MENTION ORA from the GWM range and Good Cat springs to mind with visuals of a compact electric vehicle (EV) with a rounded profile that was introduced here in 2022.
Then there is the ORA 7 sportster that came two years later with Porsche-inspired styling touches and absolute electric power to send the pulse racing.
With hybrid motoring becoming the current trend, GWM believes in staying in touch with market sentiments by introducing its version in the ORA 5 HEV (hybrid electric vehicle), described as a compact urban crossover SUV (sports utility vehicle).
Following its launch at the Beijing Auto Show in April, Malaysian car owners were treated to a preview of the ORA 5 HEV at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show in June.
And to continue that momentum, members of the Malaysia automotive media were given a preview drive of this B-segment crossover SUV in Thailand.
It continues with the rounded profile of the Good Cat but the ORA 5’s taller and bigger body dimensions stand it out on its own.
There seems to be a preference among the Chinese car makers to opt for a body profile that features a tapered upper section, somewhat like a pear.
We are not sure if that would help in body aerodynamics but it does lend a compact visual impression that might endear it to those who would prefer a less wieldy looking SUV.
Nevertheless, looks are deceiving as the ORA 5 HEV is not exactly a small vehicle by SUV or crossover reckoning.
It measures 4,471mm long, 1,833mm wide and 1,641mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,720mm, which is longer than some C-segment SUVs.
Unlike the two earlier fully electric ORA models, the ORA 5 HEV comes with a hybrid platform that sees the combination of an engine and electric motor in what GWM calls the Hi2 Intelligent Hybrid Technology.
The engine is a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit and the electric motor is charged by a 1.09kWh battery; the combined output is given as 223PS (almost 164kW) and a lot of torque at 476Nm.
An interesting detail is the two-speed DHT (Direct Hybrid Transmission) with one-speed that is described as suitable for urban driving being a low ratio gear for quick getaways from the traffic lights.
The other speed is for highway driving being a higher ratio gear, much like what a five-speed or six-speed gear in a normal transmission is designed for; the DHT sends the combined output to the front wheels.
We were given an idea of the ORA 5 HEV acceleration power as well as its handling dynamics at Das Haus, Bangkok, a dedicated premises by an automobile-loving tycoon.
On take-off, we heard slight tyre squeals that was normal with so much torque going to the front wheels but what was amazing were the front tyres squealing again, and louder too, as they dug into the road on the automatic upshift to the second speed or gear.
The ORA 5 HEV is said to do the 0-100kph sprint in 7.7 seconds, making it a reasonably fast SUV for the company that it keeps with.
And true to HEV standards or rather PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) terms, GWM says the ORA 5 HEV has a driving range of more than 1,100km on a single tank.
Its fuel consumption (presumably for the long haul) is 4.4 litres per 100km or about 22.7km per litre and it was awarded a Guinness World Record for achieving 3.74 litres per 100km (26.7km per litre).
This was done recently under observation in China where the ORA 5 HEV covered more than 3,400km in a real-world driving challenge across many municipalities.
The dynamic section saw a brake and turn exercise as well as a short slalom run that gave a good impression of the ORA 5 HEV’s respective functions.
It has MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link suspension design at the rear, and not a Torsion beam set-up as was expected for a B-segment SUV, while the four-wheel disc anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a standard item.
The tyres fitted to the ORA 5 HEV for the Thai media drive were 225/60 R18 Goodyear ElectricDrive SUV rubbers.
The standard tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) revealed that the air pressure for the tyres was within SUV recommendations, about 250kPa.
GWM’s focus for the media drive event was on the fast, smooth, quiet and efficient aspects of the ORA 5 HEV.
The drive from the central area of Bangkok to Pattaya, covering about 300km to and fro, involved mostly tolled highways and a short 20km B-grade section.
For the fast aspect, we had no doubt about that after the earlier acceleration exercise and it came into good effect for very quick overtaking of slower vehicles on the highway.
The highway speed limit is 120kph and often we had to check our enthusiasm as the ORA 5 HEV built up road speed so quickly.
The smooth detail came in power delivery as the vehicle switched easily between engine and electric motor according to drive and traffic conditions.
And when we hit the pedal to pass slower vehicles, we didn’t hear much of the engine as it built up revs to gain speed.
That tied in somewhat with the quiet ambience as wind noise was hardly heard during the few instances of full-bore runs and we could easily carry a conversation among the three of us without raising our voices.
We also enjoyed the ORA 5’s appreciable ride comfort, especially as a rear seat passenger, as it covered the wide variety of terrain with a nicely cushioned effect.
We interpreted efficiency in the way we could drive the vehicle and the layout of the respective controls, either via toggle switches below the central dashboard vents or the 14.6-inch touchscreen multi-info display, which were intuitive and easy to access.
The 10.25-inch driver instrument panel also offered a good share of information with clear graphics, including the GPS direction.
What we felt lacking was the number of UBS charge points, being only two, one in front of the centre console and the other at the rear, in addition to a 50-watt charging panel.
We had to take turns charging our phones and electric appliances, which is not exactly an efficient system.
However, if GWM was referring to the fuel efficiency, then we failed the “test” as we were more bent on enjoying the strong flow of power then to see how far we could go with the full 55-litre tankful.
Despite the robust driving, the indicated range available at the end of the session was close to 600km, which remains impressive.
GWM said during the vehicle preview in June that the ORA 5 HEV could be priced below RM120,000, which puts it at the same price range as the ORA Good Cat.
Another note was that there are plans to local assemble the ORA 5 HEV alongside the Haval H7 Hi4 PHEV, a model under the GWM group, as part of its localisation efforts across different vehicle categories and electrified powertrains.
