Is 2023 the year GWM brings the Ora Sport to Australia? MG4, Tesla Model 3 electric car rival is ready to pounce

Having taken the decision to launch the Ora small EV to Australia, GWM is now looking to further develop that market space with the more powerful, bigger and sportier model known as the Lightning Cat in some markets.

Tipped to be badged Ora Sport if it does come to these shores, the vehicle is a longer, next-step-up offering from the Ora hatchback and brings with it the choice of a single or dual electric motor layout.

In other markets, the single-motor version of the vehicle boasts 150kW of power, 340Nm of torque and an eye-opening range of 555km (NEDC) from a 63kWh battery.

Potentially of more interest here would be the dual-motor version which uses an 85kWh battery and claims to produce 300kW, 680Nm and can cover up to 705km on a charge.

On that basis, the vehicle would be some kind of small-car performance hero with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds, and would help cement GWM’s new corporate vision of being a major alternative energy player.

GWM has said that if the car was to make it here, both single and dual-motor variants would be offered.

The vaguely retro appearance of the Ora Sport would also be a selling point, and while there’s a bit of Bentley around the tail-lights, some VW Beetle (or Mini, the jury is out) at the front and some three-quarter-scale Porsche Panamera in the side profile, the vehicle is nothing if not interesting to look at.

It would potentially be well equipped, too, with a full panoramic sunroof, heat-pump air-conditioning system and – in the example CarsGuide was shown – an 11-speaker Harmon Kardon stereo.

Inside is a full panoramic sunroof and an 11-speaker Harmon Kardon stereo system.

GWM is typically tight lipped about the car’s chances of making it to showrooms here, but spokesperson Steve Maciver openly admitted that the Australian GWM network was keen to make it a reality.

“We wouldn’t bring them (evaluation cars) out here and let you drive them if we weren’t serious about them,” he told us.

The Ora Sport takes styling cues from Bentley and Porsche.

On the subject of pricing, Mr Maciver was equally guarded, but did admit that based on the numbers being used to help define the business case for the Ora Sport, that it “has the potential to be a performance bargain”.

If the car was green-lighted for Australia, the smart money suggests it would be in showrooms before year’s end.

GWM appears to be placing faith in the view that the Australian Federal Government will implement strategies that will assist consumer uptake of electric vehicles, but has also stated that it has plans to offer as many as 50 new non-ICE models globally by 2025.