What's the difference?
The smallest car in Skoda’s local line-up is also its most affordable, but only just.
When the current generation Fabia launched with the halo Monte Carlo variant at almost $40,000, it was a bit of a surprise for a small hatch from what’s seen as an affordable brand.
Now, there’s a new entry-level version of Skoda’s bub and, while it’s not nearly as cheap as it once was, it offers a choice that’s more within reach for anyone keen on a premium small car.
Can the Fabia Select convince customers looking at the likes of the Mazda 2 or Suzuki Swift to go Euro and cross the $30,000 threshold?
When the GWM Ora showed up in Australia last year, it seemed to rely somewhat on its divisive cutesy looks and sub-$40K entry price to draw attention - and to some extent it worked.
Convincing Australians to buy an electric car is hard enough for any car company, let alone one that doesn’t have the brand cachet of Tesla or the traditional companies.
But an entry price under $40,000 doesn’t apply here, this is the GWM Ora GT: the top of the range for the small electric car.
It’s just had a massive price cut, but is it worth paying more than $10,000 over the price of a base Ora for some extra goodies when simplicity and fun styling was the original selling point?
Once you get past the shock of the Fabia no longer being a sub-$25K car (because let’s face it, what is anymore?), the fact that it remains refreshingly simple to live with and engaging on the road should be celebrated.
It has its downsides if you need space, and you can buy a light (or even small) SUV for the same price, but you’ll be compromising in other areas.
The Skoda Fabia can’t do everything, but what it can, it does well. Plus, it’s certainly less common than the similarly priced Toyota Yaris.
The GWM Ora is a solid electric car for the city with an extremely competitive price, balanced with some flaws that might frustrate some - Android phone owners especially. But the GT variant doesn’t offer enough to justify how much more expensive it is than the variants below.
It has a slightly lower range, no more performance (not that it needs more power), a features list almost identical to the Ultra and arguably loses its appealing cutesy looks.Â
While the rest of the Ora line-up has its strengths and a cute but daring design, the GT effectively offers only its bark-over-bite styling changes.
If the Ora is on your shopping list, it’s certainly worth checking out the $43,990 Ultra, or even the $40,990 Extended Range if its list of features suits you. But if you for some reason enjoy the GT’s styling, that extra spend might be worth it.