By Rebaneilwe Semakane
Set to be the most affordable electric vehicle to hit our shores, there has been a lot of talk pertaining how this car will fare in our market. After getting to grips with it, I think that the brand had done an impressive job with this car.
The ORA 03 has peculiar styling. Some say that it looks like a Porsche and a Fiat did a thing, others see a Ford Puma, while I see more of a Volkswagen Beetle. It has a very simple but striking design, with large round headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers and a significant number of GT badging all over the vehicle. As unconventional as it looks, it is not an eyesore to say the least.
On the interior, it is very cleanly laid out, with a contrasting black and red interior trim, ox-blood red seatbelts, GT stitching on the headrests on both front and rear seats, a rotary gear selector dial and almost no physical buttons on the infotainment system, making every maneuver tedious. Furthermore, the technology on the infotainment system can get a little wonky, it does disconnect Apple Carplay when network gets unstable or sometimes just shuts down, and you’ll have to restart the car to reboot it. The safety systems are also very sensitive, any little maneuver or obstacle coming your way and the car gets extremely agitated and all the sirens go off. Understandably, it is a safety feature, but it will frustrate you as the driver.
The rear legroom is decent considering the size of the car, and the boot space might be perfect for one person, as all the cables are scattered around everywhere. Luggage for a weekend away for two will fit, but anything beyond that might be a struggle. Nonetheless, it is a refreshing little thing to be in, very old school and retro styling, which is a pleasure to take in.
Now, the ORA 03 400 GT denotes that it is the top-of-the-range vehicle that gives a claimed electric range of 400km. the vehicle is powered by a 63kwh battery, and the power outputs are 126kW and 250Nm. Charging this car was a seamless experience, it took just over an hour to get from 40% to 90%, and in the interim, I managed to attend some meetings and get work done. Did I reach the 400km claimed electric range, not quite. I charged the car about 3 times during the two-weeklong test, and the 383km that I got managed to take me far and wide. It is one of the few times that I did not get any range anxiety, so I am totally behind this car.
The GWM ORA 03 makes for a competitive and compelling product in the new energy vehicle market, and with all the little niggles ironed out, it will be a favorite. The GT 400 might be steep at R835 950, but it will appeal to the more expressive and extroverted market. It’s a good little car and I am proud of it.
Pricing:
ORA 300 Super Luxury – R 686 950
ORA 400 Super Luxury – R775 950
ORA 400 Ultra Luxury – R805 950
ORA 400 GT Ultra Luxury – R835 950
