New GWM Ora 03 PRO+ 2024 review: updates fail to hide its flaws

Verdict

Adding extra range and equipment hasn’t transformed the Ora 03, which remains a left-field option. Judge the PRO+ as a ‘supermini plus’ and we could see how its mix of funky looks, solid range and a lengthy kit list might appeal, compared with models such as the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Peugeot E-208. But the GWM retains several dynamic flaws and the boot is too small for it to be considered a family car. While a £35k price tag looks keen, we’d watch for aggressive finance deals before considering it.

There’s no standing still in the push towards electrification, so even newcomers are having to update their models more quickly than the normal schedule for petrol-powered vehicles.

GWM is a case in point; its Funky Cat went on sale in the UK barely 18 months ago, but it already has a new name – the 03 – and now there’s this PRO+ version, promising more range and fresh tech.

To recap, the Ora 03 is a small five-door family car with retro-inspired styling; there are elements of VW Beetle, Fiat 500 and MINI about the front end. This PRO+ version gets a 63kWh battery, of which just over 59kWh is usable; Ora claims a WLTP range of 260 miles, which puts the 03 PRO+ into the same ballpark as the likes of Citroen’s e-C4 and Peugeot’s E-2008, but still falls shy of what you can get from an MG4 Long Range.

It should be possible to achieve more than 200 miles on a full charge, based on our experience, but refills aren’t the fastest, with a maximum rate of 67kW. There’s no heat pump currently either, so cold-weather efficiency might take a hit.

In truth, the 03 dances between the raindrops on positioning as well as on  range. It’s bigger inside than superminis, with seating for four adults and respectable  rear-seat headroom (only six-footers will find it slightly restrictive). But the boot capacity is just 228 litres, which is nearly 160 litres down on what you’d expect from a family car and some way shy of most superminis.

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Build quality seems fine and it’s not actually badly finished – our car had quilted fabric in the rear cabin that looked and felt posher than anything you’d find in the rear of a Stellantis supermini – but we suspect many customers will struggle to look beyond that underwhelming load bay.

On the road, the GWM 03 PRO+ continues to deliver a fairly anodyne experience. The steering is light and a little vague, and while the chassis resists body roll to a commendable level, there’s no real involvement to be had in corners. Indeed, if you really start to throw the 03 around, it soon becomes unstuck with swathes of understeer – on corner entry if you over- commit, and again on the exit if you’re too aggressive with the throttle.

The modulation of the right-hand pedal feels pretty old school, in fact; it’s too easy to light up the front tyres even on dry roads. This mix of an overly sensitive throttle and slightly choppy ride means the GWM 03 isn’t quite as good at nipping around urban streets as it should or could be.

It’s a shame, then, that GWM’s engineers didn’t sacrifice a bit of that body control for a little more soothing comfort, because once you’re up to a steady speed and not trying to play with the 03 through tighter corners, it’s not a bad cruiser. The electric motor is pretty refined, in fact, with not much whine to speak of – although on more open-textured roads, this is negated by a fair amount of tyre noise.

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The experience from behind the wheel isn’t helped by infotainment and driver aids that are definitely improved over what’s gone before, but remain a work in progress. In particular, the lane-keep assist system is still too sensitive, so it ends up prompting you far too frequently and, more annoyingly, intervening with steering adjustment on a regular basis.

GWM says it has listened to customer feedback on this and the PRO+ does get a shortcut to deactivate this feature, but it requires you to swipe down on the infotainment interface before pressing a button on the screen, and, as per legal requirements, it then turns itself back on every time you get into the vehicle.

Speaking of the in-car tech, you get a pair of 10.25-inch displays – one for the instruments, the other a touchscreen for infotainment. It’s a crisp-enough display but in reality is little more than a glorified Android tablet, with tiny text that’s hard to read on the move. GWM says the PRO+ introduces Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on a ‘beta basis’ and it feels like it; we suffered frequent disconnects with our Android phone.

PRO+ specification certainly brings a fair amount of equipment for a £35k EV, at least. In addition to that infotainment system, you get heated and ventilated front seats that include massage and memory functions, a heated steering wheel, rear privacy glass, a powered tailgate with gesture control, and a panoramic sunroof.