GWM confirms the launch of the Ora 5 SUV in Europe this coming summer

The Ora 5 SUV will go on sale in Europe this coming summer, as the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor has just confirmed. The launch of this compact model will be only a first step in the Chinese manufacturer’s expansion strategy on the continent, whose intention is to offer a wide range of vehicles over the medium term.

The truth is that Great Wall Motor has been present in Europe for several years, but its results have so far been rather unsatisfactory. The merger at the end of 2023 of the Ora and Wey brands under the main GWM umbrella failed to deliver the expected boost, and the aggressive discount campaigns applied to the Ora 3 compact electric car barely managed to improve sales.

Faced with this situation, last October the company presented a new expansion strategy. GWM will diversify its offering to include not only fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, but also conventional hybrids and vehicles with internal combustion engines. Additionally, the Chinese manufacturer will introduce the Haval brand in Europe, specialising in pure SUVs, while the Ora sub-brand will remain focused exclusively on electric models.

The first of several new GWM models yet to come

Last November, GWM presented the Ora 5, its first new model in the last two years. It is a compact SUV measuring 4.47 metres in length, which we now know will go on sale in Europe this coming summer. Other models will follow later, including a hatchback and an estate, with the aim of covering the needs and usage scenarios of different types of customers.

In terms of technical specifications, the Ora 5 stands out for its wide range of powertrains. Alongside the fully electric version, equipped with a 58.3 kWh battery pack thanks to which it can travel up to 435 km on a single charge under the WLTP homologation cycle, this model will also be available with a hybrid powertrain and with a conventional combustion engine with no electrification whatsoever. This flexibility will allow it to compete more strongly in the demanding compact SUV segment.

To adapt to the expectations of European customers, Great Wall Motor has improved some of the Ora 5’s key aspects, offering a high level of interior comfort, excellent acoustic insulation and advanced safety systems, while also using pleasant-to-touch sustainable materials.

Additionally, the company will offer an extended warranty to earn the trust of European customers, with 7 years or 150,000 km for the powertrain and 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery pack in the electric version. For the time being, no price list for the different versions of the Ora 5 has yet been disclosed, but this is something we will learn shortly before this summer, when the date of its launch on the European market approaches.