Can the ORA 5 become Great Wall Motors' powerful punch in the pure-electric vehicle market?

In the context of the economic downturn, substantial premium has become the winning formula for blockbuster products in all consumer industries. The automotive sector is no exception. In the past few years, A0-class electric cars have quickly gained popularity on the streets of cities, thanks to their economy, style, and environmental friendliness.

Now, as industrial technology matures, products are being upgraded accordingly, and the intense competition in the industry has naturally shifted to the A-class electric vehicle market. BMW's electric Mini and Mercedes-Benz's electric Smart have first sparked a market boom. Subsequently, NIO's "Firefly" from the domestic camp has also made its move, adding more fuel to the market with its emphasis on "safety." As a result, the market has undergone a generational shift from the A0-class to the A-class.

However, it is obvious that high prices, lack of intelligence, insufficient personalization, and concerning safety issues are still the drawbacks left by the insufficient competition in this market. The supply of urban premium A-class electric vehicles remains scarce. The current situation of "luxury brands having premium but lacking intelligence, and domestic brands having a foundation but lacking quality" has created a vacuum for "technology + personalization + high quality," providing fertile ground for ORA 5 to enter the market.

Image source: Visual China

After interviewing the target user group, the author found three major pain points: design needs to break the "homogeneous competition" with "stylization"; technology needs to be implemented with the "substantial premium" from high R & D investment; and pricing needs to precisely target the "value sweet spot."

Previously, when 25 models of ORA Good Cat were launched, the head of the ORA brand also revealed to the outside world that a "blockbuster new product developed with an investment of 3 billion yuan over three years" would be launched in the second half of the year. Apparently, today, ORA 5 is the blockbuster new product mentioned by the brand head. It is reported that the ORA 5 product launch event will be held on September 25th, and the product details will be further unveiled.

Judging from the limitedly disclosed styling outline, stylization will be one of the main labels of ORA 5. Its elegant and smooth lines are destined to break the widespread aesthetic fatigue in the market. With its classic family design expertise, it presents a unique stylized design language.

Premium electric vehicles: The essence of the industrial chain

In the past, "compact cars" were often regarded as "cheap" and "low - spec." To control costs, manufacturers used outdated technologies, ordinary materials, and basic configurations, only meeting the basic travel needs.

Now, with the rapid maturity of the industrial chain and the gradual dissemination of high - end technologies, "compact cars" are bound to start reaping the benefits of technology popularization. Against this backdrop, vehicles in this segment are bound to move towards premiumization and personalization. Outstanding quality will become the entry ticket for compact SUVs, and the survival space for low - quality and low - price products will be further squeezed in the future.

Image source: Visual China

ORA 5 is making its grand entrance against this background.

Its non - conforming design allows ORA 5 to meet the current young consumers' demand for self - expression of personalization, making premium electric vehicles truly become a social currency that can bring emotional value. This also invisibly enhances the overall competitiveness of this new product. Relying on Great Wall Group's more than 30 years of experience in car - making and high - quality supply chain management, we have reason to believe that ORA 5 will become a new disruptor in the premium A - class electric vehicle market, stirring up new market trends and leading the ORA brand to regain its vitality.

Heading towards the high - end: Double guarantee of technology and quality

With the expectation of the global economic recovery, consumers are no longer satisfied with basic functions but are pursuing products with a stronger sense of quality, emotional value, and technological experience.

ORA 5 is the key for the ORA brand to respond to this trend and achieve an upward breakthrough.

As Great Wall Motors' first pure - electric SUV, ORA 5 inherits Great Wall's manufacturing experience in the SUV field over the years. This means it has a solid foundation in terms of body proportions, passability, and practicality, avoiding the drawbacks of "sacrificing functionality for design" that new - force models may encounter.

Official image of ORA 5 with a lidar on the roof

This reliable and mature product system is the first step for it to move towards the high - end.

Today, appearance and configuration alone cannot create a premium car. Safety is just a basic requirement. Intelligence that permeates every aspect of daily experience must become a core configuration. It seems that ORA 5 is well - prepared for this. From the currently exposed information, it is equipped with a lidar, which is rare in its class. Therefore, we can boldly anticipate the high - level intelligent driving performance of ORA 5. Great Wall Motors has achieved "end - to - end" high - level assisted driving delivery in the Lanshan series, and its intelligent driving capabilities have entered the first echelon. If ORA 5 can be empowered by this set of capabilities, it will undoubtedly stir up a storm in the small - car market.

Of course, from the perspective of the whole vehicle, as Great Wall's first pure - electric SUV, ORA 5 is bound to incorporate more technological genes of the group. According to the existing product lineup of ORA, this model should come from a new platform, which solves common problems such as insufficient passability and poor handling stability caused by "raising" a sedan platform, meeting the needs of users for outings and light off - roading.

ORA 5 can directly inherit Great Wall's high standards, avoiding the "production hell" and quality control fluctuations often encountered by new - force brands. More importantly, it also gains the quality confidence to look out to the global market.

Going global: Supported by industrial and overseas user accumulation

Great Wall Motors has been deeply involved in the automotive field, especially in the SUV and pickup truck markets, for more than 30 years, leaving a solid foundation in terms of industry and technology.

These capabilities will ultimately translate into advantages for ORA 5 in the global market competition.

Firstly, Great Wall's operational experience in the global market gives it a profound understanding of the aesthetic preferences, driving habits, and regulatory requirements of consumers in different regions. This experience enables ORA 5 to be designed as a "global benchmark vehicle" from the early R & D stage, rather than just a vehicle for the Chinese market. For example, its styling not only conforms to Chinese aesthetic habits but also incorporates international mainstream design languages, and its space layout and configuration fully consider the needs of global families.

In the overseas market, Great Wall Motors has achieved a cumulative sales volume of over 2 million vehicles, which will serve as a broad user base for ORA 5 to enter the overseas market in the future.

By integrating Great Wall Motors' three - electric technology accumulation and intelligent R & D achievements, ORA 5 has the ability to achieve a balanced development of safety, performance, and intelligence in the compact pure - electric SUV market. The arrival of this model not only verifies the technological strength of traditional automakers in the new - energy field but also, through its popularization strategy, makes high - end technology no longer exclusive to luxury models, providing users with a travel option that combines cost - effectiveness and quality.

The synergistic effect formed by this industrial accumulation ultimately supports ORA 5 to "face the world once it is launched." Moreover, the "5" - series of automotive products are almost synonymous with high - selling models in the industry, and there are still infinite possibilities with series numbers like 3 and 6 in the future. The potential of ORA is just beginning to unfold.