By Otsile Kadiege

GWM’s fully-electric ORA has been in the country for quite some time now. It first debuted at the 2023 NAMPO Agricultural Show in May followed by another appearance at the 2023 Festival of Motoring held at the Kyalami racetrack. The funky-looking newcomer has a modernised retro design, a posh cabin, five-star ANCAP safety rating and will compete with the likes of the MINI Cooper SE.

Exterior design

The ORA has a perfect blend of retro and modern look thanks to design highlights like round-shaped full-LED headlights, a minimalist profile with body-coloured wheel arches, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and an LED taillight light bar which have been integrated into the rear window.

Interior design and technology

Climbing aboard, the ORA has a well-appointed and logically laid-out Vegan interior with a smart cockpit boasting two 10.25-inch screens for the digital instrument cluster and the touchscreen infotainment system that features remote software updates. Other highlights include a wireless charging pad, 360-degree camera, front and rear USB ports, a panoramic sunroof, 6-speaker audio system, a rotary gear selector and 60:40 split rear seats.

Performance

The GWM ORA makes use of a 48kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. The ORA 03 Super Lux has a front-mounted electric motor generating 105kW of power and 210Nm of torque. GWM claims it has a range of 310km on the WLTP test cycle. There will be a more powerful ORA GT with a bigger battery developing 126kW and 250Nm.

The ORA will offer integration with GWM’s S-VOLT Home Solar Power Generation Systems, so you won’t ever be left without a charge, and your ORA will tap into the GridCars charging station network with over 350 charge points around South Africa. It accelerates from a standstill to 100km/h in a claimed 8.2 seconds and charging from 20% to 80% will take 46 minutes.

The ORA will offer integration with GWM’s S-VOLT Home Solar Power Generation Systems, so customers won’t be left without a charge. Alternatively, owners can charge at GridCars charging station network with over 350 charge points around South Africa.

Model range and pricing

The GWM ORA model range will comprise of the following: ORA 300 Super Luxury, ORA 400 Super Luxury, ORA 400 Ultra Luxury and the ORA 400 GT Ultra Luxury. Full range pricing is yet to be announced, but we do know pricing will start from R686,950.