GWM Ora 03 - Electric motor, drive and performance
The GWM Ora 03 is nippy enough, but doesn’t shine on the road with a choppy ride and lazy handling
Both the 48kWh (45.4kWh useable) Pure and 63kWh (59.3kWh) Pro and GT Ora 03 models use exactly the same 169bhp electric motor. All 03 models, like the BYD Dolphin, have front-wheel drive, while its MG4 rival has rear-wheel drive.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| 03 Pure | 169bhp | 8.3 seconds | 99mph |
| 03 Pro | 169bhp | 8.2 seconds | 99mph |
| 03 GT | 169bhp | 8.2 seconds | 99mph |
What is the Ora 03 like to drive?
In town
From its cute looks and small size, you’d expect the 03 to be a good town car. However, the suspension fidgets a noticeable amount when driving at low speeds, compromising comfort around town. At higher speeds, that feeling persists, although the overall set-up itself doesn’t feel unduly harsh or firm; it’s certainly no worse than in some electric rivals like the MINI Cooper or Renault 5.
A single-pedal driving mode is available, and three further energy recovery modes are selectable via a sub-menu on the touchscreen, while there’s a smooth transition between regeneration and mechanical braking.
On A- and B-roads
There isn’t much compensation for the 03’s firm ride in terms of driving fun beyond the city limits. Look beyond the lack of body lean, and the 03 feels a little lazy and lumpen through the turns and isn’t helped by steering, which offers little to no feedback. It will be fine for most buyers, but ‘fine’ isn’t good enough compared to the MG4 or MINI Cooper. The Pro and GT versions get variable power steering, although we found it to be as light and vague as the standard car’s setup.
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Cash £21,480Traction isn’t an 03 strong suit because it is all too easy to light up the front tyres, even on a dry road. That also means you’ll find the available front end grip subsides quickly if you try to push on, which is particularly disappointing in the case of the supposedly sporty GT version, because it isn’t any better to drive than the much cheaper Pure or Pro trims.
On the motorway
Thanks to its electric powertrain, very little noise comes from under the bonnet. Unfortunately, this highlights a fairly pronounced level of tyre roar at higher speeds, which is more audible than in the MG4.
0-62mph acceleration and top speed
At 8.3 seconds, the 0-62mph time for the 03 48kWh Pure is 0.4 seconds behind the Standard Range MG4. That’ll be barely noticeable in the real world, because electric cars tend to feel sprightly enough around town anyway, thanks to instant power from the electric motor, while the throttle has enough progression in Normal mode to feel easy to modulate. At speeds above 50mph, the acceleration tails off more than in its rival.
The 63kWh Pro and GT models are a little bit quicker at 8.2 seconds despite having no more power compared with the Pure, and a 40kg weight penalty due to additional equipment and a larger capacity 63kWh battery pack. That’s a little bit quicker than the 9.0 seconds it takes an Urban Range Renault 5 to get from 0-62mph, but slightly slower than the more powerful Comfort Range R5, which takes 7.9 seconds to do the same acceleration sprint.
