The GWM Ora GT Proves China Can Make An Excellent Electric Corolla

You’ve probably heard, but China is doing good cars now. They’re doing cars in a big way. What began with a tacky range of unattractive oddballs has morphed into something more mature and desirable. The GWM Ora GT is a perfect case in point. It’s an impressively grown-up design that’s almost surprisingly capable in the churn of daily life, almost in total contrast to its racer-boy aesthetic.

Yes, the Ora GT is a car that grabs your eyeballs when you first see one out and about. It’s different, and with those eyes, maybe just a touch alien. It doesn’t subscribe to the existing design language of any automaker you’re familiar with. Your brain tries to puzzle it out—what’s this neo-retro design trying to replicate? Who built this thing? Is it quick?

As unfamiliar as the Ora GT might be at a glance, it was my job to get to grips with this machine. What I found was a surprisingly capable EV built by an automaker many Westerners still haven’t heard of. One that almost felt like an electric version of a certain legendary Japanese nameplate, in fact.

Plush

As the top-of-the-range model, the Ora GT outwardly hints it’s got something special to offer, what with that flirty bodykit and all. The low air dam and painted rims seem to promise a touch of excitement, to say nothing of the red flashes on the rims. Climb into the cabin and you’ll find that it’s pretty damn nice inside. The elegant, minimalist layout is complemented by chunky bespoke switches and lashings of red leatherette where it counts. Everything feels just a little bit premium, from the controls to the steering wheel itself.

Design-wise, it’s a visually captivating machine. It wears the elegant curves, chrome headlights, and character lines of a retro remake—think the New Fiat 500 or the reimagined Volkswagen Beetle. And yet, this design is entirely bespoke. It references the past and nothing at the same time.

If you told me this was a remake of something put out by some obscure Italian automaker from the 1970s, I’d believe it. It looks like it’s a cover version of something but it’s actually all original—and well executed, at that. The design sprung from the pen of Emanuel Derta, formerly of Porsche—perhaps the vintage 911 was a source of inspiration for those chrome-ringed headlights.

It’s worth noting that the Ora GT is the hot model of the range, which sits above the basic GWM Ora in Australia. It’s a fine moniker, if unimaginative. It’s known as the Ora Good Cat (Ora Haomao) in its native China—a name altogether too earnest and fun for jaded Westerners to abide. Europe got it as the Funky Cat for a few years, until the company gave up and renamed in the “Ora 03” instead.

To sporting ends, the Ora GT offers 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque from a single electric motor driving the front wheels. It’s a small but notable lift over the 143 hp base model sold in other markets, though all Australian models get the higher power level.  It’s powered by a 63.1 kWh battery which provides a healthy 249 miles of range. The figures aren’t racy, per se, but enough to get it down the road with acceptable zip. Kerb weight is 3,843 pounds, not unusual for an EV with a sizable battery. Those figures combine to make the Ora GT good for a zero to 60 mph sprint in under 8.5 seconds. Not wildly energetic, but not asleep, either.

When it comes to the driving experience, the Ora GT isn’t so much a hot hatch as a warm one. Put it in sport mode, and it’ll zip away at your pleasure. You might chirp a tire over a bump here or there if you’re really laying into it. Regardless, it lacks the raw character of something like the Fiat 500e Abarth; where the Fiat is always raring to go tugging at the leash, the Ora GT is happier to cruise around without making a fuss. It’s perfectly solid as a daily, able to zip through traffic with ease. It’s just not a car that wants to treat every on-ramp like the last lap of a tense qualifying session.

The steering wheel is an interesting thing, a couple sizes thinner than the chunky wheels that have become the norm at many automakers. It commands the front wheels perfectly well, and the Ora GT rides with a pleasant firmness common to many modern hatches. It’s not overly directional or bitey, but it does a fine job. Making it a tough pointier might have made the Ora GT feel sportier.

Despite those racy letters, though, one gets the impression GT means “nicer” rather than “faster” at GWM. Moreso than any performance boost, the luxury touches are what you notice—the cabin is a great place to be. The combined instrument cluster and infotainment screen looks really nice, and all the materials feel a cut or two above what you’d get in most hatchbacks. The switchgear, too, is pleasantly opulent as well.

Beyond that, GWM went hard on equipment. The sunroof does a great job of putting extra light into the already gorgeous cabin. Plus, the Ora GT actually gets full-on massage seats for the driver and front passenger. Honest to goodness, they do a solid job of kneading your musculature, and can be configured to a “high” or “low” setting as desired. The seats are supposed to be heated and ventilated, too, but only the former appeared to work on the press vehicle I was driving. Switching on ventilation using the touchscreen didn’t actually seem to do anything.

At times, it’s almost weird, driving this thing around. The interior has you feeling like you’re in something really upmarket and nice, and the massage seats do a lot to support that impression. But at the same time, you’re in a five-door hatchback that isn’t particularly fast. It’s incongruous—you’re getting some high-end luxury feelings from something that should feel more humble.

A couple of odd details only add to this feeling. For example, take the infotainment system. At first blush, it looks great. Fluid animations and high-quality screens are what we like to see here. However, start clicking around, and it’s easy to get lost when you’re hunting for features. Some of which aren’t there—because this car doesn’t come with Android Auto. I’m not just talking wireless, either—the car doesn’t have Android Auto at all. There’s no satellite navigation or digital radio, either, though Apple CarPlay is graciously present for iPhone users. Drive.com.au reported in July that Android Auto is coming as an update to the Australian market vehicles, but weirdly, it’s been available in the UK since May.

I also found the cluster menus somewhat confusing. There was an inexplicable “Private Mode” option that I couldn’t figure out. Apparently, this is designed to limit the amount of private information that pops up on the infotainment screen if you’ve got strangers in the car. Useful for hiding any messages that might come through via Apple CarPlay or the Android Auto feature in markets where it’s functional.

What manual switchgear exists does feel really nice—real metal switches and pretty, shiny buttons. That is, all except the indicator stalk. It’s strangely difficult to use. It’s a two-stage design. Move it a little to trigger three flashes, move it farther to switch the indicators fully on. A simple enough interface, but the detents are difficult to feel. Worse, the self-cancelling triggers quite inconsistently. More than once, I struggled to shut the indicators off after a lane change, first flashing left, then right, then left again, before I finally figured out how to shut them off.

A Clear Purpose

As the electric car has become a more practical concern, we’ve seen more automakers get on board with the idea. At first, it was Nissan and Tesla leading the charge, and then Hyundai and Kia got involved in a big way. Toyota has been a notable latecomer in this segment. It has EVs on the market, now, but precious few—and they’re not exactly making waves. Once upon a time, Toyota was king of the everycar. We might have expected it to develop an affordable, comfortable electric Corolla by now, taking the market by storm. Toyota has kept its powder dry, though, and no such product exists.

Meanwhile, here I am driving the Ora GT. It’s a comfortable hatch, with seating for five and adequate cargo space in the rear. It’s pretty edgy looking, what with its slick wheels and fancy body kit and all. But when you’re behind the wheel? This is a practical, do-everything car. If there was ever an electric Corolla—a simple, dailyable electric hatch for people that don’t give a damn about cars—this would be it.

It’s true, the styling is a bit more than you’d want on a Corolla. The luxury touches, too, elevate it a step beyond. But take this drivetrain, and this platform, and wrap it in regular clothes? This thing has strong Corolla vibes. It’s a five door do-everything daily that just happens to be electric. Toyota doesn’t seem to see the value in  building one right now, but GWM has pulled it off just fine.

At this point, it’s worth our time to take a look at the regular Ora. Sans the luxury equipment and sporty aesthetic, it kind of nails that perfect hatchback brief. Especially so, given the price of $33,990 AUD (~$22,000 USD). That’s about lineball with what a Corolla costs Down Under, proving that the price premium on EVs wouldn’t last forever.

The spec sheets are enlightening as to the value of the Ora range. Given the power levels are the same, it’s worth looking at what actually splits the Ora from the Ora GT, at least in the Australian market. It mainly comes down to the battery. The base Ora Standard Range has a 48 kWh battery, and a WLTP combined range of 193 miles. Up from there, the Ora Extended Range gets a 63 kWh battery, and 261 miles of range. The Ora GT has the same battery but a touch less range at 249 miles. One suspects that’s down to aero losses from the neat bodykit.

Indeed, believe it or not, you actually get the full 170 hp across the range in Australia, something that surprised me when I flicked through the spec sheets. Other markets have seen a lower power figure of just 143 hp on the base models. Hilariously, both lower-end models will achieve zero to 60 mph in under 8.4 seconds, a split second faster than the Ora GT. It’s not exactly clear why, given the power and rated kerb weight is the same across the Ora Extended Range and the Ora GT, but it’s funny nonetheless.

As for equipment, the nice heated/ventilated/massage seats are only available in the top model, as is the electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, and lighted vanity mirrors. The fancy body kit and the red calipers, too—that’s a given. Beyond that, there’s not a lot between them. The base model still gets all the same safety assists, radar cruise control, 360-degree parking camera, and automatic climate control as the GT.

Across the board, charging is pretty much the same. An 11 kW three-phase AC charger will get the Standard Range car from 10 to 80% in 5.5 hours, with the larger battery models achieving the same an hour later. DC fast charging is possible at up to 80 kW—enough to push the Standard Range from 10 to 80% in 41 minutes, or 50 minutes for the larger battery models.

With all the facts laid out, I have to draw an interesting conclusion. I like the Ora GT, but I’m not sure it’s the pick of the range. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a great looking vehicle. Starting at $41,990 AUD ($27,000 USD), it’s also a very capable electric hatchback. It’s got the range to make it practical as a daily driver for the vast majority of people. Even for city dwellers that don’t have charging at home, the big battery would mean many could get by charging it once a week or so at most.

The problem the Ora GT has are its own siblings. The Ora Standard Range starts at just $33,990 AUD (~$22,000 USD) at the time of writing. It’s got the same power and performance as the GT, and it’s only down 55 miles on range. It’s also a lot cheaper. If you go with the base model, you won’t be getting a drastically different experience, and you’ll be saving a lot of money. Although, the Extended Range model might be the juiciest pick—it’s got the longest range at 261 miles, and it only costs $34,990 AUD right now (~$22,700 USD).

Conclusions

I think the Ora GT is a pretty decent car. It drives nicely, it looks great, and unlike some EVs, it’s not annoyingly expensive. At least, not so much lately. Pricing for the whole range was once a bit more off-putting, even as recently as March this year.

If you want a straightforward EV hatchback to get you and your family around and haul a few groceries? The Ora GT seems perfect for that. But then, the cheaper models seem even more perfect, they just don’t look quite as cool. At the current pricing tiers, it’s kind of hard to recommend the Ora GT directly when the lower trims offer more value by comparison.

The one mistake would be to buy the Ora GT thinking it’s a real electric hot hatch. It might look like one, but I don’t think it’s quite there yet. It doesn’t really have the power, the handling, or the attitude to live up to that kind of classification. That’s okay, though, because I don’t think there’s a huge demand for performance electric hatchbacks just yet, anyway.

The real market for these cars is the everydriver. They want affordable, reliable transportation with seats for the kids and room for stuff in the back. The Ora GT delivers on that, it just so happens the lower trims do it even better. If you’ve gotta have that sweet body kit, I won’t fault you for buying one, but if you’ve gotta save money, I think a regular Ora will do you just fine, too.

Image credits: Lewin Day, GWM