GWM Ora priced under $45,000 drive-away

The entry-level EV market is hotting up.

GWM has fired a shot across the bows of fellow Chinese brand MG by stealing the title of Australia’s cheapest EV with the new 2023 GWM Ora, priced from $43,990 plus on-road costs or $44,490 drive-away.

But there’s a catch.

You can only hit the road in the cheapest version of the small electric hatchback for under $45,000 in the Northern Territory, with GWM Australia announcing different drive-away prices for each state and territory due to their varying statutory on-road costs.

See the entire GWM Ora price list across the three-variant range below, but in Australia’s most populous states – New South Wales and Victoria – drive-away prices for the entry-level Ora are $45,550 and $47,234 respectively.

The GWM Ora joins a handful of budget-priced EVs in Australia, chief among them being Chinese-built small SUVs in the MG ZS EV ($46,195 drive-away) and BYD Atto 3 ($48,011 plus ORCs).

You can also lump in the Nissan LEAF ($50,990 plus ORCs) and MINI Electric ($55,650 plus ORCs), but while the Ora’s design appears to be inspired by the iconic British supermini, it is a significantly larger vehicle than the MINI hatch.

With Australian pricing and specs announced this afternoon, the local order book is now open for the new GWM Ora, first customer deliveries of which will begin in April.

The Toyota Corolla-sized five-seat, five-door small hatchback, which features a retro cabin design but twin digital screens and an extensive array of semi-autonomous driving aids, offers a 310km (WLTP) range from its 48kWh lithium-ion battery pack and single front-mounted electric motor (126kW/250Nm).

It’s bigger than a VW Golf in every dimension except its length (4284mm), measuring 4235mm long, 1825mm wide and 1603mm high and riding on a 2650mm wheelbase.

Three 2023 GWM Ora model grades will be available in Australia, starting with the entry-level Ora hatch ($43,990 plus ORCs) with a 310km range, the Ora Extended Range ($47,990 plus ORCs) with a 420km range and the Ora GT ($53,900 plus ORCs), which is good for 400km according to GWM.

The Ora GT will be released at a later date that’s still to be confirmed by GWM and along with the Extended Range model gets a larger 63kWh battery to extend its cruising range.

GWM says battery charging times are around five hours via a 6.6kW wall box, just over three hours with an 11kW charger and 42 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent charge using a 100kW DC fast-charger. However, the vehicle’s 400V architecture has a maximum charging rate of 64kW.

The GWM Ora and GWM Ora Extended Range are identically equipped except for the battery size and the generous standard kit list includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED tail-lights and LED daytime running lamps.

Inside, buyers will be greeted by a pair of 10.25-inch digital screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, power-adjustable synthetic leather-clad front seats, a 360-degree surround-view camera and rear parking sensors.

Safety equipment includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and junction crossing detection), adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, plus lane keeping and lane centring assistance.

A blind spot detection system, rear cross traffic alert and traffic sign recognition with real-time speed limit data are also part of the package, as is a camera-based driver drowsiness system.

Also standard is a keyless entry and buttonless start system, requiring drivers to simply unlock the door, sit in the seat and shift the vehicle into drive.

In addition, GWM Ora GT variants come with unique 18-inch GT alloy wheels and a sports body kit comprising sportier front and rear bumpers and grille, plus red brake callipers, a powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, auto parking system and slightly sportier suspension and e-motor tunes.

Several examples of the 2023 GWM Ora have been Down Under for the past few months undergoing local testing, but GWM Australia’s communications chief Steve Maciver told carsales that locally-delivered cars would not get a unique chassis tune like models from some brands such as Kia.

“From a development perspective, we haven't necessarily gone down the path of driving thousands and thousands of kays in all these models for a specific Australian tune,” he explained.

“What I will say is that there has been a group of engineers here in Australia in recent months, doing significant local testing on Ora, including durability testing, understanding the conditions, and that will all be feeding back into the overall product that’s being developed.

“That's something we hope to see continuing but again, that’s all feeding back into a global program, not necessarily something specific just for Australia,” said Maciver.

Five exterior colours will be offered, all of which are two-tone via contrasting roofs, including Hamilton White, Sun Black, Glacier Blue, Mars Red and Aurora Green. All colours except Hamilton White cost an extra $595. All models come with black cabin upholstery except Aurora Green vehicles, which get turquoise interior trim.

Named the Ora Funky Cat in the UK and the Ora Good Cat in other markets, the GWM Ora is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty while the battery pack gets an eight-year warranty.

The small electric hatch is also covered by roadside assistance and capped price servicing for five years, with service intervals set at 12 months or 15,000km. At the time of writing GWM Australia had not confirmed service pricing.

Check out our reviews section to see what we thought of the new GWM Ora during our first Australian preview drive.

How much does the 2023 GWM Ora cost?
Ora Standard Range – $43,990
Ora Extended Range – $47,990
Ora GT – $53,990
* National list prices excluding on-road costs

How much does the 2021 GWM Ora cost on the road in your state?
Ora Standard Range
NSW – $45,550
ACT – $45,137
QLD – $46,114
SA – $46,891
TAS – $45,090
WA – $47,891
VIC – $47,234
NT – $44,490

Ora Extended Range
NSW – $49,550
ACT – $49,137
QLD – $50,194
SA – $51,051
TAS – $49,090
WA – $52,403
VIC – $51,402
NT – $48,490

* Drive-away prices

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