Chinese giant GWM has been caught applying for a new sales license for the 2026 GWM Ora SUV that could arrive in Australia with a 450km range and a low price of less than $40,000 drive-away.
Built to battle the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and the MG ZS EV, the high-riding new member of the Ora line-up is set to be powered by a single 150kW e-motor.
That’s according to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, that published preliminary vehicle details this week.
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Sharing its retro design cues with the Ora hatchback, the new SUV features the same cute round headlamps and curvaceous body.
GWM’s inbound compact SUV gets a set of standard roof rails, the hatchback’s clamshell tailgate and a rear windscreen that incorporates the taillights within the lower half of the rear glass.
According to the MIIT, the small SUV measures 4471mm long, 1883mm wide and stands 1641mm tall with a 2720mm wheelbase.
Size-wise, the Ora SUV mirrors the BYD Atto 3’s proportions and measures considerably larger than the Ora hatch (4235mm long, 1825mm wide, 1630mm tall with a 2650mm wheelbase).
Early intel suggests, as well as the 150kW e-motor the Ora SUV will come with a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that will be sourced from Honeycomb Energy.
Helping boost efficiency, the Ora SUV will feature next-gen brake-by-wire tech from Chinese supplier Feigetech that will ensure more braking is done by regen, rather than mechanical brakes and pads.
Other new GWM Ora SUV tech includes the brand’s latest driver assist system combining a long-distance roof-mounted LiDAR sensor, extra cameras and side radars.
Export models are expected to do without the roof sensors.
There’s no word when the GWM Ora SUV will land in Australia, but GWM Australia has said renewed Ora activity is due to kick off here in 2026.
The Ora SUV could spark another price war in the small electric SUV segment, with pricing that’s set to dip below $40,000.
That said, the smaller Ora hatch see the hatch now start at $35,990 drive-away which means there’s only so far competitive pricing can go before the small SUV begins cannibalising sales of the entry EV hatch.
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