for ORA Cat and Tank 300!
Enter ORA, the full EV arm of GWM, producing vehicles made for the city, the trendy and youth. The ORA brand seeks to be innovative with tech and fashionable for its owner. We had the ORA 03 hatchback to sample both in 300 Super Luxury and 400 GT Ultra Luxury trims.
Styling
Keen eyes will see the Porsche-esque styling of the ORA 03. Well, that's because former Porsche designer Emanuel Derta designed the ORA 03. The body of the ORA 03 is stout yet curvy. The front fascia sees a rounded-off nose with a small grille. The round headlights transition into the pronounced fenders. A broadside profile moves into a plump rear. The brake lights are cleverly hidden in the rear windshield. Non-GT models get attractive retro-style wheels to complete the chic exterior. The design of the ORA 03 is clean and unique to the ORA brand in this writer's view.
Interior and Technology
Despite the hatchback nature, the ORA 03 is spacious for its occupants, with good head and shoulder room. The glass expanse is easy to see out of, and because of the protruding fenders, it's easy to see the front corners of this car. You're seated in leatherette seats with enough support and foam that errs more to the firmer end but still is comfortable. The retro-modern style continues with the dashboard and air conditioning controls that are in the form of toggle switches. Even the leather steering wheel mimics retro two-spoke wheels from yesteryear. We would have liked the cupholders to be elevated to the same level as the drive selector to make it more ergonomic. The ORA 03 utilises GWM's latest Coffee interface for the infotainment. Unfortunately, this system suffers from many menus, and the user experience could use some refinement. Physical buttons and rotary knobs would help alleviate some of the user experience for the infotainment and air-con controls. That's not to say we shouldn't use touch controls at all, but implementation is essential here. Apart from that, the materials inside are of good quality, and even operating switchgear in the ORA 03 feels premium. The speaker system is tonally pleasant. The NVH levels are quite delightful as well. Regarding boot space, you'll see 228 to 858 litres (With the rear seats folded).
Drive and Handling
Powering the ORA 03 range is a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor churning out 126 kW and 250 Nm to the front wheels. You have two batteries on offer here. With the entry-level 300 Super Luxury, you get a 48kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery with a range of up to 310kkm (WLTP). The 400 Super Luxury uses a 63kWh nickel-manganese cobalt battery with up to 420km (WLTP) range. The flagship 400 GT, on the other hand, has a range of up to 400km (WLTP). Power delivery in the ORA 03 is gentle so as not to scare the first-time driver. It's responsive, as you'd tend to expect an EV to be and isn't the kind of vehicle to get you into trouble. While weighing only 1555kg, how the weight is managed in the ORA 03 is done well. Manoeuvring the ORA 03 around town and on the open road is easy, and credit needs to be given to the suspension tuning. The vehicle doesn't wallow and gets unsettled easily. It's point-and-shoot.
Safety
You'll find the following standard safety equipment on the ORA 03 range in addition to the 5 Star EURO NCAP rating:
- Dual Srs Airbags, Front Side Airbags, Side Curtain Airbags & Front Centre Airbag
- ISOFIX Child seat anchors
- Secondary Collision Mitigation (SCM)
- Tyre Pressure Monitor Sensor
- ABS, EBD, TCS, ESC
- Roll Movement Intervention (RMI)
- Traffic-Sign Recognition
- Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Intelligent Cruise Control (ICA)
- Traffic Jam Assist (TJA)
- Intelligent Turning Control (ITC)
- Auto Emergency Braking – Pedestrian & Cyclist Detection (AEB,
- AEB-P/B)
- Auto Emergency Braking Intersection Assist
- Lane-Change Assist (LCA)
- Lane-Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane-Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane-Central Keeping (LCK)
- Emergency Lane-Keeping (ELK)
- Smart Dodge System
- Rear Cross-Traffic Assistant (RCTA) & Rear Cross-Traffic Brake
- (RCTB)
- Front-Collision Warning (FCW)
- Rear-Collision Warning (RCW)
- 360° Panoramic Camera
- Auto Unlock when Collision Occurs
Price
| Model | Price |
| GWM ORA 03 300 Super Luxury | from R686 950 |
| GWM ORA 03 400 Super Luxury | from R775 950 |
| GWM ORA 03 400 Ultra Luxury | from R805 950 |
| GWM ORA 03 400 GT Ultra Luxury | from R835 950 |
The ORA 03 comes with a 7-year/105 000km service plan, 7-year /200,000 km vehicle warranty and 8-year /150 000 km warranty on the high voltage parts.
Additionally, if you would like a home charging solution for your ORA and your house, you can speak to your GWM dealership to see what solution works best for you.
*Pricing stated here is subject to change without any prior notice.
Verdict
The GWM ORA 03 is a charming proposition. It seats itself nicely at its price point when compared to its similarly priced ICE competitors. The ORA 03 feels like a premium product, and no doubt, can this be a practical fashion accessory too. This vehicle drives well, has some charisma and shows what trajectory GWM is on, a rather good one.
