Ora Mecha Dragon: The strange Chinese saloon is back

Great Wall Motor is repositioning itself and focussing on an electric car that should reach 62 mph in 3 seconds

By: Eleonora Lilli

Mar 19, 2024 at 6:24am ET

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Times are tough for Great Wall Motor. Sales are down (the Haval, Wey, Poer, Ora and Tank brands recorded a 28.94% year-on-year decline in February) and competition is getting tougher.

Against this background, Wen Fei, CEO of GWM Sar and GWM Ora, has decided to revitalise the Ora brand (whose sales have fallen by 58.18% in one year) with a "special" new product.

Gallery: Ora Mecha Dragon

Curtain up for the Ora Mecha Dragon, and we say "special" because it is not a real model, but an electric reincarnation of a model you may remember.

The Sar Mecha Dragon made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in 2021. It immediately attracted media attention because it was the first model in the world to be equipped with four laser radars, an ultrasonic radar and L2 driving assistance. However, the model never went into production. At least until today, when it returns under the Ora brand.

The design

What is immediately noticeable about the Mecha Dragon is its strong resemblance to cars with combustion engines. Even though it is an electric saloon. Look at elements such as the air intake on the front bonnet or the two circular exhaust pipes at the rear. At the front, the radiator grille has an aggressive look and the particularly angular LED headlights emphasise the retro-futuristic look.

Ora Mecha Dragon

Viewed from the side, the Mecha Dragon has rather unusual proportions. The bonnet flows downwards without any gentle curves, as it suddenly drops at a sharp angle to the headlights. The rear end is also abrupt. There is no traditional rear bumper and the diffuser ribs are located close to the boot opening.

On board, you have your own screen behind the wheel and another large display runs along the dashboard. In the centre console there are two air outlets with a row of buttons and a rotary control below them. There is currently no official information, but it is expected that software from Huawei will be integrated into the system.

Ora Mecha Dragon - the interior

The Ora Mecha Dragon is equipped with a twin-motor all-wheel drive, has an output of 544 PS and a torque of 763 Nm. It sprints from 0 to 62 mph in less than three seconds and is equipped with Brembo brake callipers and CDC dampers. The 115 kWh battery promises an estimated range of 498 miles in the CLTC cycle. The charging technology is expected to be 800V and have a maximum output of 480 kW.

Will it make it?

What do you think?

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Great Wall Motor is in the process of reorganising itself to increase its competitiveness in an increasingly crowded sector. The Mecha Dragon aims to revitalise the Ora brand by freeing it from the "feminine" label it has carried in China until now, but success will not be easy.

Ora Mecha Dragon

The price of the Ora Mecha Dragon has not yet been announced, but in the past there has been talk of 488,000 yuan, which is equivalent to around £53,200 at today's exchange rate. If we think of the Zeekr 001 from Geely, however, that is quite a lot of money. The top model of the 001 costs only 329,000 yuan (approx. €35,900) in China and the performance on offer is higher. It remains to be seen how and whether this strange Chinese saloon will hold its own on the market.