Chinese cars have received a lot of praise recently, after years of being ridiculed by European and North American competitors.
Positive reviews center on China’s new design identity, which appears to have steered carmakers away from conventional cloning, but the Ora 07 is a throwback to the days of blatant copycats.
The Chinese seem to have modeled their pug-faced big sedan largely on the Porsche Panamera, but it’s still an odd mix to European eyes.
However, there are differences. The original is only available as a plug-in hybrid and as a pure combustion engine, while the Ora is purely electric.
And while the price of the Porsche in Europe starts at €110,900, that of the Ora 07 ends at €53,490 and starts at €41,990.
Round headlights, wide flared wings and a sweeping arched rear end – the Porsche-like looks are unmistakable. The rear lights also hint at the first Bentley Continental.
But Ora sees the 07 mainly as a competitor to the Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan. At 4.07 meters, it is exactly the same length and stands out much more for its aerodynamic design.
The entry-level Ora 07 comes with a 150 kW/204 hp electric motor on the front axle, while the top of the line has two 300 kW/408 hp engines and also all-wheel drive.
When it comes to driving, the Chinese is also closer to the milder Korean style than the Stuttgart product, but first the positives: the steering is precise and quite direct by Asian standards.
And on the test track at parent company Great Wall Motors’ headquarters in Baoding, the suspension looked good, soaking up bumps cleanly and giving the driver a good feel for the changing road surface.
But even if it starts from a standstill like a Porsche and reaches 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds – the Ora 07 isn’t really committed and engaging. A calmer approach is needed.
It offers an entirely calmer panorama and feels more at home on long stretches with lots of straights than on short, winding trips in the mountains. So, like many cars from China, the supposed Panamera is made less for driving than for arriving.
The destination may be far away, as with 67 and 86 kWh batteries, the Far East Gran Turismo offers a range of up to 520 kilometers.
Unfortunately, patience is also required at the end of the journey. When it comes to charging, the Chinese car is slow. With 11 kW in alternating current and up to 88 kW in direct current, it is among the slowest in this league. However, the word in Baoding is that things will get better soon.
On the other hand, the interior, environment and equipment are impeccable. The cabin with a center console also borrowed from Porsche projects diagonally between the seats, and the instruments are elegantly covered in imitation leather. The surfaces are also nice and almost all movements are carried out by an electric motor.
The cabin is well-lit and, with its large panoramic roof, feels airier than it actually is, considering the 2.87 meter wheelbase.
At the front, occupants sit in sports seats, which can be ordered with air conditioning and massages upon request. There is a comfortable seat in the rear and the trunk has a capacity of 333 to 1,045 liters.
Ora also offers customers plenty of electronic assistance, although it can be exasperatingly vigilant at times, emitting lots of beeps and flashes.
There’s a wide range of entertainment on the large touchscreen and good AI voice control. And they even have a head-up display as standard.
Depending on your perspective, this car looks bold or just plain weird, but beneath the sloping exterior it’s a serious electric car that offers a lot of substance for an attractive price.
The Ora 07 is not alone in this and although its little brother, the 03, can still score points as a cute oddball among small cars, this leaves the 07 Gran Turismo only with the role of being an exotic for the E Generation. – or a cheap Porsche parody.
