GWM Ora EV hatch dead, being replaced by identically priced SUV

The GWM Ora small electric hatchback has been axed in Australia, where the GWM Ora 5 small electric SUV will soon take its place.

While they look almost identical, the Ora 5 – for which customer deliveries will commence in June – is 236mm longer and rides a different platform.

Despite this, it opens at just $33,990 drive-away – the same price as the outgoing Ora hatch range is currently being offered from, after initially launching in updated guise in mid-2025 with a base price of $35,990 drive-away.

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“The current Ora hatch has been discontinued. Production of the current Ora hatch is finished. Our focus right now is on launching that Ora 5 SUV. We think it’s the right car at the right time,” said Steve Maciver, head of communications for GWM Australia and New Zealand, to Australian media.

“There will be further expansion to come in the Ora range later this year as well, and you’re going to see another one, possibly two, additional Ora models to land in this region as well.

“There are other vehicles which we have seen, which we are keen on, which have not yet been revealed publicly, which are very much on our radar.”

The Ora 5 will be offered with two different ride heights, with a sedan version to follow that will slot in under the Lightning Cat offered in China. The as-yet unrevealed sedan has been ruled out for Australia due to low demand for this body style locally.

The small SUV will launch in Australia in high-riding configuration and with an electric powertrain, with an AT-1 local chassis tune currently in development.

Unusually – and in a first for a vehicle from GWM’s Chinese-market Ora brand – the Ora 5 will also be available with petrol and petrol-hybrid powertrains.

“At this stage, Ora’s focused on EV [in Australia, but], there may be hybrid options in there as well… We’ve got plenty of options. We’ve just got to work out what the right move for us is,” said Mr Maciver.

The Ora 5 hybrid has a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a direct hybrid transmission, offering fuel consumption of 5.1L/100km on the WLTC cycle and total outputs of 164kW of power and 476Nm of torque.

There’s also a pure petrol version with a turbo 1.5-litre four and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with outputs of 105kW and 210Nm.

The Ora 5 will launch here with its single electric powertrain, featuring a front-mounted 150kW/260Nm electric motor and a 58.3kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery offering 430km of WLTC range.

The Ora brand was established in 2018 as an EV-only brand, and the small Ora hatch – known elsewhere as the Ora 03 or Funky Cat – has been GWM’s only electric model in Australia.

Mr Maciver explained GWM Australia is working to ensure its sub-brands neatly complement each other.

“Ora is our fun, electrified range. Haval is accessible, mainstream, family. Wey is a premium brand. Tank is our professional off-road series… We’ve got the luxury of an amazing array of models and powertrains to choose from. The work that we have to do is to make sure that all makes sense within our brand portfolio and it makes sense to consumers as well,” explained Mr Maciver.

The Ora 5 will overlap somewhat with the Jolion Max, a crossover SUV based on the Jolion but with a larger footprint, which will launch here late in 2026 with the choice of plug-in hybrid or electric powertrains. Pricing has yet to be announced.

“We’ve been pretty aggressive in terms of our position and our pricing for [the Ora 5]. We see an opportunity so that’s why we’ve done that. The way we’ve positioned the Ora 5 SUV has been intentional of where that’s going to position other models around that car,” explained Mr Maciver.

“We’re pretty happy where we’ve got to with the Ora 5 SUV pricing and it’s resonating, guess but it does leave us options on either side.”

It’ll be sourced from China, despite GWM Australia switching to Thai sourcing for the Ora hatch last year.

“To receive Thai government subsidies, the factory must produce X amount of vehicles. To fulfil that quota, our production [of the Ora hatch] switched from China to Thailand. Because the model was coming to an end, and they just needed a bump,” explained GWM Australia product planning manager Tim Leong.

The switch to Thai production resulted in the Ora moving to a lithium iron phosphate battery and gaining new features like connected services, vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and a heat pump.

But even with these improvements, the GWM Ora has continued to be outsold by its Chinese compatriots.

Last year, GWM Australia delivered 763 examples, against 3248 BYD Dolphins and 2986 MG 4s, and this segment has only gotten more competitive this year with the launch of the GAC Aion UT and the MG 4 EV Urban.

High fuel prices have helped Ora sales rally in its final months, though. In March, sales of the small hatch were up by 492.2 per cent and to the end of March they’re up by 299.2 per cent, sitting at 527 units. The GWM website lists only the base Lux and top-spec GT as still being in stock, priced at $33,990 and $36,990 drive-away, respectively.

The segment the Ora 5 will compete in is no less competitive, and includes affordable Chinese models such as the BYD Atto 2 and Chery E5.

MORE: Explore the GWM Ora showroom