GWM Ora 03 GT Test Drive

GWM, or Great Wall Motors is a relatively new brand in the UK for cars, it dabbled with high spec’d, great value pick up trucks circa 15 years ago but not cars for the UK market. GWM is no “small fish”, in 2024 it produced over 1.2 million vehicles, that’s more than established brands like Peugeot or Citroen. Established in 1990 it’s one of the top 5 manufacturers in China. In the UK these cars come with a 5 year warranty, 8 years on the batteries.

The GWM Ora 03, previously named Funky cat, is the first of three road tests of cars from Sandicliffe. This hatchback is a similar size to a Peugeot e-208 and priced competitively to compete with this. The Ora 03 starts at a list price of £24,995 for the Pure, rising to £32,995 for the GT trim. The model that I had on test was the top spec GT version which comes with lots of technology including massaging front seats, but the most obvious difference is the body kit and the alloy wheels.

Interior

The interior of the Ora 03 GT seems to be well put together with nice choices of soft materials. The good feel extends to all the common touch points of the car and toggle switches add a nice design flair. Additionally, the interior colour of this GT trim brightens up the interior, especially with the red seatbelts. As standard, the car comes with reverse camera, keyless entry and all the other essentials that you would expect in a modern EV. The cabin feels roomy with big windows which makes the car seem bigger than its footprint. With the seat in my driving position there is plenty of space in the rear for me to sit comfortably. It looks like the car has been designed for passenger comfort as the boot space is on the smaller side at 228 litres, compared to the e-208 which has 309 litres.   

Exterior

You can almost see influence of Porsche, or VW beetle from the front, a little Mini at the side maybe… It’s design is modern and very curvy, personally I liked it. The car looks very well made, the door and panel gaps were all good, the paint finish superb. and the all-important door shut “clunk” was very evident. The GT model had the benefit of carbon effect wheel arches, front vents and rear diffuser, which really suited the car and made it very satisfying to the eye.

Driving

Even though you might be expecting hot hatch performance given the body kit and the GT trim name, there is no extra power increase from the Pro trim. The 0-60 time is still a respectable 8.2 seconds however I found it struggled with traction in the cold and damp weather. As a long time EV driver, I really appreciate the customisation that is available for the driving settings. There are 3 different levels of break regeneration and a one pedal driving mode. You can also customise the wheel feel in each of the driving mode which means you can really drive the car how you want to it to be driven. The car is also easy to park with the aid of the cameras and great forward and side visibility. During my time with the car, I managed to achieve an efficiency of 3.3 mi/kWh meaning a range of over 200 miles in winter is achievable. The Ora 03 can rapid charge, using CCS, at 69kW but I didn’t get chance to test these speeds in the time I had the car.

Overall, the GWM Ora 03 GT is a good offering in the small EV market. It offers decent range, performance and specification whilst also offering an interesting design. I personally like the styling of the GT trim but I would probably recommend the, middle spec, Pro trim. The Pro trim gives you a bigger battery and much more technology, however if you don’t need the extra 50 miles of range, then the standard pure trim offers great value for money.