NZ-bound Ora 5 Touring body gains plug-in hybrid option in Chinese filings

The plug-in hybrid Ora 5 wagon that has just surfaced in Chinese regulatory filings looks to be more than a China-only curiosity: its body is already effectively locked in for New Zealand, and GWM signalled at the Ora 5’s local launch that a second powertrain was under study.

The unnamed variant appears in the latest new-vehicle catalogue published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the regulatory step that precedes a model going on sale. Chinese media expect it to launch there as the Ora 5 GT, a name GWM teased in July alongside a Sport trim.

It would be the first plug-in hybrid to wear the Ora badge, until now GWM’s electric-only brand, and the second time in a week a Chinese EV marque has been revealed adding petrol assistance to its range, following Zeekr’s confirmation of Super Hybrid models for New Zealand.

The filing lists the wagon at 4758mm long, 1833mm wide and 1630mm tall on the standard car’s 2720mm wheelbase. Those dimensions match the Ora 5 Touring previewed to New Zealand media at the Ora 5’s launch, which is due here in early 2027 as a battery electric model with a 71.7kWh pack and 435km WLTC range, stepping the nameplate up into Tesla Model Y territory.

Speaking at that launch, GWM head of market and product planning Samuel Mulkearns described the Touring as “pretty much locked in” for New Zealand, and indicated GWM was studying an additional electrified variant for the model. The MIIT filing appears to reveal exactly what that variant is.

The plug-in hybrid pairs GWM’s GW4B15M 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, producing 115kW, with the company’s Hi2 hybrid system, the same badge worn by the brand’s Haval PHEVs. Top speed is listed at 190km/h, while electric motor outputs and electric-only range are not disclosed.

One detail stands out to battery watchers: the LFP cells come from CATL rather than GWM’s usual in-house supplier Svolt.

The filing’s options sheet points upmarket, listing LiDAR, front and side radars and side-view cameras for higher trims, along with two 18-inch wheel designs and roof, trim and mirror choices. The rear gains a through-type taillight and GWM lettering, while the front end carries over from the electric car.

There is no confirmation the plug-in hybrid will join the battery electric Touring in New Zealand. GWM NZ country manager Cameron Thomas has said the brand is being deliberate about which Ora models it brings here from a wide international line-up, betting on where the opportunities are rather than flooding the market. With the standard Ora 5’s first shipments selling out from its $36,990 starting price, and plug-in hybrids central to GWM’s wider NZ range, the case would not be hard to make.