Driving report GWM Ora 07 GT: Chinese overseer
The first assessment follows after just a few kilometers, directly and unambiguously: "Deterioration of driver monitoring!" Apart from the grammatical weaknesses, the new GWM Ora 07 GT seems to keep an eye on everything, meticulously documenting and commenting on even the smallest speeding offense or lane deviation. It thus clearly betrays its Chinese origins, where control and monitoring are part of everyday life anyway. Yet the rounded sedan could easily pass for a European.
Even the first model, Ora Funky Cat, which now joins the new nomenclature of Great Wall Motor as GWM Ora 03, was a bold style mix of Beetle and Mini. The second model in classic coupé form with its gentle fender curves, oval LED headlights and curved shoulders at the rear could have been taken from a Porsche designer's sketchpad. The round back section also looks suspiciously like a Panamera, while the elliptical rear lights are almost a one-to-one copy of the Bentley Continental GT. However, the Chinese have put everything together in such a way that the 4.87-meter-long hatchback sedan can certainly take on the Hyndai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2, as well as the Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal, independently and boldly.
The Porsche citations are also striking in the interior: the three interlocking round instrument tubes, the circular baffle and power button at the bottom right of the steering wheel, the T-shaped dashboard with rising and floating center console - all familiar design elements from Zuffenhausen. Only the five toggle switches and three oversized rotary switches are an in-house creation - or perhaps inspired by Bugatti or Ferrari. In any case, they make the intuitive operation of basic functions such as temperature and driving modes easier. A 12.3-inch touchscreen with a brilliant display rises above them. And above the passengers' heads, a huge panoramic glass roof stretches from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
The interior is lined with artificial leather (vegan) and Alcantara, all neatly put together and of tangibly good quality. LED headlights, voice control for the power windows and trunk lid as well as a package of assistance systems that enables semi-automated driving at level 2+ are available ex works. In the GT version we drove, there was also a powerful premium sound system from Infinity, sports seats with heating, cooling and massage functions and a head-up display.
As pleasant and comfortable as the interior is, the basics are still lacking here and there. The seats are comfortable, but the adjustment options are limited with no tilt adjustment or extension of the leg rest, and there is not even a height adjustment for the front passenger. There is plenty of legroom in the rear seat, although taller people will need it to compensate for the limited headroom due to the sloping coupé roof. The trunk is also extremely tight for a car of this size at 333 liters. Not to mention the fact that it can only be loaded via a mini hatch at the round rear that pops open at the touch of a button.
In its home country, the hatchback has already been on the market for two years as the "Lightning Cat". The "Lightning Cat" comes to us in two performance levels and battery sizes as well as three equipment levels - at competitive prices starting at 41,990 euros for the 150 kW (204 hp) base model "Pure" and 53,490 euros for the all-wheel drive and 300 kW (408 hp) top model GT. One version has a (gross) 67 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) for a range of up to 440 kilometers, while the other has a lithium manganese cobalt battery with a capacity of 86 kWh for around 520 kilometers. Enough power and range to catapult the 2.2-ton GT with 680 Nm of torque from a standstill to 100 km/h in a sports car-like four and a half seconds and/or whir through the countryside with great composure.
This is due in no small part to the impeccable insulation, which ensures excellent running smoothness even beyond 120 km/h and on bumpy surfaces, which, in view of the frameless doors, is a good piece of engineering and exudes a touch of luxury-class comfort. There is nothing to criticize about the driving itself either. The directly responsive steering provides good feedback, the tightly tuned suspension is predictable at all times and also allows the occasional faster turn. Although the top speed is limited to 180 km/h, this is perfectly acceptable for an electric car, because every time you step on the accelerator pedal harder, you pay for it with more frequent stops at the charging station.
Unfortunately, the well-shaped coupé only cuts a mediocre figure. With a maximum of a modest 88 kW, the standard charge from 10 to 80 percent takes almost three quarters of an hour (43 minutes), even at DC charging stations. Hyundai's competitor, the Ioniq 6, with its 800-volt technology, takes just half the time. On an AC wallbox, a complete battery charge with three-phase 11 kW charging takes eight and a half hours. GWM urgently needs to make improvements here if it wants to keep up with Europe's patchy charging infrastructure and increasingly strong competition.
In the end, it will once again be a question of price. And there is now the threat of the punitive tariffs imposed by the EU, which could make the Ora 07 a good 20 percent more expensive on paper. But the Managing Director of the German GWM importer "O! Automobile GmbH", Johannes Brandenburger, is reassuring: "Customers will not notice any of this". Sales of the smaller Ora 03 were already boosted by tempting leasing rates. (aum)
Data Ora 07 GT
Length x width x height (m): 4.87 x 1.86 x 1.50
Wheelbase (m): 2.87
Drive: Electric, 300 kW (408 hp), all-wheel drive, automatic transmission
Max. Torque: 680 Nm
Top speed: 180 km/h
Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: 4.5 sec.
WLTP average consumption: 17.5 kWh
Range (WLTP): 520 km
Charging power: 11 kW AC/ 88 kW DC
Unladen weight / payload: 2210 min. kg / 2560 max. kg
Trunk volume: 333-1045 liters
Base price: 53,490 euros
More info for topic: GWM Ora 07 GT
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