Review: GWM Ora 07 Long Range Ultra – Making A Stylish Statement
What Is This?
The electric vehicle market is crowding up and automotive brands are all eager to claim their piece of the pie. GWM is one of the earliest to the EV game here in Malaysia, with its Good Cat, targeting the younger set who are more likely to embrace new tech. The GWM Ora 07 is a follow-up to that, aimed at a more mature audience.
The Ora line-up follows a certain vibe to stand out from the ‘conventional’ EV crowd. With the Ora 07, GWM doesn’t want it to be just another EV. It wants to make a statement with it, in style. As a result, it bears a very distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic as it tries to redefine EV design.
The exterior of the Ora 07 is, without question, its most arresting feature. A departure from the predictable and typical EV design language, it embraces a more fluidic, almost sculptural appearance. The silhouette pays homage to classic fastback coupes, characterised by its smooth lines and an elegantly sloping roofline that tapers into the rear. The sleek rounded form give the car an almost organic look.
The frameless doors contribute to the sleek profile while the flushed door handles emphasise the commitment to aerodynamics; its drag coefficient is stated as 0.22. The oval-shaped headlights and tail lights, with unique LED signatures, further add to the car’s distinctive design. At the rear, the electronically controlled spoiler adds a sophisticated touch of modernity while helping to enhance the car’s aerodynamic profile, complementing the active front air intake.
Physically, it is fairly large, measuring 4,871 mm in length, 1,862 mm in width, and 1,500 mm in height. It sits on a 2,870 mm wheelbase and 18″ dual tone alloy wheels. The overall exterior design is meant to create a sense of sophistication and modernity. Beauty however, is in the eye of the beholder, so take it however you want. But there is no denying that on the road, the GWM Ora 07 is readily recognisable.
What Is Inside?
The interior of the Ora 07 complements the exterior’s smooth curves, using a blend of retro-inspired design elements and modern day touches. There is enough use of quality soft-touch materials on the dashboard, door panels, and center console (not forgetting the plush carpet floor mats) to make it feel more premium. The overall design is minimalistic and uncluttered which is quite typical of EVs, and the panoramic glass roof (which seems to be a standard feature of new EVs) provide a sense of spaciousness.
Space is a welcome premium for the rear passengers despite a sloping roofline towards the back; legroom is no issue here. The rear seats, wrapped in synthetic leather, offer good support as do the chunky headrests. The compromise for that is the driver’s limited view out the rear view mirror when all 3 rear seats are occupied.
But the cockpit is not a bad place to be. The driver has the use of 2 digital displays i.e. a 12.3″ central touchscreen infotainment display (which isn’t oleophobic and quite typical of cars today) and a 10.25″ digital instrument cluster, along with a head-up display. The front seats are semi-bucket for good lateral support, offer electric adjustment (6 for the driver, with memory; 4 for the passenger) but have fixed headrests. There are also massage and ventilation functions for the front seats. But one convenience that is much appreciated in the front is physical controls for the air-conditioning. Large dials for fan speed and temperature are vertically laid out within reach on the centre console, so you don’t get distracted (and sometimes frustrated) with a touchscreen menu. Owners just have to remember that the bottom-most dial of this layout controls the driving modes.
Other notable features include an 11-speaker Infinity audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 50W wireless charger slot, USB ports in the front and rear, 60:40 folding rear seats, rear air vents, climate control with PM 2.5 filtration and ambient lighting. However, in keeping with the minimalistic appearance, the rounded-off centre console has room for just 1 cup holder. There is a teh tarik hook on the front passenger side though, so he/she gets an ikat tepi while you can get a fancy paper cup for takeway. Additionally, the boot has a cargo volume of 333 litres, which is sufficient for most daily needs. There is however, no front trunk to stow small items or the portable 3-pin charging cable.
What Makes It Go?
The review unit is the Ora 07 Long Range Ultra, and is probably what most buyers will steer towards, instead of the more powerful Performance model. The Long Range variant has just a single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor driving the front wheels, delivering 150 kW (204 PS) and 340 Nm of torque.
As its name hints, the Ora 07 Long Range Ultra offers up to 640 km of driving on a single charge (NEDC cycle), and a top speed of 170 km/h. The century sprint is recorded at 7.9 seconds. Providing energy for this distance is a 83.499 kWh Ternary Lithium battery pack which takes 32 minutes to charge from 30% to 80% state-of-charge via 88 kW DC fast charging. With 11 kW AC charging, it will take 15 hours to go from 0% to 100% SoC, which is fine for home charging as you will likely never have the car at 0% before plugging in.
During the review session, I averaged 13.4 kW/100km over a distance of about 325 km through a mix of heavy city traffic and open highways, using mainly Normal and Eco modes. Of the 3 driving modes available, Sport was used the least but was useful for swift overtaking moves. In theory, maintaining this level of energy consumption would have given me a total driving distance of 597 km; I mainly kept well within the speed limit. Of course, traffic conditions, driving style and routes can vary the results.
How Does It Feel?
While not engineered for outright performance, the electric powertrain would by default deliver smooth, refined, and instantaneous acceleration. The car can move with surprising agility if you choose to, making it easy to overtake on highways (as long as you’re not doing it in Eco mode). The ride is largely comfortable, thanks to the suspension system that effectively absorbs bumps and imperfections on the road, and helps keep the car feeling planted at higher speeds. Its curb weight of 1,895 kg also contributes to this planted feel.
The steering is light, making it easy to manoeuvre in the city though the car is on the long side. But at higher speeds, even though the car feels planted, the steering feels numb. This can be partly mitigated by keeping the Steering Wheel Assist mode in Sport. As expected of an EV, the Ora 07 is fairly quiet, with minimal noise intrusion, and helps to make the drive more relaxing. So it’s clear that the Ora 07 prioritises a comfortable experience, rather than outright sporty performance, just so expectations are managed.
The Ora 07 Long Range Ultra is packed with an array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver fatigue monitoring system. These systems enhance both safety and convenience, reducing driver fatigue on long journeys. However, the adaptive cruise control needs better calibration for Malaysian style traffic as the gap between cars is too big, making it tempting for others to slot in.
And despite its size, the 360-degree camera system and parking sensors help make parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces easier. Adding on to that, for those who still lack the confidence in parking this size of vehicle, the intelligent self parking function is one of easiest to use, and the fastest to detect and activate among the many brands which offer this. There is also a Car Wash mode which closes all windows, spoiler and side mirrors.
What Is There To Like?
The GWM Ora 07 is a compelling offering for those shopping for an EV (that is not an SUV) with some uniqueness to its appearance. It definitely stands out with its striking design, replete with advanced technologies. While it might not be the sportiest or the most spacious EV available, it excels in delivering a unique blend of style, comfort, and technology.
The Ora 07 Long Range Ultra was launched with a retail price of RM169,800. With it comes a 6-year (or 150,000 km) full vehicle warranty, and an 8-year (or 180,000 km) warranty for the power battery, electric motor and electric motor control unit. Additionally, there is a 12-year body warranty to cover car rust and corrosion, as well as a 1-to-1 battery replacement if the battery’s state-of-charge falls below 70%. 
