HERE'S a Chinese whisper - the GWM Ora 03 GT is a good modern BEV.

To some it looks like a version of the MINI it has helped build in its homeland of China in a deal with BMW, but it comes at a price which really takes on the bigger names.

There are three models in the GWM Ora 03 range, and after the EV-grant the costs are £21,245 Pure, £25,235 Pro and GT at £29,245 with a 48kWh battery in the entry model and 63kWh battery in the others.

With the bigger battery in the test car the charging time from a 7kW home unit is 7.2hrs and with a maximum 64kW boost it is ready to go in 48mins. The models with the smaller battery charge sooner but their range is substantially less.

Our GT version came impressively equipped with a heat pump to extend range, big sunroof, vented massage front seats with memory, uprated trim and wheels as well as an electric fifth door. Strangely for any car in this class it was unusual not to have a rear wash/ wiper which it really needed.

It has a sit and start system so there's no need to insert a key for the motor to come alive but you must click in the driver's seatbelt to actually move.

A driver can select a range of driving modes to emphasise economy or push performance and even fine tune the feedback from the retardation to rescue a few more miles.

The steering also has light, comfort or sport settings to help tailor the car to individual taste.

We played around with all the settings and found we could stretch it to a range of 220 miles while enjoying a fairly spirited sporty drive and safe surefooted front wheel drive handling, albeit with a bit of suspension noise and some shaking from the firm springing and large wheels and tyres.

The motor's response was good and powertrain smooth so it easily kept up with traffic and in town showed it had single-pedal driving ability and a good turning circle to park.

Secondary controls were all close to hand and fingers on the column, wheel and facia although some stalks were not in direct line of sight and switches were partly hidden as well.

The driver had a good sized display infront of the wheel and larger screen for the infotainment in the centre of the dash and its responses have been sharpened over the Funky Cat launch model.

Oddments room is just fair with plenty of compartments but they are all small and that's the same with the bootspace for just a couple of cases unless you drop down the offset split seatback and then have a very decent capacity for a five-door hatchback.

Behind the high rear sill, the boot-floor has a useful deep compartment for the two power cables and it has electric door operation.

Access was very good to boot or cabin but some might find legroom and shoulder space tight in the rear.

The two front seats have a combination of electric and manual adjustment with a good range of settings and proved extremely comfortable and shaped to locate occupants.

We liked the heating and surprising massage settings as well and normally only found in much more expensive luxury cars.

Generally, visibility was good in the Ora GT with a low waistline, good headlights and effective front wash/wipe system but it really needs a rear wash/wipe arrangement in the British climate.

The reversing camera was useless on a filthy day and you couldn't see out of the window in such conditions.

Noise levels were modest and confined to the suspension working away and tyres rumbling over surfaces with no real motor noise or wind waffling.

The suspension did a good job soaking up the bumps and there was modest body roll with a tendency to run wide on bends before easing off the throttle to bring it back on line in a very safe and sure manner.