2023 GWM Ora Sport (Lightning / Next Cat) review: Australian preview drive

Following GWM’s introduction of the Ora small electric vehicle in April this year, the brand is looking to expand its electric operations and model range.

That’s why we’re at Anglesea Automotive Research Centre (AARC) to sample another product under consideration: the Ora Sport.

Known as the Lightning Cat in China, or Next Cat in Europe, a brand streamlining operation sees GWM opt for Ora Sport as a tie-in with the Ora small car.

But the Sport isn’t confirmed for Australian sale yet – it’s just here for evaluation.

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If you’re wondering why the Sport looks like a Wish.com lovechild between a Porsche Taycan and Panamera, with 993 Carrera headlights and Bentley Continental taillights, it’s because GWM pinched ex-Porsche designer, ​​Emanuel Derta, for Ora design.

The marketing material in China is very female-centric for the Ora brand in general, but especially so for the Ora Sport. It’s available in only four colours: Jade White, Canyon Grey, Amethyst Purple, and Diamond Pink.

Quirky styling, driving range claims over 700km (under NEDC protocols) and a 300kW power figure for the twin-motor variant are intriguing, but today’s short sample is about understanding how the Ora Sport would fit into the Aussie motoring landscape, were it to arrive in 2024.

JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• Interior comfort, space and storage
• What is it like to drive?
• How much range does it have?
• How safe is it?
• Warranty and running costs
• VERDICT
• Specifications

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How much is it, and what do you get?

As the car is still under evaluation for Australia, we don’t know the Ora Sport’s price.

GWM was bullishly suggesting a single-motor Ora Sport like ours will be priced at, or below, the equivalent Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 (both $63,900 before on-road costs for entry-level variants).

There’s plenty of technology on board the Ora Sport, but also some neat touches. The inclusion of physical air-conditioning fan and temperature controls on the ‘T-Shaped’ centre stack and drive mode selector shows that GWM has been listening to feedback.

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Below is a list of features standard on the Ora Sport – and it’s pretty impressive.

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Interior comfort, space and storage

If you thought the exterior had some Taycan going on, then inside there are even more homages. The digital driver’s display sits across three individual binnacles, just like a Porsche. The steering wheel, too, looks like something from Stuttgart.

The infotainment system, however, does not. A 12.3-inch touchscreen driven by quirky software (the writing was all in Mandarin), it features cats and strange noises as you select certain functions.

A lack of positive feedback when changing drive modes, or one-pedal braking settings, made interacting with the touchscreen on the move difficult – although again, the language barrier doesn’t help.

Build and material quality are high in the Ora Sport. Cabin storage was not great, however, with small door pockets and no space under the armrest. Beneath the Star Trek-style floating centre console, there is some incidental storage for bags.

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It’s light in here; our car’s white leatherette upholstery and glass roof welcomed sunshine in without being as hot as black upholstery. Perhaps that Diamond Pink paint helps reflect hot rays, too. Other upholstery colours, including saddle brown, are available as well.

Unlike the Ora small car, the Ora Sport is compact inside considering its footprint. There’s a lack of headroom for taller drivers in the front seat, and a driving position set oddly close to the steering wheel and windscreen – you feel on top of the front axle, which is odd for a sporty vehicle.

The seats are comfortable, featuring electric adjustment for both driver and passenger, as well as a heating and a massage function.

However, the rear seats don’t offer much headroom for taller riders. Legroom is fine, but a high floor with batteries underneath saps toe space.

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What is it like to drive?

The Ora Sport has one of the strangest steering systems we’ve ever encountered.

Its ratio was quick, but the weighting light, vague, and inconsistent through the corners of AARC’s five per cent gradient track (that featured heavily in COTY 2022).

GWM also chose a similarly doughy throttle programming for this model as the Ora small car. It’s almost like turbo lag, requiring you to step on the gas for half a second before you want to go anywhere. The same delay is present with the one-pedal braking system, too.

These two facets erode most of the Ora Sport’s athletic pitch and its pronounced body roll through the corners doesn’t help either.

Rather than a road-devouring grand tourer, think of it as a softly-suspended liftback with a rapid turn of acceleration. In our single front-motor guise, it develops 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque.

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In China and Europe, a twin-motor variant is also available with 300kW/680Nm and a 0-100km/h claim of 4.3 seconds.

Switching through the Ora Sport’s drive modes reveals even more unorthodox features. In Sport mode, acceleration in the Ora is accompanied by a strange, synthesised V6 engine note that can be customised to your preference. It also firms up the steering and mildly sharpens the throttle, but not by enough to make it really feel racy to drive.

For an Australian buyer to fall in love with Ora Sport, it needs more than just straight-line pace. Further suspension and software development will be required for this vehicle to dethrone the likes of the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

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How much range does it have?

Driving range is something GWM has going for it, as is battery technology.

It owns battery builder SVolt energy, which is looking into future technology not unlike BYD’s Blade units. It is also looking into cobalt-free packs to drive down costs and speed up charging.

The single-motor Ora Sport with a 63.8kWh battery pack is able to achieve a 555km driving range according to the – admittedly optimistic – NEDC combined protocol. In more realistic WLTP ratings, expect that to be around 450-500km.

With its 85kWh battery, the twin-motor Ora Sport gets a pretty astounding 705km driving range rating on the NEDC combined cycle.

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Comparisons

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How safe is it?

The Ora Sport is equipped with a litany of sensors (27, to be exact) to inform the driver assistance and active safety systems.

Processing is taken care of by a powerful Qualcomm 8155 unit developed specifically for automotive applications. As a result, GWM claims ‘class-leading ADAS’, though as is the nature of driving at a proving ground we were not able to test their efficacy in the real world.

The Ora Sport is yet to be rated by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, but the smaller GWM Ora’s encouragingly-high five-star ANCAP result bodes well for the sporty liftback.

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VERDICT

The Ora Sport has potential. That interior has wow factor with its T-shaped centre console, Porsche-inspired steering wheel and massage seats included.

But, for a car to resonate with Australians, it needs more than a decent driving range and quirky cabin styling. There needs to be some real substance.

For the Ora Sport, right now, that’s lacking when it comes to the driving experience. Our spin was brief, but we can tell that some wizardry from chassis and steering engineers would help unlock the depth of the Ora’s ‘Sport’ moniker.

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