Ora 5 Ultra review: meet cute

Think of the Ora 5 SUV as a Kiwi relaunch for GWM's most quirky brand (it stands for "open, reliable, alternative" in case you were wondering).

Ora arrived here in the heady days of the Clean Car Discount in early-2023, with a compact-hatch just called... "Ora". But despite numerous price reductions, even achieving status as New Zealand's cheapest new battery electric vehicle at one point, it didn't really fire with consumers; or at least not in the way rival SUV models from BYD and MG did.

The OG Ora has been discontinued in NZ, but in its place comes the Ora 5 SUV. In its place, but not a direct replacement: the Ora 5 may look quite similar to the outgoing hatchback, but it's quite a bit larger. At 4471mm in length, it's actually about the size of a Toyota Corolla Cross.

Ora might seem quite a singular thing to us Kiwis, but GWM promises this is the start of a range of models. There's a long-roof version called the 5 Touring on the way, confirmed for Australia (which is essentially head office for NZ) is a lower-riding 5 hatch and there might even eventually be hybrid versions in the mix.

Which does beg the question: what exactly is Ora all about in the GWM scheme of things? We know Haval is focused on crossover SUVs, Tank is off-road 4x4s and Cannon is a ute brand. Ora was originally touted as an EV-only effort, but the potential powertrain choice now includes petrol-electric and GWM is moving pure-electric power into other areas as well, like the forthcoming Haval Jolion Max.

Ora is certainly about a particular (alternative?) visual style and on-road driving, despite the SUV ride height of the 5. It pays not to overthink it; the Chinese market is massive and there's room for endless variations on a theme. The local distributor just picks the models it thinks will resonate here.

The Ora 5 comes in two versions. The entry model is the $36,990 Lux, but our test car is the top Ultra, which costs $39,990. Incredibly, that's about where the smaller Ora hatch bowed out.

On the outside: what are the GWM Ora 5 Ultra's main design features?

In visual terms, Ora seems to mean goggle eyes and an arched roofline. We saw that in the original Ora hatch, models we've sampled that never made it here like the Ora Sport (it kind of looked like a melty Porsche Panamera), and the new Ora 5.

We're not 100% sold on the Mini-meets-Porsche Macan styling, but a car in this segment with polarising looks isn't a bad thing either.

And yes, this new model is bigger than it looks in isolation. Ora 5 definitely has small-car proportions, but when you seen it out on the road it looks strangely oversized and maybe a bit awkward. Does cute city-car style really work on a model in the compact-medium sphere? That's a matter of taste.

GWM is certainly embracing the striking style with a refreshingly bold range of colours, which we love. Our test car is the hero Cute Cyan, but you can also have Flamingo Pink or Emerald Green. Plus the usual white, grey and black. No extra charge for wacky colours either, which is also refreshing.

OVERVIEW

On the inside: what's the GWM Ora 5 Ultra cabin like?

For what's essentially a budget car, the Ora 5 cabin is deeply impressive in terms of styling and quality. The layout sticks to the Chinese-EV template of a big screen (it's really big for a compact car, at 14.6 inches) and not many buttons; but there is a row of Mini-like toggle switches in the centre console and a few neat styling details that give it some character, like the texture along the dashboard and the bronze trim that also highlights where much of the ambient lighting shines through.

Squishy seats are a Chinese-car thing and the Ora 5 serves up sofa-like cushioning, which feels sumptuous but isn't the best for longer trips.

The big screen is astonishingly crisp and quick to respond; it puts the infotainment systems of many luxury cars to shame. The wireless phone projection boots up rapidly and fills the screen, save a dock of often-used functions anchored to the bottom; you can expand the Android Auto or Apple CarPlay display to cover that as well, but not sure why you'd want to do that.

Those toggle switches look interesting but aren't that useful. There are four that handle basic climate functions, including AC-on and Auto, but none that take care of thing you adjust most: temperature. It's a moot point when you have constant access to the controls on the dock, or a capable voice assistant... but it just seems weird.

There are also two customisable shortcut buttons on the steering wheel, with a variety of possible assignments. We settled on one to simply boot up the home screen and another to switch driving modes, but there are multiple possibilities.

The side mirror controls on the doors are conventional fixed switches, which is much appreciated. Hopefully the run of mirror adjustment buried in infotainment OS is coming to an end in new EVs.

It's a spacious car inside, thanks to a long wheelbase. Squishy seats are a Chinese-car thing and the Ora 5 serves up sofa-like cushioning, which feels sumptuous but isn't the best for longer trips.

The Ultra picks up extra equipment like a large panoramic glass roof, rain-sensing wipers (again, an odd Chinese-car characteristic: many don't have this feature), heated steering wheel, heating/ventilation and power adjustment for the front seats including automatic easy-access function for the driver, all-up window controls, ambient lighting and synthetic leather upholstery which scores highly on look, feel... and lack of the weird odour such trim often has.

The boot is class-average (smaller than a Corolla Cross, for example), but you get a double-height floor, and if you look underneath you might get a surprise: a spare wheel, which is a rare thing these days, especially in an EV. GWM says this feature was added after feedback from local (Australian, presumably) customers.

INTERIOR

On the road: what's the GWM Ora 5 Ultra like to drive?

The Ora 5 has a start/stop button, but it's also just twist-and-go: jump in, press the brake and click to Drive. Well, most of the time. We did find it a little fickle in firing up with the "Ready" message when you press the brake, sometimes requiring a lift and another prod.

The driving experience does kind of depend on which buttons you press. You can adjust everything from the steering weight to level of brake regeneration.

When leaving the car you can either hit Stop or simply exit and lock, at which time the car shuts down.

Often, the performance character of an EV comes down not to outputs (because so much torque is delivered instantly) but to the way the power delivery is calibrated. The front-drive Ora 5 makes a healthy 150kW/260Nm, but we reckon it's pretty well-configured for this kind of car. Jab the throttle at the traffic lights and there's a tiny delay that can catch you out, but after that it whirrs up to speed pretty smoothly.

There are four different drive modes. Select Sport and the throttle is noticeably more perky, although it doesn't get rid of that go-delay. But it's still well-calibrated enough to drive around town.

The driving experience does kind of depend on which buttons you press. You can adjust everything from the steering weight to level of brake regeneration.

Is the Ora 5 a city car? Presumably. One of the drive modes is even called City. It that's the case, we'd like the ride to be more compliant, because it can feel pretty busy over rutted urban surfaces.

Urban parking is a doddle thanks to a comprehensive 360-degree camera system, which includes a transparent view of the car.

But don't be fooled by those wide eyes, because the size and impressive 400km-plus range mean the Ora 5 could easily serve as a longer-distance driver. On the open road the ride feels more controlled, although the chassis has a few rough edges. There's early understeer which feels like it might be the tyres more than the car, and mid-corner bumps can get the rear-end rattled.

However, if you can refrain from pushing the car beyond its comfort zone, the Ora 5 does offer a grown-up driving experience. It feels solid.

SPECIFICATIONS

On ownership: what's the GWM Ora 5 Ultra warranty and servicing situation?

The vehicle is covered for 7 years/unlimited km, with separate cover for the traction battery of 8 years/unlimited km. 

Servicing is required every 12 months/15,000km.

On the whole: what do we think of the GWM Ora 5 Ultra?

We'd love a bit more polish to the Ora 5's ride and handling, but you cannot argue with the value-for-money and quality. This seems like a huge amount of EV-SUV for the price: it feels solid and the Ultra (still under $40k, remember) boasts luxury-car levels of standard equipment. You can't get more car for the money in this segment.

We're still not 100% sold on the Mini-meets-Porsche Macan styling, but an EV-SUV in this segment with polarising looks isn't a bad thing either. This colour is "Cute" Cyan, after all: a term of endearment or contrivance?

GWM Ora 5 Ultra FAQs

What kind of car is the GWM Ora 5 Ultra?

A 5-door compact-SUV.

Does the GWM Ora 5 Ultra have hybrid or EV technology?

It's pure-electric.

What’s the efficiency of the GWM Ora 5 Ultra?

It's rated at 15.5kWh/100km on the WLTC protocol.

Is the GWM Ora 5 Ultra safe?

The Ora 5 has not been tested by ANCAP. It gets 5 stars under NZ's VSRR system.

What safety and assistance features does the GWM Ora 5 Ultra have?

What are the GWM Ora 5 Ultra's main rivals?

• BYD Atto 2 Dynamic ($39,990): Similarly mature feel, but this money only gets you the entry version.
• Dongfeng Vigo ($37,990): Dynamically not up to scratch, but super-clever SUV package and features.
• MG4 Urban ($38,990): It's a hatch, so more a rival for the original Ora. But bang up-to-date on tech.
• GAC Aion UT ($39,990): Another hatch, but deeply impressive - although sub-$40k shuts out the top Lux version.
• Jaecoo J5 ($42,990): Getting beyond our budget now, but you can't ignore this top-selling J5 EV.