Name: New GWM Ora 03 (Funky Cat) models and Specifications
Brand: GWM ORA

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GWM Ora 03 (Funky Cat)

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

At launch, there was only one version of the GWM Ora 03&nbsp;available to buy, called the First Edition, and as a cash purchase, it was cheaper than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/cupra/born/hatchback/review/n23703">Cupra Born</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/id3/hatchback/review/n21832">VW ID 3</a> but a bit more expensive than most of its closest rivals. Those rivals include the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/500/hatchback/review/n84">All-Electric Fiat 500</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152">Renault Zoe</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/e208/hatchback/review/n20228">Peugeot e-208</a> – all of which have longer ranges between charges. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg4/hatchback/review/n24916">MG4</a> Standard Range can travel further than the Ora 03&nbsp;is several thousand pounds cheaper.

The Ora 03 is also predicted to lose its value fairly quickly, depreciating more over three years than the Born, the MG4 and the ID 3. As a result, you might find that finance deals are not as competitive and that you’ll likely sell it for less after three years. You can check the latest prices using our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals</a> service.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/gwm-ora">GWM Ora</a>&nbsp;does give you lots of equipment as standard for your money, though. That&nbsp;includes&nbsp;adaptive cruise control with steering assistance, keyless entry and start, LED headlights with high-beam assist and a 360-degree camera. Strangely, you don’t get heated seats and can’t even add them as an option.

The Ora 03 has a rather mediocre <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/fastest-charging-electric-cars/n26105">maximum charging speed</a> of 64kW, meaning it will take at least 40 minutes to do a 10-80% charge. The MG4 can manage&nbsp;100kW, so although it has a bigger battery, it can reach a full charge more quickly.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this new model is its safety. It received the full five-star rating from <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> and gets some good-to-have kit, including traffic-sign recognition and a driver monitor system as standard.

We don't yet have any reliability data for GWM Ora or its 03&nbsp;yet, so we can’t say how well it will&nbsp;fare over the years. It comes with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty as standard.

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While the GWM Ora 03's&nbsp;official range is 193 miles, it managed 130 miles in our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/range-test-how-far-can-electric-cars-go-in-winter/n24274">winter&nbsp;range test</a>&nbsp;on a cold day, when most <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric cars</a>&nbsp;don’t perform as well. It was enough to beat the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/electric/hatchback/review/n20910">Mini Electric</a>&nbsp;but fell&nbsp;way short of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/cupra/born/hatchback/review/n23703">Cupra Born</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg4/hatchback/review/n24916">MG4</a> Long Range and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane-e-tech/hatchback/review/n24175">Renault Megane E-Tech</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

When it comes to performance, we timed the 03’s 0-60mph sprint at 8.4sec&nbsp;when we tested it on a damp day at our private test track. That’ll be more than quick enough for most situations, but if you want something faster, you’ll want to take a look at the Mini or the MG4 Long Range, which was a second faster on the same day.

The main thing holding the Ora 03&nbsp;back is the fact that you need to be quite cautious with how you feed in power in: it’s quite easy to spin up the front wheels, even with the traction control on. Aside from joining a motorway, there’s little cause to explore the upper reaches of the moderate performance potential anyway, because it’s not a particularly rewarding car to drive.

Sure, it's easy to drive around town – as it is with every electric car – but if you crank up the speed on a twisty road, it handles more like a tall <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-suvs/n23038">electric SUV</a>. Its poor body control results in lots of body lean through a corner followed by a fairly harsh rebound back to the centre once you’re straight again. The slow, light steering robs the car of any feeling of agility&nbsp;too.

You’re more likely to have an issue with the ride, though. The firm suspension set-up isn’t uncomfortable or overly harsh, but it is a little irritating. Even on smooth bits of road, you’ll feel the car fidgeting around on its 18in alloys, and it never really settles down regardless of speed or road surface. The MG4 and most other electric rivals offer a calmer ride and more composed handling.

The Ora 03 isn’t as refined as the MG4, either, with a bit more audible road roar inside the car on a motorway. The brake pedal feel is reasonably smooth though, and there’s a one-pedal driving function.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

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126kw

The GWM Ora 03&nbsp;is a small electric car that was launched with a name comfortably more bizarre than any other – the Ora Funky Cat.

Let’s explain what it all means. Ora is a sub-brand of Chinese automotive giant Great Wall Motors (GWM), which specialises in electric vehicles (EVs).&nbsp;And the Funky Cat&nbsp;bit? Well, it’s based on a car sold in China as the Good Cat. The Funky&nbsp;moniker was selected for the version being sold in&nbsp;the UK.

The Chinese and European versions of the 03&nbsp;are said to be virtually identical, with only a few software changes between them.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d17XKLCyNUA" width="560"></iframe>

The line-up will grow in the future, but for now, there are two trims available and one power set-up – a 45.4kWh (usable capacity) battery, giving the Ora 03 an official range of 193 miles between charges.

It has one 170bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, and 0-62mph officially takes 8.3sec, which is not all that speedy for an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric car</a>. Sportier trim levels with zippier performance and a bigger battery for a&nbsp;longer range&nbsp;will be available in future.

The GWM Ora 03 has lots of tech, a long warranty and very good crash-test results, but is all that enough to help it compete with its rivals – including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/cupra/born/hatchback/review/n23703">Cupra Born</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/kona/hatchback/review/n18164">Hyundai Kona Electric</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg4/hatchback/review/n24916">MG4</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152">Renault Zoe</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/id3/hatchback/review/n21832">VW ID 3</a>? Read on to find out...

The GWM Ora 03 has a decent driving position that offers a good range of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to help you get comfortable. What’s more, the driving position lines you up with the pedals and steering wheel better than in the MG4, which offsets everything to the left.

Visibility out of the front of the car is good, with the pillars never intruding into your view out at junctions. The same can be said for the view over your shoulder, but not out of the back window, which is rather small. Even so, parking won’t be an issue thanks to the standard fit rear parking sensors and 360-degree camera.&nbsp;

Every Ora 03 gets a 10.3in digital driver display. It has reasonably sharp graphics but some of the text and numbers are on the small side. The top of the steering wheel might cut off part of the screen for some drivers, depending on how they have the&nbsp;seat and steering wheel set up.

The driver display is joined to a 10.3in touchscreen infotainment system mounted centrally on the dashboard. It has sharp graphics but small text, which is often difficult to read. On top of that, the layout is clunky and the screen is inconsistent&nbsp;in how it responds to touch inputs.

Actions that would be simple using&nbsp;buttons – adjusting the temperature, for example – have to be done using the screen, which is more fiddly. There are some button controls on the steering wheel and centre console, as well as a voice command system, but it’s still not an easy system to use while you’re driving.

You get built-in sat nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth with every Ora 03 but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>&nbsp;are not yet available. However, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/gwm-ora">GWM Ora</a>&nbsp;plans to add them some time this year, and existing owners should be able to add them with an&nbsp;over-the-air software update.

The interior is available in a choice of bright colour schemes that highlight the pleasant soft-touch materials on the dashboard and door inserts. There are also some fancy-looking chrome toggle switches, which look classy and have a good quality feel.

Unfortunately, after a great first impression of perceived quality, you realise that there are swathes of cheap-feeling plastic, including&nbsp;a First Edition badge that looks as though it was bought from a pound shop and quickly glued on to the base of the centre console. The plush-feeling materials higher up are let down by the cheaper-feeling stuff around the centre console.

Overall, once the wow factor wears off, this is only really as impressive as the mediocre interior of the MG4. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/mx-30/hatchback/review/n22066">Mazda MX-30</a> is in a different league entirely.

The Ora 3 – formerly&nbsp;the Funky Cat – is bettered&nbsp;by most electric car rivals

A tall driver and front passenger will have no problems when it comes to space, because the GWM Ora 03 gives them plenty of head and leg room. There’s decent shoulder room too, so you shouldn’t find that you’re rubbing shoulders as you drive along. Better still, you’ll find some helpful cubbies and cupholders dotted throughout the interior, to hold on to your coffees and such. The door bins are on the small side, though.

Rear leg room is fairly impressive, with plenty for&nbsp;friends who are six feet tall. Head room is fairly good too, but the sloping roofline cuts into the&nbsp;space&nbsp;over the head rests, so it's not as generous as in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/cupra/born/hatchback/review/n23703">Cupra Born</a> if you’re a six-footer.&nbsp;

While the rear seats are decent overall by small electric car standards, the Ora 03's boot is tiny, with a capacity of just&nbsp;228 litres, and there's no front boot to make up for it. That space was enough for just four carry-on suitcases when we tried it. That's two more than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/500/hatchback/review/n84">All-Electric Fiat 500</a> but one less than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg4/hatchback/review/n24916">MG4</a> and three short of the seven the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane-e-tech/hatchback/review/n24175">Renault Megane E-Tech</a> swallowed.

There’s a huge loading lip at the entrance to the boot, making heaving heavy items in and out difficult, and plenty of wheel-arch intrusion eats into the available width. For more space, you can fold down the rear seats in a 60/40 split, but&nbsp;because there’s no adjustable boot floor, you’re left with a fairly large step up from the floor to the seatbacks. Plenty of rival <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric cars</a> manage to offer good rear space and a more generous boot.

pure

The GWM Ora 03/Funky Cat has an excellent safety rating and a decent warranty. The trouble is, there are a lot of small electric car rivals that cost similar money or less, and most of them are better to drive and better inside. The poor infotainment system and small boot compound matters.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals.

The best of the breed offer sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test cycle.

Electric

<h2>What we're looking for </h2><ul><li>Generous enough real-world range to fit most lifestyles</li> <li>Plenty of charging options and quick top-up times </li> <li>Usable space and strong practicality</li> <li>Comfortable ride that isn’t hindered by a heavy battery</li></ul>

With so many electric cars now on offer, we've split the smaller models from the larger ones to ensure that we're able to compare direct rivals.

As well as being adept at coping with city life, small electric cars need to be roomy enough for a couple of adults and able to drive a decent amount of miles between charges.&nbsp;

There are some great small electric cars to choose from. The affordable Seat Mii Electric proves you don't have to have break the bank to go green, the Renault Zoe has been improved in every area, making it a great small EV prospect, and the Kia e-Niro was named our overall 2019 Car of the Year.

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