WeeklySA_AdminAFFORDABLE: GWM Ora electric car from China to shake things up
By Ali Mphaki
The Mini Cooper SE is currently the most affordable at a little under R750 000. But with news that a slightly affordable EV than the Mini Cooper SE is en route to SA – the Haval Ora – the latter is going to catapult the former as the cheapest smallanyana EV on the SA market, to retail at an estimated R600K.
Measuring 4235mm long, 1825mm wide and 1603mm tall, with a 2650mm wheelbase – the Ora is placed approximately halfway between a Toyota Yaris and Toyota Corolla in terms of footprint, and 50mm shorter in overall length (but 36mm wider) than a Volkswagen Golf hatch.
At the front its got the face that looks like a squashed VW Beetle-cum-Porsche – the wide oval eyes lending themselves towards images of an animal trapped in the glare of night headlamps.
Prima facie, as our current head of the National Prosecuting Authority Camilla Batoi would say, there is a case to be answered regards its looks, but that wont be the whole story, or as his predecessor Bulelani Ngcuka once said, “not winnable in court”.
Think of those lasses with a gorgeous body but ugly face, what in social media speak is referred to as as “butterface – innocent victims of the Afrikaans saying “mooi van ver maar ver van mooi” .
But before you get carried away caution is advised when it comes to the subjective topic of beauty, there is much more on the inside than what the outside could ever show.
For its sake the Haval Ora comes with a high level of standard equipment – with dual interior screens, 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, leather-look power-adjustable seats, and a full suite of advanced safety technology across the range.
Powering the Ora Standard Range is a 48kWh battery pack claimed to deliver 310km of driving range in European WLTP testing, while the Long Range and GT upgrade to a 63kWh battery with 420km of claimed WLTP driving range.
All versions are powered by a 126kW and 250Nm electric motor driving the front axle. Charging times are claimed as 41 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent with the 48kWh battery.
The Ora has also earned a five-star safety rating in Europe.
Known as the Ora Good Cat, Ora Cat 01 or Ora Funky Cat in some markets overseas – its arrival on SA soil heralds a new title-holder as the most affordable electric vehicle locally.
The Cat is on the loose, and Mini better beware!
motoring:
Briefs
MORE GR-BRANDED TOYOTA SPORTS CARS ON THE WAY
Toyota’s new boss, Koji Sato, has suggested that more GR-branded sports cars will join Toyota’s burgeoning Gazoo Racing brand under his leadership, Autocar reports. Sato, speaking to Autocar following Toyota’s one-two finish in Belgium’s WEC round at Spa, said: “The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future – and maybe we can even speed it up.”
Toyota’s range of GR sports car currently includes the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86 and GR GR Supra. Details on future models are scant, however rumours suggest Gazoo Racing is considering a performance version of the forthcoming electric bZ4X crossover, and has publicly announced its interest in hydrogen-combustion. Toyota has previously shown a GR-branded open-top sports car which, if greenlit for production, could serve as a halo model and rival to the upcoming MG Cyberster, next-gen Porsche 718 or electric Alpine A110.
VOLVO EX30 BABY CROSSOVER EV
The new Volvo EX30 is confirmed as the next electric car in the Swedes’ line-up – a baby crossover designed to stretch the EV entry point of the range down to a more affordable price, comfortably undercutting the XC40. This is a fully electric baby SUV and, for now, only this single, shadowy teaser photograph is available (flick through the gallery above to see the full picture). Gothenburg will unveil the new EX30 fully next month, but it has let slip a few details already.
‘On June 7 at 12.30pm, the new, fully electric Volvo EX30 SUV will make its global debut,’ Volvo confirmed. ‘On the same date, it will also become available to order or pre-order in selected markets.’ British customers will be able to place deposits from that date.
The new smaller EV will, following in the wake of the EX90 range-topper, bookend Volvo’s electric SUV line-up. The two cars were teased together (see below) and are said to share manifold styling similarities, spearheading the next generation of family Volvos. The smaller, cheaper EX30 is scheduled to arrive in UK dealership from spring 2024.
JEEP’S FIFTH GRAND CHEROKEE BREAKS COVER
The Jeep brand continues to climb to new heights at 80 years’ young, introducing the five-seater Grand Cherokee to South Africa alongside its ultra-luxurious seven-seater, long-wheelbase stablemate. The fifth-generation line-up now includes five-seater Grand Cherokee Limited, Overland, and Summit Reserve trims levels.
Jeep SA says the new gen models come with unrivalled capability along with composed on-road driving dynamics courtesy of Quadra-Trac I1 air suspension, now with electronic semi-active damping, which delivers up to class-leading 287 mm of ground clearance and 610 mm of water fording.
More space and versatility – with 4 094 litres of total interior passenger volume (+116 litres over the previous generation) and 1 068 litres of cargo space (+39.6 litres), the new Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with a 950-watt 19-speaker McIntosh audio system standard on Overland and Summit Reserve models.
FATIGUE TEST FOR DRIVERS
Among what police refer to as the ‘fatal five’ crash factors: speeding, driving without a seatbelt, drink or drug driving, and fatigue driving, there’s only one that remains undetectable – how tired a driver is. A report by The Guardian detailed Monash University’s research into blood biomarkers that could determine whether or not a driver was fatigued at the time of an incident.
It’s expected the test will become available on a large scale within two years, though initially the biomarkers will only be detectable in a hospital environment. Those involved predict roadside testing much like RBTs could begin to roll out in five years.
“When you look at the major killers on the road, alcohol is one of them, speeding is another, and fatigue is one of them. But even though the solution to fatigue is quite simple, which is to get more sleep, our capacity to manage it is impaired because we don’t have tools to be able to monitor it like we do with alcohol,” Professor Clare Anderson, leader of the program at Monash University, told The Guardian.
Published on the 98th Edition
