South Africa’s most affordable electric car could soon be its best family car and the Car of the Year.
The GWM ORA 03 is a finalist in the 2024 South African Car of the Year, hosted and adjudicated by the Guild of Mobility journalists. It was selected in the Family category, alongside the BMW X1. It is one of 18 finalists in the overall competition.
“We are very proud of the fact that the GWM ORA 03 was picked as a finalist in the SA Car of the Year awards and that it competes in a ‘traditional’ category for family vehicles,” says Bianca van Staden, Head of Marketing, Brand and Public Relations at GWM South Africa.
Van Staden explains that while the ORA made headlines as the most affordable electric vehicle in South Africa, it’s overwhelmingly been compared to traditional city and family vehicles, as opposed to electric vehicles only.
In support of this statement, Van Staden points to some of the awards that the GWM ORA 3 has won prior to being nominated for the SA Car of the Year. In Brittain, the ORA 03 was picked as Which? Magazine’s Best Buy in the category for medium-sized cars, a category that considers both internal combustion (ICE) and new energy vehicles (NEVs).
The GWM ORA 3 also won the award as the best Urban Car for 2023 by Driving Electric, and the European Green New Car Assessment Programme (Green NCAP) gave the ORA 03 top marks in its environmentally friendly life-cycle assessment test.
In the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) – arguably the strictest vehicle crash test programme in the world – the GWM ORA 03 was picked as the safest car in its class. It received the same high rating in the Australasian NCAP.
Back in South Africa, the GWM ORA 03 is also a contender for the top spot in the category for affordable electric vehicles in the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards. It has already won an award as the Bargain of the Year in the Top Gear South Africa Awards in December 2023. This is another award that considered both NEV and ICE vehicles.
“While the GWM ORA 03 is a pioneer in the market for affordable, innovative and stylish electric vehicles, it is also a sound choice for most traditional vehicle buyers in its price range. That makes the ORA the first true crossover vehicle between traditional motoring and new electric vehicles,” says Van Staden.
To recap what the GWM ORA 03 offers: At less than R700 000 for the entry-level model, it is the most affordable electric vehicle in SA. It is also worth noting that it was only launched in South Africa in late 2023, meaning that it won the hearts of the SAGMJ judges in less than four months.
As a family car, the GWM ORA 03 delivers in every aspect.
Weighing only 1 555 kg, the GWM Ora 03 dashes from 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of just under 160 km/h.
The vehicle is powered by a 48 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery that gives the entry-level standard-range 300 Super Luxury GWM ORA 03 an average electric consumption figure of 16.7 kWh/100 km for a range of up to 310 km (WLTP cycle). This makes the new GWM Ora 03 the best range-per-rand of any EV in South Africa.
Inside the GWM ORA 03 it has two 10.25-inch touchscreens (instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system) integrated into the front panel, with every function just a fingertip away. Add to this a rotary-style gear selector and up to 228 litres of luggage space. Plus, to make their EV ownership experience more convenient, 20 dedicated ORA dealers countrywide are offering GWM 7kW home-charging wall box solutions.
“With its inclusion in both the SAGMJ Car of the Year and Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, we believe that the GWM ORA 03 will win more hearts of both fans of cutting-edge technology and traditional motoring.
“We believe that as a family vehicle, the GWM ORA 03 is without comparison, and we believe that it will impress the judges of both competitions and motorists across South Africa,” says Van Staden.
