GWM plans major expansion of its small EV range, including sedan, more budget-friendly hatch

The GWM Ora 5 range will expand beyond the existing small electric SUV to include a larger SUV body style, a lower hatchback, and potentially even a sedan.

CarExpert understands the nameplate will remain electric-only in Australia, despite hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even traditional combustion powertrains being rolled out overseas.

The Ora 5 hatch has already been confirmed for Australia, and while pricing appeared on industry guide Redbook earlier this year detailing a $2000 saving over the Ora 5 SUV, we understand the lower-riding variant will be priced from even less than the $31,990 drive-away base price listed here.

Expected to be launched here during the first quarter (January to March) of 2027, the Ora 5 hatch could potentially start at under $30,000 drive-away in light of the growing number of electric hatchbacks being fielded in Australia by Chinese brands including the Geely EX2 and GAC Aion UT .

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The Ora 5 hatch has the same footprint as the SUV, measuring 4471mm long and 1833mm wide on a 2720mm wheelbase, but it sits lower. Overall height is 1559mm with 135mm of ground clearance, compared to measurements of 1641mm and 175mm respectively for the SUV.

The Australian-market version is expected to swap the 58.3kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery of the SUV for a smaller pack – likely the 45.3kWh LFP unit offered in China, which offers less range. In the SUV body style, this battery gives the Ora 5 a range of 480km under the more lenient CLTC cycle, down 100km on an equivalent model with the larger battery.

Also due on sale in Australia in the first quarter of 2027 is the previously confirmed Ora 5 Touring, which measures 4758mm long, 1844mm wide and 1630mm tall, but rides the same wheelbase as the other Ora 5 variants.

This will allow GWM to tackle the mid-size electric SUV segment with two models, with the more conventionally styled GWM Haval Jolion Max also set to offer electric power here.

GWM has flirted with bringing a sedan here in the past, indicating in 2013 it would launch one the following year and subsequently inviting Australian media to drive the Ora Sport (aka Lightning Cat) in Queensland in 2024, but such a model has never reached local showrooms.

However, CarExpert understands a sedan version of the Ora 5 – which recently surfaced in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) certification document – is being assessed for a local launch despite having previously been ruled out .

This launch would potentially occur during the first half of 2027. While this would be a lower-volume model than its stablemates, being a sedan, it's understood GWM sees a market for this body style among rideshare drivers.

There's a gaping void in the local electric sedan market underneath the Kia EV4 , which is currently Australia's cheapest electric sedan with a base price of $49,990 before on-road costs.