The GWM Ora 03 has finally gone on sale in the South African market, being the most affordable electric vehicle (EV) in the country at a starting price of R686,950.
There are four versions of the hatchback on offer split across two battery packs and three trim levels, with a generous level of standard kit to boot.
Powertrain
All four models of the new Ora are driven by a front-mounted electric motor generating 126kW and 250Nm, enabling the 1.5-tonne EV to run from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds and reach a top speed of “just under” 160km/h.
Five driving modes – Auto, ECO, ECO+, Standard, and Sport – can be selected via a selector in the cabin, and the electric power steering system has three settings comprising Comfort, Light, and Sport.
Buyers then have a choice between the standard-range 300 variant or the extended-range 400, the former employing a 48kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery that supplies a total driving range of 310km, and the latter a 63kWh nickel-manganese cobalt battery that pushes the range up to 420km (400km on the GT Ultra Luxury).
Recharging the smaller power module from 10% to 89% with a 64kW DC cable takes around 50 minutes and for the extended-range 400 it will take about an hour. At home with an 11kW AC charger, it takes 5.5 hours to completely recharge the Ora 300.
“Taking into consideration a rate of around R3.50 per kWh for AC home charging, it will cost an owner approximately R170 to R250 to fully charge his or her Gwm Ora 03,” said the manufacturer.
“Using DC fast charging at a rate of R5.00 to R5.80 per kWh, the cost for a full charge will be around R250 to R300.”
Features
Across the Ora range, buyers can expect niceties along the lines of all-round LED lights, electric wing mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry on the driver’s door, leatherette seats with electric adjustability for the front row, a wireless phone charger, a surround-view camera system, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, ABS, tyre-pressure monitoring, and six airbags.
The entire EV line-up is also equipped with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display and an infotainment system of the same size that offers Apple CarPlay, with Android Auto compatibility “coming soon,” said GWM.
Stepping up to the mid-spec Ultra Luxury specification further gets you an electric tailgate, front radar auto turn-on at low speed, a panoramic sunroof, memory functions for the driver’s seat and wing mirrors, and heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats.
At the top of the Ora family sits the GT Ultra Luxury, taking things even further with the addition of automatic parking, traffic-sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, intelligent cruise control, intelligent turning control, traffic jam assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and intersection assist, lane-change assist, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and centering, emergency lane-keeping, front and rear cross-traffic assistant with braking, front and rear-collision warning, a 360-degree panoramic camera, and auto door lock and unlock when a collision occurs.
The GT also provides a more athletic look than its namesakes courtesy of a model-unique grille, wheels, and bumpers, paired with red brake callipers.
The palette of exterior colours for the Ora range includes EM Beige, Hamilton White, HR Blue, L5 Green, LB Green, Mars Red, and Sun Black – with KU Grey being exclusively reserved for the Ora 03 400 Super Luxury.
The hatch measures 4,235mm long, 1,825mm wide, and 1,603mm tall; affording 228 litres of luggage space with the rear seats fixed in position, expanding to 858 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Price
The South African pricing and model line-up for the new GWM Ora 03 are as follows:
- GWM Ora 03 300 Super Luxury – R686,950
- GWM Ora 03 400 Super Luxury – R775,950
- GWM Ora 03 400 Ultra Luxury – R805,950
- GWM Ora 03 400 GT Ultra Luxury – R835,950
Each purchase is accompanied by a 7-year/200,000km vehicle warranty, 8-year/150,000km warranty on high-voltage parts, 7-year/105,000km service plan, and 7-year/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance.
GWM Ora 03 GT Ultra Luxury
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