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The ORA 03 GT looks like a hot hatch version of the standard ORA 03 but there’s no difference in performance; it’s one of the of the more affordable EVs, but driver assistance systems are very over-intrusive.
The ORA Funky Cat first came to the UK in 2022 and in 2023 it was renamed the ORA 03. The majority of motorists in the UK won’t be familiar with the ORA 03, or the company behind the car, Great Wall Motor (GWM), despite it being one of China’s biggest automotive manufacturers, with five brands.
Now the ORA 03 GT has been introduced, with a reasonably tempting price, but should you be tempted?
The ORA 03 GT looks sporty, thanks to its body kit and 18-inch alloy wheels, but there’s no difference in performance between this and the standard model, with a power output of 171 PS, 250 Nm of torque, and a 0-62 mph time of 8.2 seconds. The 03 GT has a 63 kWh ternary lithium battery, and front-wheel drive.
The cabin looks quite creative and plush, and if you think there’s a similarity with a MINI in terms of exterior styling, you’ll also find MINI-style toggle switches on the dashboard.
The ORA 03 measures 4,235mm in length, which is longer than a MINI five-door hatch (3,982mm in length). Rear legroom is reasonably spacious, but at 228 litres the boot is quite small (or 858 litres with the rear seats folded) and it features a high sill – along with possibly the world’s smallest parcel shelf. A sliding rear seat would be a better solution, so you could choose between maximising legroom or boot size. There’s a small amount of space under the boot floor but most of the area is taken up with packaging for the tyre kit etc, so there’s not much space for charging cables.
The ORA 03 is relatively small and, at 1,540 kg, light, and so there should be some agility and fun, which there is, and this is helped by the instantly-available electric torque. But if you’re expecting a transformation in the driving experience because of the GT badge, you’re going to be disappointed, because with a 0-62 mph time of 8.2 seconds, there’s absolutely no difference in performance compared to the standard model.
Primary ride quality is fine, but secondary ride quality when faced with potholes isn’t particularly comfortable. Road noise is evident, which is amplified at motorway speeds, and we’re wondering if there’s a link between this and the 03 GT’s tyres, which are the first tyres we’ve ever had on a press car from a brand that we’ve never previously heard of: Chao Yang. The front tyres also struggle for grip if you accelerate out of a junction on full lock.
The ORA 03 GT has a choice of drive modes, but many people may never know this, because the button for the drive modes is hidden behind the right-hand side of the steering wheel. There are four drive modes, Eco, Auto, Normal and Sport (it’s hard to tell what the difference is between Auto and Normal). If you select Sport mode, the car momentarily makes the noise of a revving petrol car.
There’s a circular gear selector between the front seats, and we found that the car didn’t always go into drive or reverse when selected. There’s no option to alter the level of brake regeneration via the gear selector, although this can be done in the driving controls menu on the touchscreen, which offers the choice of three levels of regen, and ‘one pedal’ driving.
When you drive off in the ORA 03 the handbrake usually (but not always) seems to be on, so you have to release this manually, which can get very tedious; this needs to be auto release, as in virtually every other car.
The climate controls aren’t very user-friendly under normal circumstances, but you can’t access the climate controls at all when using Apple CarPlay. Finding the radio on the touchscreen – which isn’t particularly large, although it’s relatively wide –
is also a challenge, reflecting the badly-organised touchscreen shortcuts. It’s not even clear where the volume controls are.
But the main problem that spoils the 03 is that the driver assistance systems are far too intrusive, and the controls to switch them off are too hidden away, via multiple screens and buttons. The steering wheel is wrenched out of your hand if you drive near a white line without indicating, there’s lots of beeping, and the car tells you to brake when you are braking. When you dare to look at how to switch off the beeps on the touchscreen, the car will tell you keep your eyes on the road ahead and not get distracted. All this is very annoying for most drivers (and passengers) in the UK.
The ORA 03 GT has an official WLTP combined electric driving range of 248 miles. After a week on test, the real-world range was averaging 220 miles. Energy consumption is 3.7 miles/kWh, which isn’t class-leading for this size of car.
The ORA 03 GT has a maximum DC rapid charging rate of 67 kW, meaning that a 15% – 80% charge should take 48 minutes. It can also AC charge at 11 kW, and the 03 GT has a heat pump.
The ORA 03 is available in three trim levels: Pure, Pro, and GT. Pure prices start at £24,995, and the ORA 03 GT is priced at £33,690, which includes the Mars Red metallic paint (£695).
The ORA 03 GT has some visual character and an interior that is higher quality than you might expect, and it’s one of the more affordable EVs. The key point to note is that despite the hot hatch styling details, the GT model has exactly the same performance figures as the standard model. The driving experience isn’t dynamically better than competitors, and it’s spoilt by over-intrusive and beepy driver assistance systems, which aren’t easy to switch off, and when you try to do this by navigating your way through multiple screens and buttons, the car tells you to keep your eyes on the road ahead and not get distracted. Even the basic car controls such as shortcuts for the infotainment systems and climate controls aren’t designed in a thoughtful, user-friendly way. The ORA 03 GT is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 6 out of 10.
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