GWM Ora 5 2026 News

A new variant for the GWM Ora 5 has appeared in Chinese government filings.Dubbed the Ora 5 GT, it is a plug-in hybrid wagon sibling to the budget electric Ora 5 SUV already on sale in Australia.The car was spotted undergoing testing in China in June, and is GWM's latest addition to its busy Ora lineup.It is bigger than the Ora 5 electric SUV, measuring up at 4758mm long, up to 1844mm wide, 1630mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2720mm.There are no direct rivals for the car in Australia, with the BYD Seal 6 PHEV wagon ($34,990) a size up.The Ora 5 GT will be powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and electric motor set-up, making 115kW. The car will be fitted with a lithium-iron-phosphate battery from Chinese giant CATL, but there is no official driving range figure yet.GWM Australia hasn't officially confirmed the arrival of the Ora 5 GT yet, but the local branch is considering it.The car won't launch this year, with it more likely to hit the market in early 2027 if it does come here.The brand axed its Ora hatch EV Down Under earlier this year, effectively replacing it with the Ora 5 SUV.A hatchback variant of the Ora 5 will launch in Australia before the end of this year, with a hybrid SUV variant not too far away either.Hybrids are on the agenda for GWM, with the brand plotting to bring across more Ora variants to Australia. "In terms of the levels of adoption that we expect to see within this market, within the coming years, we expect (hybrids) to accelerate more quickly," GWM Australia Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver told CarsGuide in late 2025. "We think we can do a lot more with Ora… with plug-in hybrid, but EV will certainly come behind that as well, for sure."

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular and mainstream in Australia, however many lack a feature that limits their long-distance driving capabilities.And that's a spare wheel. For decades it has been a common-fit item that is extremely handy if you get a puncture out on the open road.What is becoming more popular now, especially in electrified vehicles, is to replace the spare wheel with an inflator kit as this space is usually being taken up by the high-voltage battery.The inflator kits typically include a 12V-powered air compressor and a 'can of goo' which plugs up minor air leaks in the deflating tyre.However, these inflator kits won’t help in every event of a puncture, especially if it’s a more significant one that compromises the tyre sidewall, for example.In these circumstances you’re typically left needing to call a tow truck, which is incredibly painful if you’re away from a town with a tyre repair shop.There aren’t many out there, but here is a rundown of all the new EVs currently available in Australia that have some form of physical spare wheel. The 2027 Chery E5 is the only new EV passenger car in Australia to feature a full-size spare wheel.There is now only one trim level of the E5 (formerly known as the Omoda E5) offered in Australia. It’s priced from $37,990, drive-away.The 2027 GWM Ora 5 has just launched in Australia and it features a space-saver spare wheel across the line-up.At launch two trim levels are on offer, Lux and Ultra, with pricing starting at $33,990, drive-away.The 2027 Hyundai Kona Electric has a space-saver spare wheel available across the line-up.The Kona Electric is offered in five trim levels now and pricing starts at $46,000, before on-road costs.The 2027 Toyota HiLux BEV is the only electric ute currently available in Australia with a spare wheel of any kind. It’s a full-size unit in this case.There are currently three versions of the HiLux BEV offered in Australia, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up. Pricing starts at $74,990, before on-road costs.A number of electric commercial vans feature full-size spare wheels as standard.It’s more common for these types of vehicles to feature spare wheels, though they’re not standard in every electric van.A number of companies offer aftermarket spare wheel solutions for many popular EVs, like the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, among others.These kits typically include a space-saver spare wheel, a jack and related tools to get the wheel on and off.As there’s no dedicated spot in the car for this to be stored, this type of kit typically has to go in the boot which sacrifices space for other items.

GWM’s ‘wagon’ version of the incoming Ora 5 SUV has been spotted testing in China after rumours a longer version would join the ‘hatch’-shaped small SUV.The 2026 GWM Ora 5 is just about to fully launch in Australia, but early in its reveal stages there was word from GWM headquarters that there would be more body styles and drivetrain options.While Australia will only get the fully electric small SUV for now, priced from a very competitive $33,990 drive-away, spy photos of the wagon style from Chinese motoring outlet Autohome show the changes to the Ora for its more ‘wagon’ body style are focused entirely behind the rear doors.It’s unclear what the longer version of the Ora 5 will be powered by, but it would be surprising if it’s anything other than the same 150kW/260Nm electric motor the small SUV gets, which draws from a 58.3kWh battery for a driving range of about 430km.There’s also a hybrid and a petrol version, but for now GWM Australia says Ora will be an EV-only offering.The brand’s local Head of Marketing and Communications says there will be more Ora models down the line.“There will be further expansions that come in the Ora range this year,” GWM Australia’s Steve Maciver said earlier this year.“You’re going to see possibly one and even two additional Ora models to land in Australia this year as well.“(But) at this stage, Ora is focused on EV. There may be hybrid options in there as well… we’re not committing one way or another, but again, we’ve got plenty of options. “We’ve just got to work out what the right one for us is.”One more potential for the brand is the even more wagon-like Ora 7 wagon, which was revealed in concept form at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2025.

GWM has just stepped up its budget EV game in Australia, unveiling the Ora 5 hatchback.There is no official news on a launch for the Ora 5 hatchback, but there is a good chance it will hit showrooms before the end of the year, with deliveries of the SUV variant already beginning.GWM Australia has been contacted for comment to find out launch plans for the car. The Ora 5 hatch shares much of the same design and set-up as its SUV sibling, but it has been given a lower and sportier stance, according to GWM. It differs from the SUV as it does not featuring roof rails. It keeps the same bubble headlight design and general exterior look. GWM also confirmed it has the same 58kWh battery with a driving range of 435km on WLTP standards. The brand did not confirm what will power the hatch, but given it is so similar to the SUV, it is expected to have the same single electric motor producing 150kW and 260Nm. Pricing remains unknown at this stage, but there is potential for it to be priced under the SUV, which starts from $33,990 (drive-away).The news comes after the brand ditched its Ora hatch Down Under earlier this year to make way for the Ora 5 SUV. The Ora faced serious budget competition from other Chinese rivals such as the BYD Dolphin that is priced from under $30,000 (before on-road costs), while the Ora was priced from $35,990 (drive-away).Competition in the EV hatch space has increased significantly, including the arrival of the GAC Aion UT ($31,990, before on-road costs). The Ora 5 is generally bigger than many of these EV hatch rivals.It joins at a time when GWM continues to grow on the sales front and chase down legacy brands in Australia.Chinese competitors such as BYD and Chery have experienced more growth than GWM in 2026, with the affordability proving a key selling point.

Australia’s cheapest electric SUV right now is poised to gain an even-cheaper hybrid (HEV) sister model before long.The Ora 5 EV lands in showrooms later this month from a headline-making $33,990 (all prices are drive-away), but the Ora 5 HEV may cost considerably less, even dipping below $30,000 for the entry-level Lux grade.For now, parent company GWM refuses to confirm the HEV is even a definite starter for Australia, stating instead that it needs to concentrate on getting the retro-themed sub-brand’s first EV SUV off the ground.This comes after the consistently poor sales of the now-discontinued Ora hatch (that inexplicably cost $2000 more than the Ora 5 EV SUV) in this market.“Our focus right now is on launching the Ora 5 SUV (EV),” said GWM Australia Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver.“We think it's the right car at the right time. We've been pretty aggressive in terms of our positioning and our pricing. We see an opportunity, so that's why we've done that.“But… the way we've positioned the Ora 5 SUV, has been intentional in terms of where that's going to position other models around that as well. So, read into that what you will. We’re pretty happy with Ora pricing right now. It is resonating, but it does leave us options either side of it.”With the uncertainty surrounding fuel prices, the booming popularity of EVs may be short-lived, meaning that GWM is probably hedging its bets by offering broader electrification choices for consumers in Australia like the Ora 5 HEV.“There will be further expansions that come in the Ora range this year,” Maciver added. “You’re going to see possibly one and even two additional Ora models to land in Australia this year as well.“(But) at this stage, Ora is focused on EV. There may be hybrid options in there as well… we’re not committing one way or another, but again, we’ve got plenty of options. We’ve just got to work out what the right one for us is.”There may be further, different Ora models coming beyond the 5 SUV, though what these are remain a tightly-held secret. Predictions include a larger SUV and a city-sized runabout.“There are other vehicles which we have seen, which were very keen on, which have not yet been reviewed publicly, which are very much on our radar to add to the Ora portfolio,” Maciver teased.In China, the Ora 5 is available with three powertrain choices.The EV features a 150kW/260Nm electric motor and 58.3kWh battery pack for a range claim of about 430km (all figures are WLTC).The HEV pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor for a combined 164kW of power and 476Nm of torque, averaging 5.1 litres per 100km for over 1000km of range.The solely internal combustion engine variants come as either a 105kW/210Nm naturally-aspirated or 118kW/270Nm turbo versions, for a 6.7L/100km rating.Along with the different powertrain, the Ora 5 HEV comes with reduced cargo capacity, falling from the EV’s 422 litres to 390L without a spare wheel, or from 362L to just 272L with one.Maciver added that he is buoyed by the pre-launch reaction to the Ora 5 EV’s pricing.“That’s had a really, really strong reception so far, taking a good amount of orders within the first couple of weeks,” he said.“We've said all along that, with Ora, if we can get an EV powertrain into an SUV bodystyle, we will do well with it. Now, obviously, the timing for us has been very fortuitous right now, but that car has really hit the ground running.”The Ora 5 EV’s $33,990 pricing undercuts all rival EV SUVs, including the BYD Atto 2 from around $35,500, Jaecoo J5 EV from $36,990 and ageing Chery E5 from $37,990.There are cheaper non-SUV EVs, such as the BYD Atto 1 hatchback from around $27,100, not-so-small MG 4 Urban hatch from $31,990, GAC Aion UT hatch from $32,990 and BYD Dolphin hatch from about $33,400.