Ora is a young brand founded by the Great Wall concern in 2018. They are boldly approaching the creation of new brands in China, which has an unlimited market, so the Ora series includes only electric cars, and the design concept of this company can be briefly formulated as retrofuturism. In the case of the Ora 03, this means that the car is reminiscent of many cult models of the past, successfully revived in the new century, but still does not copy any of them.
When you look at the hatchback from the back, you are reminded of the Italian Fiat 500, the oval headlights and longitudinal slats on the body evoke thoughts of classic Porsche, and the chrome toggle switches block on the front panel is an undeniable reference. British Mini.
ORA
All these quotes are collected in a harmonious image that attracts the attention of passers-by, and the most attentive ones notice that Ora 03 is an electric car. Because it looks like a toy?
not a baby
In terms of length and wheelbase, Ora 03 surpasses the Kia Soul, which is positioned as an urban crossover in the Russian market. The Chinese hatchback is just 62mm shorter but taller than the Mini Countryman and is built on the same modular platform (LEMON) as Russia’s best-selling Haval Jolion. The suspension configuration is the same, with front McPherson struts and rear torsion beam.
like a smartphone
There is enough space behind the steering wheel of the Ora 03, even for a heavy-set, tall driver. The driver’s seat has a significant range of motion, there is height adjustment, the steering wheel is adjusted according to reach, but it still takes some time to find the optimal position. I lowered the steering wheel a little and its rim covered the dashboard. More precisely, one of two identical screens mounted in a common rectangular frame.
ORA
In this car, you can adjust the force applied to the steering wheel, the response of the accelerator pedal and the degree of energy recovery when released. To do this, you need to turn off CarPlay, enter the main menu and find the desired tab. You can only safely navigate the nooks and crannies of this menu in the parking lot, but it’s worth paying attention to.
Don’t go in!
Despite the electric drive, this hatchback really looks like a gas car. What you’d most expect to see under the hood is a second trunk, especially since the main trunk is small. But no, the elements of the power plant are located there. When you look at the shiny inverter box with the thick orange wires, you want to close the hood as soon as possible. I remember the inscription: “Do not intervene, he will kill you!”
In Sochi city traffic, Ora behaves quite quickly: its three-phase electric motor with a capacity of 171 horsepower provides commendable dynamics at city speeds. It is not difficult to drive this car in the heavy traffic flow typical of a southern resort. At speeds above 100 km/h, the vehicle no longer behaves so lively.
ORA
And on the winding roads around Sochi, the mode of accelerating and slowing down the car, as they say, with one pedal is very convenient. It looks like this:
As soon as you release the gas, the car begins to slow down intensively, just like when braking with the engine in a regular car.
Loosen the control of the regenerative system in the settings and the Ora behaves like an ordinary gasoline car with reliable and informative disc brakes.
ORA
It follows the steering wheel willingly and handles very clearly and predictably; you want to drive it actively on winding mountain roads. The suspension is also well tuned: the car does not roll and adequately smoothes out minor defects in the road surface. Any exit from the asphalt is definitely not suitable for it – the ground clearance is only 145 mm, and in the lower part you can see the traction battery in an aluminum case fixed below the threshold level.
What about your passport?
According to the manufacturer, the range of Ora 03 reaches 500 km on a single charge. In real life, as always, everything is more complicated. The remaining range indicator on our Ora test before departure showed 495km on an almost fully charged charge.
ORA
After traveling 98 km along the coast and along the serpentines, the dashboard showed a load of 364 km, not 397 km, which should be obtained as a result of mathematical subtraction. And this is in good conditions at an ambient temperature of +19 °C. However, it cannot be said that such a discharge is very strong.
Inside
The interior of the Ora 03 is available in three trim options: you can choose from beige-green, black-red and classic black. The first of these is the most interesting, especially with its combination of blue-green main body color and white roof.
In addition to the standard version, Ora’s GT package is also available.
The differences are in bumpers of a sportier design, tinted windshield, forward collision warning system and launch control function, which allows you to accelerate to “hundreds” in 8.3 seconds versus 8.6 seconds for the regular version. . In addition, Ora 03 GT is 100 thousand rubles more expensive than usual: it is offered for 4 million rubles against 3.9 million rubles.
ORA
If you buy the Ora 03, you should seriously consider where you will charge it. To “charge” a car battery from 15% to 80% capacity from a regular 220-volt outlet, you will have to spend a whole day near it. For a charging column with a Type 2 connector, the same procedure will take 6.5 hours, and with CSS DC fast charging the process will take only 42 minutes.
Source: Gazeta
Anika Rood is an author at “Social Bites”. She is an automobile enthusiast who writes about the latest developments and news in the automobile industry. With a deep understanding of the latest technologies and a passion for writing, Anika provides insightful and engaging articles that keep her readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the world of automobiles.