Two weeks on from the launch of the GWM Ora 07 in Malaysia, we’ve gotten our hands on the new flagship electric sedan. As per the launch, the car you see here is in Long Range trim, with the range-topping Performance variant coming later on.

Pricing for the Ora 07 starts at RM170,500 on-the-road without insurance for the Long Range model, rising up to RM190,500 for the Performance. This means the GWM undercuts its rivals, the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3, by around RM10,000 and RM20,000 respectively.

That’s just as well, because in terms of specs the Ora 07 falls short of its competitors. The Long Range is powered by a single front motor producing 204 PS (150 kW) and 340 Nm of torque. That’s quite a bit down on the Seal Premium RWD’s 313 PS (230 kW), and as a result, its zero-to-100 km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds is way down on the Seal’s 5.9 seconds and the Model 3 RWD’s 6.1 seconds. Top speed is 170 km/h.

On the flip side, the 83.5 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery does provide a healthy 640 km of range, but there’s a catch – it’s on the more lenient NEDC cycle. Given that the general perception is that the WLTP cycle usually docks off around 20% of range, that works out to a more realistic figure of around 510 km, which is still pretty decent.

Stepping up to the Performance nets you a second rear motor, doubling outputs to 408 PS (300 kW) and 680 Nm and roughly halving the century sprint to 4.3 seconds; top speed has also been raised to 180 km/h. This comes at the cost of range, which drops to 483 km, this time on the WLTP cycle. Why the latter? In Europe, a region that mandates the use of WLTP, the all-wheel-drive powertrain will come as standard.

Both models support just 88 kW of DC fast charging, taking 32 minutes to top up the battery from 30 to 80%. On the flip side, the Ora 07 can accept up to 11 kW of AC charging, although the quoted charging time is still a lengthy 15 hours. There’s also a 3.3 kW vehicle-to-load function, three regenerative braking settings and five drive modes – Normal, Well-Being (dulls the throttle response to ostensibly make it easier to drive), Eco, Sport and Individual.

The Ora 07 measures 4,871 mm long, 1,862 mm wide, 1,500 mm tall, making it quite a bit bigger than its competition. Against the Model 3, the GWM is 151 mm longer, 12 mm wider and 60 mm taller, while its 2,870 mm wheelbase is just five millimetres shorter.

The extra length imbues the Ora 07 with greater road presence, helped by the car’s organic Porsche-aping fastback design. The Zuffenhausen inspiration is very much visible in the round LED headlights, which feature a very intricate design – the projectors have a transparent shroud that mimics cut crystal glasses.

The sloping roofline and active rear spoiler, on the other hand, are reminiscent of the Panamera, while the scalloped sides hints at the oft-forgotten Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Flush pop-out door handles, an active grille shutter and the aforementioned spoiler help deliver a low drag coefficient of 0.22.

Adding to the premium feel are the frameless windows – something the Seal doesn’t get. This Long Range model rides on 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels shod with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 EV tyres that look a little lost under the large body. You’ll have to spring for the Performance to get 19s, coming with a striking oval design and Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber. Red brake callipers are also exclusive to the Performance.

The supercar connotations continue on the inside, where the Ora 07 sports a slim centre console, chunky bucket seats and a hooded instrument binnacle where a 10.25-inch display resides. The car also comes with a panoramic glass roof as standard, with the rear windscreen and roof being made from a single uninterrupted piece of glass, just like in the Model 3.

In the middle sits a 12.3-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, along with a (much-welcomed) set of physical controls – including three vertically-arranged knobs for adjusting the air conditioning and the drive modes.

There’s just one cupholder, however, sitting ahead of the armrest; at a push of a button, it can be made to sit flush with the rest of the cabin when not in use. Behind it is a vertical Qi wireless charging slot, which saves space and also eliminates any issues with alignment that normally arise when using a regular charging pad.

The car also features a Super I Space function that engages the air conditioning and the seat ventilation and massagers to help occupants relax, similar to Mercedes-Benz’s Energising feature. Two modes are available, these being Sweet Mode and Cave Time, the latter displaying a fireplace animation on the centre touchscreen.

Other standard features include keyless entry and start, a head-up display, power-adjustable front seats with ventilation and massage functions, ambient lighting (replete with a rhythm mode that follows the music you’re playing), an 11-speaker Infinity sound system, a 360-degree camera system and a hands-free powered boot lid.

Safety-wise, the Ora 07 comes fully equipped with driver assists that include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, an Intelligent Evade system that gives more space in the lane for large vehicles such as lorries, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, traffic sign recognition, park assist and auto high beam.

The Ora 07 is available in either grey, white or the purple you see here, with a faux leather interior in black for the Long Range model and brown for the Performance. However, for an extra RM2,500, buyers of the Long Range variant will be able to upgrade to the brown interior.

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