Quirky looking GWM Ora 5 BEV ticks most of the boxes

Not all that long ago, an electric car was the reserve of the premium brands and came at a premium price.

More choice than ever before

Now in 2026, there is substantially more choice, and at a substantially better price point thanks mostly to the Chinese.

Priced at R599 900 for the top of the range Ultra Luxury, the GWM Ora 5 BEV represents comparable value when pitted against its main rivals.

Which are the:

• Dongfeng Vigo E3 470 at R579 000,
• the BYD Dolphin at R599 900,
• and the iCaur 03T at R639 900.

Price still rules

But they are lucky if they sell 20 to 30 units of these a month.

Whereas something like BYD’s little runaway success, the sub R400 000 Dolphin Surf sells more than 200 units per month.

For me electric car sales in South Africa are still more about value for money and avoiding expensive fuel than it is about saving the planet and hugging trees.

This said, what do you get when you put your money down for a GWM Ora 5 BEV?

Power and torque

Under the hood, unlike the discontinued Ora 3, which was only ever offered as a fully electric vehicle (BEV).

The Ora 5 range now offers an internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid electric (HEV) and the BEV we drove.

What this means is that you have a front axle mounted electric motor driven by a 58.3kWh lithium-ion battery. This set-up delivers 150kW of power and 260Nm of torque.

On paper this might not seem like a lot. And the hybrid 164kW/476Nm Ora 5 might be the better choice if you are chasing 0-100km/h numbers.

But electricity is instant, and what the Ora 5 BEV offered was more than enough for any commuting duties me and my family asked of the car.

Range and consumption

The claimed range from a single charge is put at 520km. This equates to 15.5kWh of electricity per 100km.

But as we all know… what happens in the real world is a little different.

But not by a whole lot. At the end of the week that we had the car, our consumption number settled at 17.7kWh.

This still meant that we could cover 330km before needing to charge up. And because I have a wall box charger at home. I just plugged it in when it was standing around. And range anxiety was never an issue.

For the people counting pennies. The cost of a full charge at home came in at only R230. And that is substantially cheaper than fuel or diesel.

Interior and space

The GWM Ora 5 BEV is bigger than it looks in photos. Think Toyota Corolla Cross and this will give you some idea.

It is also very Chinese in layout and functionality, which means its takes some getting used to with almost everything being controlled from behind a menu of the big 14.6-inch infotainment screen.

As to be expected, you get the likes of wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a surround view camera, voice-command capability and adjustable ambient lighting.

Safety systems

The car offers an extensive suite of active driver assistance systems including:

• 6 airbags,
• and ABS, EBD, ESC, and Traction control.

While the Ultra Luxury trim brings with it a full ADAS system that offers:

• Forward Collision Warning,
• Autonomous Emergency Braking,
• AEB-Pedestrian + AEB-Bike,
• Lane Departure Warning,
• Lane Keep Assist,
• Lane Centring Keep,
• Blind-Spot Monitoring,
• Lane Change Assist,
• Emergency Lane Keeping,
• and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Verdict

The GWM Ora 5 BEV is well specced, comfortable, easy to drive and easy on your wallet when it comes to daily running costs thanks to a seven-year/200 000km warranty, seven-year/75 000km service plan, and an eight-year/150 000km battery warranty.

It is well worth consideration. But the big questions are? Does it shout loud enough to get your R599 900?

Or will you be better served by one of the cheaper derivatives in the range that do pretty much the same job?