Introduced globally last autumn, the GWM Ora 5 made its overseas debut in March 2026, and is now being gradually rolled out into markets outside China. We had a chance to explore the new small SUV’s pure-electric variant in person last month, and here’s what we discovered during our experience.
Design
The GWM Ora 5 EV has a retro-inspired exterior embodying the brand’s signature design cues. It features a rather soft character for an SUV. After all, it is simply a larger, higher-riding alternative to the Ora 03 hatchback.
At the front, GWM calls the headlights “water drop-inspired”, but their silhouette remains closely aligned with the “cat-eye shaped” units of the GWM Ora Good Cat, indicating a subtle shift in branding language to better suit the model’s SUV identity. Also worth noting here are a curved bonnet, a sculpted bumper, and an A-shaped, wide air intake grille with rounded corners.
The side profile immediately gives away the Ora 5 EV’s larger footprint, most noticeable in the longer bonnet. The sloping roofline and the curved greenhouse align with the fluidic bodywork. GWM has used raised roof rails and 18-inch wheels in a ‘four-leaf clover’ design to give the EV a touch of ruggedness but kept the wheel arches body-coloured.
At the rear, curvy ‘daybreak-inspired’ tail lights have been positioned behind the rear windscreen. The tailgate surface below widens out with rounded edges and a clean finish, featuring wide-spaced brand inscription.
Interior
The interior continues the rounded design theme, with soft contours across the dashboard, centre console, and steering wheel. The dashboard features a ribbed vertical texture, while bronze accents around the vents and centre console highlight key touchpoints.
A bank of retro-style toggle switches on the dashboard provides a contrasting visual element and is reminiscent of MINI interiors.
The GWM Ora 5 EV has 33 storage spaces spread throughout the cabin, including a 3.2-litre cooling box integrated into the back of the centre console. It also features a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 50-watt wireless smartphone charger, and a 9-speaker sound system.
Experience in the GWM Ora 5 EV
At 5’7″ (170 cm), ingress and egress in the GWM Ora 5 EV are straightforward. There’s no issue with forward, rear, or side visibility from the driver’s seat.
The front seats come with power adjustment and welcome retract, memory, heating, and ventilation functions. They provide about five inches of headroom. The seatback contours wrap around the torso and offer noticeable lateral support from the side bolsters. Shoulder and back support are adequate, and under-thigh support is sufficient.
Material quality is consistent across the cabin. The dashboard, centre console, and parts of the steering wheel use soft-touch materials. The plastics feel solid. Physical toggle switches are provided for key functions such as climate control, defogger, and hazard lights. The door panels feature gloss-finished trim designed to resemble metal.
At the rear, the floor is not flat and includes a small central hump. Headroom is about three inches. The seatback provides adequate support. With the front seat left in my usual position, rear legroom is sufficient, and there’s around five and a half inches of knee room. Under-thigh support could have been better, though.
Rear seat features include a USB Type-C port, a small storage area for a smartphone, a single AC vent, and seatback pockets. The absence of a fold-out centre armrest stands out in an otherwise well-equipped cabin.
Specifications
The GWM Ora 5 EV measures 4,471 mm in length, 1,833 mm in width, and 1,641 mm in height and has a 2,720 mm wheelbase. It uses a single permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 150 kW (201 bhp) and 260 Nm (192 lb.-ft.) of torque and has a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph).
GWM manufactures the Ora 5 EV in two variants, one with a 45.3 kWh LFP battery pack and one with a 58.3 kWh LFP battery pack. The former delivers a CLTC range of 480 kilometres (298 miles) and the latter 580 kilometres (360 miles). So far, we have seen the company offer only the 58.3 kWh unit in overseas markets.
Release Date
GWM has started testing the Ora 5 EV in Europe and could launch it in the second half of the year, with the UK being one of the first markets in this region.
The company has already confirmed the crossover for select right-hand drive markets in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia and New Zealand, the prices range from AUD 33,990 (GBP 18,022) to AUD 36,990 (GBP 19,613) and NZD 36,990 (GBP 16,114) to NZD 39,990 (GBP 17,421), respectively.
Since 2014, I’ve worked as an international automotive editor, attending global motor shows, industry events, media drives, and tracking the latest developments across the sector, with a particular focus on electrified vehicles.
