Chinese cars have been receiving a lot of praise lately, after years of being ridiculed by their European and American competitors.
Positive reviews are mostly about the new Chinese design identity, which seems to be preventing carmakers from cloning the mainstream. The Ora 07, however, is a return to the days of shameless copying.
It seems the Chinese have based their large round-faced sedan largely on the Porsche Panamera, but for Europeans it’s still an odd mix.
There are differences though. The original is only available as a plug-in hybrid and otherwise as a pure combustion engine, while the Ora is purely electric.
While the Porsche is available in Europe from €110,900, the Ora 07 ends at €53,490 and starts at just €41,990.
Round headlights, flared fenders and a wide arc at the rear – the Porsche-like imagery is unmistakable. The taillights also hint at the first Bentley Continental.
But Ora sees the 07 primarily as a competitor to the Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan. At 4.07 meters, it is exactly the same length and stands out much more because of its streamlined design.
The entry-level Ora 07 version has an electric motor with 150 kW/204 hp on the front axle, while the top model has two motors with 300 kW/408 hp and also four-wheel drive.
In terms of driving style, the Chinese car also seems more like the boring Korean style than the model from Stuttgart, but first the plus points: the steering is precise and quite direct by Asian standards.
And on the test track at the headquarters of parent company Great Wall Motors in Baoding, the suspension performed excellently: bumps were absorbed well and the driver got a good feel for the constantly changing road surface.
But even though it jumps like a Porsche from a standstill and reaches 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds – the Ora 07 is not exactly committed and engaging. It takes a more relaxed approach.
It offers a much calmer panorama, and feels more at home on long, straight stretches than on short, winding mountain drives. So, like so many cars from China, the would-be Panamera is less made for driving than for arriving.
However, the destination may be far away, because with a battery capacity of 67 and 86 kWh, the Gran Turismo from the Far East offers a range of up to 520 kilometers.
Unfortunately, patience is also required at the end of the ride. When it comes to charging, the Chinese car is slow. With 11 kW on AC and up to 88 kW on DC, it is among the slowest in this class. But in Baoding, they say that things will improve soon.
In contrast, the interior, ambience and equipment are impeccable. The cabin with the centre console also borrowed from Porsche extends diagonally between the seats and the instruments are elegantly upholstered in imitation leather. The surfaces also feel good and almost every movement is carried out by an electric motor.
The cabin is pleasantly lit and, with its large panoramic roof, appears airier than it actually is, given the 2.87-metre wheelbase.
In the front, the occupants sit in sporty armchairs, which can be ordered with air conditioning and massage functions on request. In the rear, there is a comfortable bench seat and the luggage compartment has a capacity of 333 to 1,045 litres.
The Ora also offers customers plenty of electronic assistance, but can be annoyingly alert at times, with lots of beeps and flashes.
There is a wide range of entertainment on the large touchscreen and good voice control with artificial intelligence. And they even fit a head-up display as standard.
Depending on how you look at it, this car may look either daring or strange, but beneath the sloping exterior lies a serious electric car that offers a lot for an attractive price.
The Ora 07 isn’t the only one doing this. Its little brother, the 03, might still score as a cuddly outsider among the small cars, but for now the 07 Gran Turismo remains only as an exotic for Generation E – or a cheap Porsche parody.
