GWM Ora Reviews
Ora's first UK car launched as the "Funky Cat" — then got rebadged the far less memorable "Ora 03" after struggling to find UK buyers under its original name. Here's what road tests say about the electric range behind that rebrand.
An Unexpected BMW Connection Hiding Under the Bonnet
Ora is the electric-focused arm of Great Wall Motor, one of China's longest-established carmakers, building vehicles since long before most of the current wave of Chinese brands arrived in Europe. Its first UK model launched with genuinely distinctive retro styling and an equally distinctive name, the Funky Cat — a name so memorable it may have actually worked against it with more conservative UK buyers, and it was renamed the far blander "Ora 03" in 2024 after selling fewer than a thousand units in its first year here. What's less well known is a genuine technical connection running through the car: Great Wall Motor holds a joint venture agreement with BMW for EV development in China, meaning the Ora 03 shares underlying technology with the current electric Mini Cooper, however distant that family resemblance might seem on the surface.
Reviewers consistently note the Ora 03's genuinely eye-catching, retro-inspired design as its standout feature, alongside a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and a five-year factory warranty, two years longer than the UK industry standard. Where opinion is more mixed is around outright value against increasingly fierce competition from other new Chinese entrants and established EV rivals at similar prices. The summaries below cover what several independent testers actually found behind the wheel of each model.
Every Model, One Place
Rather than picking a single opinion and running with it, each review here pulls together several independent road tests and highlights where they agree — and where they don't. Pick a model below to see the full breakdown.