GWM Ora 03 – electric value

A DECADE or so ago Chinese carmaker Great Wall had a brief encounter with the UK market courtesy of a double cab pick-up truck called the Steed.

It was noticeably agricultural with its wallowy steering, clunky gearshift and noisy diesel engine, but it was a no-nonsense 4×4 that got the job done – and it was cheap.

While there were other attractions, like a low insurance rating and a six-year/125,000-mile warranty, it wasn’t enough to see the Steed flourish and Great Wall finally exited the scene when new emissions standards couldn’t be met.

But a new British assault is underway with, at the latest count, three models under the GWM (Great Wall Motors) banner spanning the Ora 03 supermini, Haval Jolion Pro hybrid SUV and POER300 pick-up.

The Ora 03 was the first to arrive some three years ago under the name of Ora Funky Cat but that title was dropped in 2023 in favour of its current designation.

Up for grabs in three trim levels of Pure, Pro and the latest GT grade, the Ora 03 starts at a competitive £24,995, climbing in £4k increments to the range-topping GT at £32,995 – a figure that rose to £33,690 with the inclusion of Mars Red metallic paint.

If you fancy an electric supermini and are tempted by the Ora’s attractive combination of MINI-cum-Micra design and plethora of standard kit then Pure is the one that makes the most sense from a value perspective.

Our tested variant, the GT, is a bit of a misnomer in that it doesn’t add any extra performance or dynamics, even if it looks the part with its 18-inch alloys, sporty bumpers, GT-embossed headrests and coloured seatbelts.

While the base level Pure model comes only with a 43kWh battery, which is good for a 193-mile electric range, the GT has a 63kWH powerpack which, boosted by a heat pump, raises its range to 248 miles. As for charging, a 15 to 80 per cent boost should take around 45 minutes.

With the larger battery in place the power generated is 171PS, good enough for a 0-62 acceleration time of 8.2 seconds and potential top speed of 99mph – so it’s definitely warmish rather than hot hatch performance.

There’s a choice of four driving modes too – Eco, Auto, Normal and Sport – the latter setting at least sounding a bit more spirited, and in general it’s a positive, well balanced and rewarding car to drive, especially in its slower paces.

Three degrees of brake regeneration plus ‘one pedal’ driving – whereby the driver can control acceleration and deceleration using only the accelerator pedal – are available via the car’s central touchscreen and gearshift is by using a rotary selector between the front seats.

Move inside and the cabin is what GWM likes to call retro futuristic – fresh and airy with terrific visibility, red detailing everywhere, a panoramic glass roof and funky cat touches like the neon-lit rim around the vanity mirrors and toggle switches on the dash.

On the practical side the Ora 03 may be a small car but there’s plenty of room up front and ample space for a pair of adults in rear, though at 228 litres you won’t fit much more than a few shopping bags in the boot.

It’s packed with tech though, all models getting a pair of 10.25-inch touchscreens for infotainment and digital instrument cluster, though the menus can be a bit fiddly, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging, voice control with a digital avatar, sat nav, and a 360-degree camera system are all included.

Safety features include smart cruise control, emergency braking and blind spot detection and the Ora 03 was voted Euro NCAP’s best-in-class small family car, achieving five stars in its safety tests.