The cutesy, capable, and well-put-together electric car from China that I reviewed a few years ago has seen some rather noticeable updates. Aside from a light and subtle rebranding, in addition to some other refreshing quality-of-life improvements on the car itself, we here in the UK can now spec one in the flagship ‘GT’ trim, just like what I have here. However, with the EV market now massively saturated with umpteen superb options from other brands, particularly in the budget end of the price spectrum, is the new GWM ORA 03, and in the top-spec GT guise, really worth your time?
What Is The GWM ORA 03 GT About?
Appearance-wise, at least, there hasn’t been a huge amount of change here, on the surface. Most prominently, you might notice that the old ‘ORA’ badge at the back has been replaced with ‘GWM’ (a.k.a. Great Wall Motors, ORA’s parent company). Granted, compared to the old ORA Funky Cat that I drove a while ago, this new, range-topping GWM ORA 03 GT trim does have a few neat upgrades. Looking around, the GWM ORA 03’s shape does remind me a bit of a Mini Cooper, Fiat 500X, Alfa Romeo Mito, and maybe even the first-generation Nissan Leaf smash together. Still, the GWM ORA 03’s dimensions are a tiny bit deceptive, as it’s not actually that small.
At face value, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that it’s somewhere around a Fiat 500 or a VW Polo in size, but it is actually more of a new Golf in proportions. Nevertheless, it’s still ‘small’ enough that it ought to be nice for those of you who want a small city car. Moreover, with this GT trim, the GWM ORA 03 looks way more exciting and sporting compared to the cheaper PURE and PRO versions, even if almost all of the cosmetic dress-ups you see here are for looks only. Some of the more obvious design uplifts include the sportier front bumper, with their rather huge side intakes, as well as the extended front lip.
Move around the back of the GWM ORA 03 GT, you’ll notice the rear bumpers, with its vast rear diffuser, and a splash of red on the tips, just to be more outlandish. It’s only a bit less exuberant when you put it next to those aggressive wheel arch extensions, and the fender flares even come with a faux carbon fibre finish. Speaking of, there’s a lot of red brightwork elsewhere when you spec the GT trim. Some of these encompass that small strip at the front, some garnishing on the ‘GT’ emblems, as well as some plastic red inserts inside of the roof spoiler. There’s even some red on those 18-inch alloy wheels, specific to the GT trim, and behind it, red brake callipers!
How Does It Drive?
Overall, the GWM ORA 03 GT is a pretty cool and fun-looking car, and this also carries over some of the unique styling elements that we saw in that old ORA Funky Cat. Sure, it’s mostly the distinct lighting signature, such as the taillights, which sit high up on the rear tailgate, but it does make for a car that stands out pretty easily. But, as I hinted at earlier, as sporty and dynamic as it may appear, it’s not really, at least on paper, an overly fast car when you’re behind the wheel. That said, I can’t really find a whole lot to not like about the GWM ORA 03 GT, and that includes getting behind the wheel. The front-mounted electric motor puts power to the ground well, and it does drive rather nicely.
Furthermore, there’s the GWM ORA 03 GT’s suspension tuning, which is just about right for bumpy UK roads, as I’ve found it quite comfortable. Plus, you could properly chuck this down a tight country lane too, with how well-sized it is for British and European markets. Having said that, this new and refreshed GWM ORA 03 GT is pretty fantastic to daily drive in, with great visibility all around, despite how narrow those rear windows might appear when you’re looking at it from the outside. Otherwise, when you’re hoovering about your local village, it comes with a sharp turning circle, making it a very easy machine to move around and manoeuvre about or park.
The myriad of cameras around the GWM ORA 03 also makes driving down a narrow street almost effortless, so for city dwellers, it’s the ideal day-to-day runabout. Once that’s done, and when you get on the motorway, with all those clever safety systems and driving aids on the GWM ORA 03, like the adaptive cruise control system, it’s a superbly easy-going car to pilot. On top of that, it’s a really quiet car too. I know, this may sound expected for an EV, but as far as NVH is concerned, between all the wind and tyre noise that electric vehicles aren’t immune to, the GWM ORA 03 is quite silent from the inside. Still, it’s not completely quiet, if you’re feeling like it.
Thus, once you fiddle around with the drive modes and turn it into ‘Sport’, it does make a synthetic engine-start sound. While this sounds pretty gimmicky, I do think it’s actually a good noise. On the subject of ‘Sport’ mode, it can potentially make the GWM ORA 03 a much more lively and fun car to drive, adding some much-needed zest to its personality. Still, even with this sporty-looking GT model, I reckon most folks driving that sort of car would probably be inclined to just keep it in its ‘Comfort’ or ‘Eco’ setting, which is where the GWM ORA 03 is definitely more comfortable. We could now move onto the elephant in the room – the speedy bits on the ‘GT’ trim.
You might be surprised to hear, that despite its athletic styling or the red ‘GT’ badges, the GWM ORA 03 GT doesn’t actually get you any increase in power. As such, across the range, you get the same front-wheel drive electric motor, all cranking out an identical 171PS and 250Nm of torque. It’s good for a 0-62mph sprint in 8.3 seconds (or 8.2 seconds in the mid-range PRO and range-topping GT trim), and a top speed of 99mph. With that in mind, the only performance-y enhancement that you do get with this shiny-new GT model that you see here is the inclusion of a launch control system, so that’s something, at least.
What Is It Like Inside?
Nonetheless, if you think we’re done with the red on the outside, just wait till you step inside the updated GWM ORA 03 GT. Here, and once again a distinct feature on the top-of-the-line GT trim, you get a generous helping of red upholstery everywhere. I do quite like that GWM hasn’t gone completely over the top, and has used red in sparing amounts to dot bits of the seats, the door cards, and the dash. The GWM ORA 03 GT’s cabin doesn’t just look good, but it feels great, too! All your key touch points are beautifully finished, like the knurled gear selector on the centre console, not to mention the Mini-style ‘piano keys’ on the dash for some of your car controls.
As far as practicality is concerned, for a small-ish electric city car, the GWM ORA 03 GT is relatively spacious. For folks who you want to stuff in the back, they’ll be glad to find that there’s a good bit of legroom and headroom. However, the boot capacity might be somewhat limiting, so that’s one thing to be wary of. Other than that, the GWM ORA 03 (GT and the PURE and PRO models) includes an impressive amount of equipment as standard. It’s a technological tour-de-force, even on the cheaper trims, which gets you, from the factory; satnav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree surround-view camera system, and not one, but two screens.
There’s a 10.25-inch infotainment system, with its fairly decent user interface and functionality, although you’re not going to find anything exceptional there. Then, there’s another 10.25-inch display, but this time, it’s for your gauge cluster, which in my opinion, the UI looks better when you turn on its ‘dark mode’. Elsewhere, you’ll find a set of rear parking sensors and cameras and even a facial recognition system for extra security, or if you want to use it to save individual profiles for different drivers. Additionally, you’ll also get a wireless charging pad for your phone, as well as electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats… And that all comes as standard.
Honestly, there’s way more kit in there that GWM has included as default fitment than some luxury brands may charge you as optional extras. As you might expect, if you move up to the PRO trim, this does net you additional creature comforts. Some of the noteworthy ones include heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a powered tailgate, and more. Alternatively, if you’re willing to spend the extra, the GT trim that you see here further gains you ventilated and massaging front seats, as well as a lovely panoramic glass roof. On that note, the leatherette seats and upholstery, not to mention the use of materials that you get in the GT trim feel pretty nice, too.
As I had briefly highlighted earlier, the GWM ORA 03 range comes with it a diverse array of different driver aids and safety systems, with a comprehensive ADAS suite that encompasses an adaptive cruise control system, high-beam assist, keyless entry and start, as well as automated emergency braking, including its ability to detect any pedestrians or cyclists. Besides this, you’ll then find a lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, traffic jam assist, and a blind-spot warning, among others. It’s not a surprise then, that this refreshed GWM ORA 03 was awarded with a coveted 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Plus, it gets even better once you upgrade to the other models.
The mid-range PRO version, for example, nets you an automated parking function, as well as front parking sensors. Finally, to top it all off, GWM made a huge stride in improving those ADAS systems compared to the old ORA Funky Cat that I drove a while ago. Back then, its safety suite constantly made all sorts of bongs and chimes everywhere I went, almost as though its systems were far too sensitive or they hadn’t been calibrated right. This time, though, the GWM ORA 03 is much-improved, no longer bombarding you every single time there’s a car in your blind spot, or nagging at you every single time you swerve slightly out of your lane.
The Experience
So, thanks to a tonne of hard work on the part of GWM’s engineers, I’m definitely happy to report that it’s now well-tuned and optimised for the UK, as far as its ADAS suite is concerned. Aside from that, though, if you’re spec’ing a GWM ORA 03 right now, it should be worth taking into consideration the two different battery packs that you’d be able to pick from. So, depending on the trim level, there’s a smaller 48kWh battery (only for the PURE trim), as well as a 63kWh battery (for the PRO and GT trim). If you’re after the cheaper PURE trim and that small battery, you’re somewhat constrained with how far you’re able to drive, with its modest 193 miles of range (WLTP).
That’s not a huge figure on paper, but if you’re only using it for brief daily commutes and going about your day, that ought to be more than sufficient. However, if you’re even remotely considering doing faraway road trips in your GWM ORA 03, the bigger 63kWh battery pack would offer a respectable 260-mile range. Better yet, as we discussed earlier, since the top-of-the-pack GT trim doesn’t feature any performance add-ons or any energy-hungry componentry, you’re not compromising on your range, either. If anything, the GT trim might be able to offer you better efficiency, particularly when winter sets in, as it does come standard with a heat pump.
Charging the GWM ORA 03 (including the GT), therefore, is expected and straightforward. Using a 7kW single-phase AC charger that you might use at home would top up your car in around 7 hours for the 48kWh battery, or over 9 hours for the 63kWh battery. On the other hand, when plugged into a 100kW DC rapid charger, you could charge it in under 50 minutes for both batteries.
GWM ORA 03 GT Cost
When it comes down to pricing, you’re looking at £24,995 for the entry-level ‘PURE’ trim, or £28,995 for the mid-range ‘PRO’ trim, or you can step it up to the £32,995 flagship ‘GT’ trim, instead. In addition, when you take into account the attractive financing offers that GWM is putting out, you are getting a lot for your money, alongside just how much kit you’re given as standard. There’s also GWM’s generous warranty, offering you peace of mind for longer-term ownership. Here, you get GWM’s 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and their 8-year (100,000-mile, whichever comes first) battery warranty, with orderbooks now open across GWM’s UK showrooms.
Verdict
In short, the GWM ORA 03 is an exceptionally well-spec’d car for the price, and if you don’t really need or mind all those luxuries and amenities that you get in the GT model, the cheaper PURE or PRO trim levels are fantastic value for money. In a world where carmakers have to compromise severely just to offer cheap EVs to customers, the GWM ORA 03 GT is a fine display of how you can compromise, without massively impacting user experience. For a petite electric city car that starts from way under £30,000, you do get a tonne of tech, refinement, comfort, safety features, and a really decent range, too! So, for those of you who want to electrify on a rather tight budget, the GWM ORA 03 GT is a superb place to start.

Specification
GWM ORA 03 GT Specs
- Price: £32,995
- Engine: Single-motor, 63kWh battery
- Power: 171PS
- Torque: 250Nm
- 0-62mph: 8.2 seconds
- Top speed: 99mph
- Weight: 1,540kg
- Economy combined: 260 miles (WLTP)
- CO2: 0g/km