GWM Ora: Australia's best value electric car for single/couple buyers who don't go on long road trips

Since launching the fully electric Ora hatchback in Australia mid 2023, GWM has had trouble selling the car, with less than a thousand sold until April 2024.

Perhaps slow sales are because of the Ora’s quirky exterior design which has hints of Mini, VW Beetle and Porsche. Australians have a reputation for being somewhat conservative when faced with unusual car designs.

Another reason could be that car buyers aren’t visiting GWM dealers looking for an electric car because Utes are what the Great Wall Motor brand is best known for in our country.

▶️MORE: The Best EV Deals Available Now in Australia (2024)

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After driving a media review loan Ora Extended Range for a week, I think more people should be buying this electric car.

Based on my driving experience the GWM Ora Standard ($35,990 drive-away) and Extended Range ($40,990 driveaway) are under rated and Australia's best value electric cars for solo or couple buyers who don't go on long road trips.

Of the two the Extended Range is the best value if you can spare $5000 extra, as that buys 110km extra driving range.

Certainly it isn’t perfect but the Ora Extended Range has a lot of inclusions that makes it superior to the BYD Dolphin and MG4 base models which are both similarly priced in the vicinity of $40,000 driveaway.

The 4.235m length Ora is especially suitable for an inner city buyer who has to home or street park in a small space, AC charge at home or at shopping centres etc and doesn’t do long road trips.

GWM Ora Extended Range vs MG4 Excite 51 Comparison

Below I will compare the Ora Extended Range to the similarly priced MG4 Excite 51, Australia’s best selling EV hatchback.

The BYD Dolphin Dynamic base model is excluded from this comparison as has a substantially slower acceleration time to 100km, inferior warranty and shorter driving range compared to the Ora Extended and MG4 Excite 51.

▶️MORE: GWM Ora vs MG4 Specs and Features Comparison (2024)

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Superior ✅

• Cost of ownership for the MG4 in terms of warranty and servicing is good but the Ora is class leading with bargain $99 annual servicing, 8 year unlimited km battery pack warranty and 7 year unlimited km vehicle warranty.
• The Ora has high resolution 360 cameras that help a lot when manoeuvring through tight laneways, parking on the street or in parking lots day or night. The MG4 Excite 51 only has a reverse camera.
• Public charging the Ora at commonly available AC chargers located at shopping malls and curb side can be done at up to AC 3 phase 11kW rate. The MG4 Excite 51 only supports AC 6.6kW rate single phase maximum.
• While the MG4 Excite 51 has some safety features included, the best ones are reserved for more expensive MG4 Essence versions. In comparison the Ora has all safety features standard across all price points including Blind spot monitoring and Rear cross traffic alert.
• Even MG4 fans would agree that the interior of their car is comfortable but basic aesthetically and feels a bit boring. In comparison the Ora extended range I drove is also comfortable to sit in but has a lot more soft touch materials which look nicer so it doesn’t feel like it is the cheapest Australian EV with more than 400km range.
• While 4 adult passengers can fit in both vehicles, the Ora had slightly more legroom in the backseat if I sat behind the driver's seat. In both cases the drivers seat was pushed right back because of my height of 1.91m.

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Inferior❌

• The Ora’s 228 litre boot capacity isn't huge but could fit my Rolser shopping trolley & bags. However the MG4 Excite 51 boot is a lot more spacious at 363 litres and fitted more shopping and holiday luggage in my tests.
• Apple Carplay and Android Auto are available in all versions of the MG4 but the Ora only supports Apple Carplay at present. A GWM spokesperson told me that Android Auto is soon to come for the Ora. Software updates for both cars require a dealer visit as neither support OTA updates.
• The Ora’s GitiComfort 225 tires are not as good as the MG4 Excite’s Continental Premium Contact C. While OK in dry conditions the Giti tyres didn’t handle well in the heavy rain Sydney experienced during some of my testing drives. It’s worth upgrading to better tires and selling the factory fitted ones to other Ora owners who can use them as spares.
• Both the MG4 and Ora default to weak regenerative braking as default every time you start the car. However the MG4 has an option to enable full One Pedal Driving that comes to a complete stop, whereas the Ora Single Pedal Mode only enables medium strength regen braking where you still need to use the brake pedal to stop.

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Similar🤷🏻

• DC fast charging the Ora isn’t speedy with a maximum rate of 80kW only achievable when the battery is mostly empty. The MG4 Excite 51 is also not great at DC fast charging with a top rate of 88kW.
• Both cars are best charged at home or using cheap AC chargers eg at shopping centres. If DC charging choose 50/75kW locations. It’s not worth spending extra to charge at an ultra fast 150kW or 350kW location.

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Verdict

Overall the front wheel drive GWM Ora Extended Range is the best value EV in its hatchback class price point of around $40K, with the longest range, best warranty and cheapest servicing. Buyers just need to be aware of trade-offs such as a small boot and not yet enabled Android Auto.

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The MG4 Excite 51 has a lot fewer inclusions as explained, so it is best suited to buyers who value dynamic handling and superior rear wheel drive experience above all else, as these are the key strengths which have won it many motoring awards.

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