GWM Ora 5 family set to grow in Australia: hatchback confirmed for 2027, sedan under assessment, hybrid question unresolved

What the Ora 5 range expansion means for Australia

The GWM Ora 5 range in Australia is set to grow well beyond the small electric SUV that launched locally midway through 2026. CarExpert reports the nameplate will expand to include a larger SUV body style in the form of the Ora 5 Touring, a lower hatchback, and potentially even a sedan, with the hatch and Touring both due on sale during the first quarter of 2027. CarExpert also understands the Ora 5 nameplate will remain electric-only in Australia, despite hybrid, plug-in hybrid and traditional combustion powertrains being rolled out overseas. ⁴

The expansion story has been circulating in Australian media for some months. A Ground News aggregation of coverage from outlets including PerthNow, The West Australian and 7NEWS summarised reporting that the Ora 5 lineup could expand to include a hybrid and a slightly lower, more hatchback-style version, presented as a possibility rather than a confirmed launch plan, with timing, specifications and pricing not established. That aggregation notes CarExpert first broke the news on May 8, 2026. ¹

On the powertrain question, the two strands of coverage do not fully align. CarExpert's more recent, detailed report states the nameplate is understood to remain electric-only locally, while the Ground News summary leaves open a hybrid Ora 5 as a possibility for Australia. Both positions are attributed to their respective sources; no official GWM Australia statement on hybrid availability appears in this reporting. ¹⁴

The Ora 5 hatch: dimensions, battery and expected pricing

CarExpert details the hatchback as sharing the SUV's footprint at 4471mm long and 1833mm wide on a 2720mm wheelbase, but sitting lower: 1559mm tall with 135mm of ground clearance, against 1641mm and 175mm for the SUV. Pricing appeared on industry guide Redbook earlier this year detailing a $2000 saving over the Ora 5 SUV, but CarExpert understands the lower-riding variant will be priced from even less than the $31,990 drive-away base price listed there, and could potentially start at under $30,000 drive-away when launched in the first quarter of 2027. ⁴

The Australian-market hatch is expected to swap the 58.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery of the SUV for a smaller pack, likely the 45.3kWh LFP unit offered in China. CarExpert notes that in the SUV body style this smaller battery delivers 480km of range under the more lenient CLTC cycle, down 100km on an equivalent model with the larger battery. These figures are preliminary expectations rather than confirmed local specifications. ⁴

CarExpert frames the hatch's positioning against a growing field of electric hatchbacks from Chinese brands in Australia, including the Geely EX2 and GAC Aion UT. The outlet also notes the hatch shares the SUV's polarising rear-end treatment. ⁴

A sedan being assessed for Australia

The most unexpected element of the expansion is a sedan. CarExpert understands a sedan version of the Ora 5, which recently surfaced in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology certification document, is being assessed for a local launch despite having previously been ruled out, with a launch potentially during the first half of 2027. According to CarExpert, GWM sees a market for the body style among rideshare drivers, though it would be a lower-volume model than its stablemates. ⁴

Per the MIIT filings cited by CarExpert, the Ora 5 sedan measures 4758mm long, 1833mm wide and 1626mm tall on the same 2720mm wheelbase, making it 42mm shorter, 42mm narrower but 166mm taller than a BYD Seal on a 200mm shorter wheelbase. In electric form it shares a 150kW front-mounted motor with other Ora 5 family members; a 135kW turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol version is due in China, though CarExpert reports GWM Australia is not looking to expand the nameplate to non-electric powertrains locally. ⁴

CarExpert also documents the market context: there is a gap in the Australian electric sedan market underneath the Kia EV4, currently the cheapest electric sedan at $49,990 before on-road costs, while BYD's Seal now starts at $52,990 plus on-roads after the entry grade was axed. CarExpert's analysis suggests the Ora 5 sedan could become Australia's cheapest electric sedan if priced similarly to the SUV. This is the publication's own assessment, not a GWM statement. ⁴

The Ora 5 nameplate overseas: petrol, hybrid and electric

The breadth of powertrains CarExpert says Australia will not receive is already on sale or announced in Europe. GWM's German press materials describe the Ora 5 SUV as the start of an Ora 5 model family planned for Europe, with combustion, hybrid and electric drivetrains available under its 'All scenarios – All powertrains' principle, and with hatchback and wagon body styles to follow the compact SUV that went on sale in Europe in summer 2026. ³

GWM's German release details the full-hybrid configuration: a 1.5-litre turbo engine, a 1.09kWh lithium-ion battery and a two-speed hybrid transmission, producing 164kW system output and 476Nm, accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds with a combined 5.1L/100km consumption. The electric version carries a 58.3kWh battery with 435km WLTP range, and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a seven-speed dual-clutch completes the lineup. GWM quotes a seven-year or 150,000km powertrain warranty and eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty for Europe. ³

German outlet n-tv, in its review of the Ora 5, confirms the model is offered there first as a petrol from around 26,990 euros or a hybrid from 27,000 euros, with plug-in and electric variants to follow at the end of the year, and a wagon and hatchback due next year. Its testers found the suspension too soft on poor roads and in corners but praised the steering and brakes, and described the well-finished interior with a 10.25-inch cockpit display and 14.6-inch multimedia screen. These driving findings and German prices are specific to that outlet's European-market test. ⁵

Australian Ora 5 today: SUV-only, two grades

The Ora 5 arrived in Australia midway through 2026 in a single SUV body style offered across two model grades, and GWM has delivered 1027 examples so far this year, according to CarExpert. The outlet also notes that despite resembling the old GWM Ora, the Ora 5 sits on a new platform, and that the Ora brand, established in 2018 as an electric-only marque in Australia, has entered petrol and hybrid markets through this nameplate overseas, with plug-in hybrid power to follow. ⁴

On current Australian pricing, CarExpert lists the Ora 5 SUV at $33,990 to $36,990 drive-away. These drive-away figures should be read separately from overseas list prices: in Germany, GWM's official release set the Ora 5 SUV petrol launch price at 26,990 euros recommended, with a 2000 euro launch discount available until August 31, 2026, figures that reflect a different market, tax basis and pricing structure and are not directly comparable with Australian drive-away amounts. ²⁴

The conditions of the German launch offer are narrower than the headline discount suggests. GWM's German release states the discounted 'GO-WITH-MORE' price of 24,990 euros applies to the Ora 5 SUV Premium 1.5 Turbo supplied from importer stock and only while supplies last, excludes transfer or delivery costs, and charges extra for metallic and solid paint finishes other than white. ²

The wagon-style Ora 5 Touring, confirmed for Australia in the first quarter of 2027 according to CarExpert, measures 4758mm long, 1844mm wide and 1630mm tall on the shared wheelbase, and will let GWM field two models in the local mid-size electric SUV segment, alongside the conventionally styled Haval Jolion Max, which CarExpert says is also set to offer electric power here. ⁴