China learns fast: the Ora 5 was tuned in Europe — and you can feel it

© www.gwm.co.th

The GWM Ora 5 enters the Italian market with a clear goal: not to get lost among compact SUVs. The 4.47 m Chinese crossover arrives in three flavours at once — petrol, full hybrid and fully electric — with prices starting from €26,950.

The main bet is generous equipment, unusual styling and a chassis tuned for European roads. Visually the Ora 5 doesn't try to copy the aggressive, sharp-edged crossovers around it. It has soft lines, smooth surfaces and headlights with teardrop-shaped graphics that clearly echo Porsche. The dimensions land right in the C-SUV segment: 4.47 m long, 1.83 m wide, 1.64 m tall, with a 2.72 m wheelbase.

At the rear, the most unusual touch is the light signature built straight into the tailgate glass. The cabin looks pricier than you'd expect at this money. There's a 10.25-inch digital cluster, a 14.6-inch central screen, the Coffee OS system, wireless phone charging up to 50 W and 64-colour ambient lighting. Richer trims add power adjustment, heated and ventilated seats, a nine-speaker audio system, a panoramic roof, tinted rear glass and a powered tailgate.

But not everything is perfect. Almost every function has been moved into the touchscreen, while physical buttons are left mainly for the climate controls. Even opening the panoramic roof means diving into the screen, when a separate switch on the ceiling would be simpler and safer on the move.

The range opens with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine making 160 hp and 270 Nm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch. The hybrid uses the same engine, an electric motor and a 1.09 kWh battery. Combined output is 223 hp and 476 Nm, the 0–100 km/h sprint takes about 7.7 seconds, and the claimed figure is 5.1 l/100 km. On a roughly 80 km test route the trip computer showed around 6 l/100 km.

The fully electric Ora 5 gets a front motor with 204 hp and 260 Nm, a 58.3 kWh battery and up to 435 km of WLTP range. For anyone not ready to go fully electric, the full hybrid looks like the most balanced choice: it often runs on electric power, is quieter in town and needs no charging infrastructure.

The most interesting part is the chassis. The Ora 5 was tuned in Europe by Italian test engineers, and it shows: the steering is firmer, the dampers less soft than on many Chinese rivals, and the car stays more composed through corners. It hasn't turned into a sporty SUV, but the body roll and responses are already closer to what a European driver expects.

In Italy the petrol Ora 5 Origin starts at €26,950 and the Premium at €28,950. The full hybrid opens at €28,600, with the Premium version at €30,600. The electric model is priced between €36,000 and €38,000. At launch GWM is offering the Premium hybrid for the price of the petrol Origin, and the warranty runs to seven years or 150,000 km.

The Ora 5 doesn't reinvent the compact-SUV class, but it shows how quickly Chinese brands are learning: a big screen and a low price are no longer enough — now you have to tune the suspension, build a proper cabin and match European taste.

Earlier reports suggested the GWM Ora 5 Touring could reach Australia as an affordable electric estate.