GWM ORA 5: An Electric SUV Made for Family Life 

If you’ve been curious about electric cars but assumed an EV would be too expensive, too complicated or simply not practical enough for family life, the new GWM ORA 5 might change your mind.

Now available at Dominelli GWM in Kirrawee, the ORA 5 is a fully electric small SUV that combines everyday practicality with some genuinely useful technology, a generous driving range and a price that makes going electric feel much more achievable.

And when we look at it from a mum’s point of view, there’s quite a lot to like.

A good size for family life

The ORA 5 is bigger than the previous ORA, giving families more interior room and a 362-litre boot, while still being compact enough to feel manageable around the Shire.

That sweet spot matters. You want space for kids, bags, groceries and all the extras that seem to permanently live in the car, without feeling like you’re driving something enormous every time you enter a shopping centre car park.

It seats five and has folding rear seats when you need extra cargo space.

The features mums will actually appreciate

Both ORA 5 models come with a 360-degree camera system, which we’d put pretty high on the useful-family-car list. Being able to see around the entire vehicle makes tight parking spaces, driveways and busy car parks considerably easier to navigate.

The ORA 5 Lux also includes a six-way electric driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 18-inch alloy wheels and a huge 14.6-inch infotainment screen.

Step up to the ORA 5 Ultra and some particularly family-friendly extras appear.

There’s an electric tailgate, very handy when your hands are full, plus driver’s seat memory, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, a panoramic glass roof and an upgraded nine-speaker sound system.

Safety technology includes features such as autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

In other words, a lot of the technology isn’t there just to make the specifications list look impressive. It can genuinely make everyday driving easier.

What kind of EV is the GWM ORA 5?

The ORA 5 is a Battery Electric Vehicle, or BEV, which simply means it is completely electric.

There’s no petrol engine, so no filling up at the servo. Instead, the ORA 5 runs from a 58.3kWh battery and offers up to 435km of driving range.

For mums researching electric EV cars or wondering whether EV cars are good for families, that range is important. It means an electric car doesn’t have to be limited to short local trips. There’s plenty of scope for commuting, weekend outings and everyday family driving between charges.

But how do you charge it?

This is probably the part that feels most unfamiliar if you’ve always driven a petrol car.

At home, the ORA 5 can be connected to a compatible AC charger and charged while it’s sitting in the driveway or garage. Many EV drivers simply plug their car in overnight and top the battery up regularly rather than waiting for it to become empty.

Using a 6.6kW AC charger, a full charge takes approximately 6.6 hours.

When you’re out, you can also use public DC fast-charging stations. The ORA 5 supports charging at up to 120kW, allowing the battery to go from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes under suitable conditions.

For family life, that means charging can become something that happens while the car is already parked, rather than another stop you need to make.

An affordable electric SUV

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is the price.

The GWM ORA 5 Lux starts from $33,990 driveaway, while the ORA 5 Ultra starts from $36,990 driveaway.

That puts a fully electric SUV into a price range that may have families who previously ruled out an EV taking another look.

There are potential savings beyond petrol too. Electric vehicles have fewer moving engine components than traditional petrol cars, which can help keep ongoing running and servicing costs down.

Take one for a drive in the Shire

Dominelli has been part of the Sutherland Shire motoring industry for more than 60 years, and the Kirrawee dealership can help with new and used vehicles, finance, accessories, parts and servicing.

GWM also offers petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, so if you’re not quite sure which direction suits your family, you can compare your options.

If you’ve been searching for an affordable electric SUV for mums or families, this is one that’s worth seeing in person.