From GM to GWM: Ora EV switching to factory that used to build Holdens
The Rayong plant in Thailand – which previously produced the Holden Colorado and Trailblazer for our market, before General Motors sold to GWM in 2020 – currently manufactures not only the Ora electric hatch, but also the Haval H6 mid-size SUV and Tank 300 off-road SUV.
However, only the GWM Ora has been confirmed to be switching to Thai sourcing for the Australian market.
The company confirmed the move after the Ora appeared in Australian Government certification documents with a different Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
A GWM Australia spokesperson confirmed the move is due to the Thai plant having production capacity available, and placing a greater focus on right-hand drive production.
The Thai market is right-hand drive like ours, though GWM also builds left-hand drive vehicles at the Rayong plant for Brazil.
GWM upgraded the plant and started production there in 2021, and it has capacity to produce 80,000 vehicles annually. The Ora entered production there in 2024.
It's not the only Chinese automaker to establish a production facility in Thailand, with BYD, MG and GAC also producing vehicles there. However, none of these auto manufacturers export Thai-built vehicles to our market. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Thai-built Oras are expected to arrive in Australia during the third quarter (July to September) of 2025, and the switch in production could correspond with updates for the small electric hatch – though GWM is staying mum for now on any potential pricing or specification changes.
That includes whether the lineup will be adjusted, though the approval documents list Lux, Ultra and GT variants.
Currently, the Ora lineup comprises Standard Range, Extended Range, and Extended Range GT variants. The first two feature the same level of specification, but differ in terms of battery size.
There was previously an Ultra variant, which built on the Extended Range with some additional niceties like heated, ventilated and massaging front seats and a panoramic sunroof, but it was axed for 2024. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Given Australia has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand, as it does with China, pricing won't necessarily be affected simply by the change in production sourcing.
However, the updated 2025 Ora revealed in China – pictured above – features some specification upgrades, including a larger new 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system replacing the old 10.25-inch unit.
The gear shifter has been moved to the steering column, and there's also a revised centre console.
The updated Ora also brings vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging capability, allowing electrical appliances to be powered by the vehicle's battery.
While the Ora is outsold by its key rivals, GWM Australia has said it's not looking to walk away from the model. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
To the end of May, GWM has sold 271 Oras in Australia this year, against 2017 MG 4s and 776 BYD Dolphins.
While MG and BYD also offer a wide range of EVs in Australia and even more in China, GWM has a much smaller reserve of EVs to tap as the company has chosen to put a greater focus on hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.
All of GWM's EVs fall under the Ora brand, and just one of these – the Good Cat, varyingly known as the 03 and Funky Cat in other markets – is sold here as simply the GWM Ora.
Notably, the Ora brand has no SUVs despite significant and growing demand for this body style worldwide. Besides the Good Cat, GWM also has the retro Ballet Cat hatchback and the Lightning Cat sedan.
MORE: Everything GWM Ora
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It comes after the lauded 5.7-litre Hemi V8 returned to the Ram 1500 pickup range following the relaxation of US fuel consumption and emissions regulations, with the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 of the defunct TRX potentially returning next. The news is significant, given the Wrangler Rubicon 392 – a limited-edition model variant name that denotes its engine displacement in cubic inches – was expected to be discontinued after 2023, and had even received a Final Edition. Instead, Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf told US media late last week not only that the 6.4-litre 'Apache' V8 wasn't going anywhere, but would become more widely available across the Wrangler and, for the first time, Gladiator lineups – and potentially other Jeep model lines. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep. Click here to get a great deal. Above: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 "Jeep fans, don't worry, the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 will have a home at Jeep," he said. 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And Jeep Australia sales are down more than 19 per cent despite the Grand Cherokee increasing in popularity by more than 44 per cent to become its best-seller once again, at least until runout stocks are sold and the large SUV is discontinued in this market. Jeep Compass sales are down by more than two-thirds in one of the fastest growing segments (small SUV) in 2025, but a new generation will be released locally in the second half of 2026. Above: Jeep Wagoneer S Confirmed for Australian release back in 2022, the Wagoneer S mid-size electric SUV and the more hardcore Jeep Recon EV, which is expected to launch in the US in November, now appear to be further out than 2026. "For now, we have new Compass coming second half of next year and will update you on the others closer to [launch]" said the Jeep Australia spokesperson. A new Cherokee mid-size SUV will be released late this year in the US but won't come to Australia, although mild-hybrid and perhaps 4xe all-wheel drive versions of Jeep's first EV, the Avenger, are expected to be sold here. MORE: Discover the Jeep showroom Content originally sourced from: Jeep has confirmed its big-bore 6.4-litre Hemi V8 will be offered in the Gladiator dual-cab pickup for the first time, as well as more widely across the Wrangler lineup. It comes after the lauded 5.7-litre Hemi V8 returned to the Ram 1500 pickup range following the relaxation of US fuel consumption and emissions regulations, with the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 of the defunct TRX potentially returning next. The news is significant, given the Wrangler Rubicon 392 – a limited-edition model variant name that denotes its engine displacement in cubic inches – was expected to be discontinued after 2023, and had even received a Final Edition. Instead, Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf told US media late last week not only that the 6.4-litre 'Apache' V8 wasn't going anywhere, but would become more widely available across the Wrangler and, for the first time, Gladiator lineups – and potentially other Jeep model lines. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep. Click here to get a great deal. Above: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 "Jeep fans, don't worry, the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 will have a home at Jeep," he said. "After being out at the Rubicon Trail, it's clear just how much people love the roar of the 392. "We will extend the availability of the 392 Wrangler and, in fact, we will tap the power and performance of the Hemi across Jeep products as new projects are already underway." Jeep's global boss confirmed the Gladiator will also join the V8 club with its own Rubicon 392 variant, which should produce the same 336kW of power and 610Nm of torque as the Wrangler Rubicon 392. Above: Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf "Wrangler and Gladiator fans, and Hemi fans in general, don't worry – we got you," said Mr Broderdorf. However, it remains to be seen whether any V8 Jeeps will be sold in Australia, given the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is so far produced only in left-hand drive and the federal government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is now applying penalties to auto brands that don't meet tightening CO2 emissions limits. "Nothing to announce on the 392s but will let you know if we do," a Jeep Australia spokesperson told CarExpert. Another handbrake in the chances of the V8-powered Wrangler or Gladiator coming to Australia is slowing sales of the former, with Wrangler sales down almost 47 per cent in the first half of this year. In response, Jeep Australia last month axed entry-level Sport S and mid-range Overland variants of the Wrangler, leaving only two-door and four-door versions of its flagship Rubicon trim remaining on sale here, priced slightly lower at $79,990 and $82,990 respectively in updated MY25 guise, before on-road costs. Meantime, the Gladiator dual-cab is available in just one flagship MY25 Rubicon variant that's also priced slightly lower at $82,990 plus on-roads, following a 16.6 per cent sale increase to June in 2025. Above: 2026 Jeep Compass However, the Gladiator remains Australia's slowest-selling pre-existing dual-cab 4×4 ute, with fewer than 200 examples sold so far this year. And Jeep Australia sales are down more than 19 per cent despite the Grand Cherokee increasing in popularity by more than 44 per cent to become its best-seller once again, at least until runout stocks are sold and the large SUV is discontinued in this market. Jeep Compass sales are down by more than two-thirds in one of the fastest growing segments (small SUV) in 2025, but a new generation will be released locally in the second half of 2026. Above: Jeep Wagoneer S Confirmed for Australian release back in 2022, the Wagoneer S mid-size electric SUV and the more hardcore Jeep Recon EV, which is expected to launch in the US in November, now appear to be further out than 2026. "For now, we have new Compass coming second half of next year and will update you on the others closer to [launch]" said the Jeep Australia spokesperson. A new Cherokee mid-size SUV will be released late this year in the US but won't come to Australia, although mild-hybrid and perhaps 4xe all-wheel drive versions of Jeep's first EV, the Avenger, are expected to be sold here. MORE: Discover the Jeep showroom Content originally sourced from: Jeep has confirmed its big-bore 6.4-litre Hemi V8 will be offered in the Gladiator dual-cab pickup for the first time, as well as more widely across the Wrangler lineup. It comes after the lauded 5.7-litre Hemi V8 returned to the Ram 1500 pickup range following the relaxation of US fuel consumption and emissions regulations, with the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 of the defunct TRX potentially returning next. The news is significant, given the Wrangler Rubicon 392 – a limited-edition model variant name that denotes its engine displacement in cubic inches – was expected to be discontinued after 2023, and had even received a Final Edition. Instead, Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf told US media late last week not only that the 6.4-litre 'Apache' V8 wasn't going anywhere, but would become more widely available across the Wrangler and, for the first time, Gladiator lineups – and potentially other Jeep model lines. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep. Click here to get a great deal. Above: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 "Jeep fans, don't worry, the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 will have a home at Jeep," he said. "After being out at the Rubicon Trail, it's clear just how much people love the roar of the 392. "We will extend the availability of the 392 Wrangler and, in fact, we will tap the power and performance of the Hemi across Jeep products as new projects are already underway." Jeep's global boss confirmed the Gladiator will also join the V8 club with its own Rubicon 392 variant, which should produce the same 336kW of power and 610Nm of torque as the Wrangler Rubicon 392. Above: Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf "Wrangler and Gladiator fans, and Hemi fans in general, don't worry – we got you," said Mr Broderdorf. However, it remains to be seen whether any V8 Jeeps will be sold in Australia, given the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is so far produced only in left-hand drive and the federal government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is now applying penalties to auto brands that don't meet tightening CO2 emissions limits. "Nothing to announce on the 392s but will let you know if we do," a Jeep Australia spokesperson told CarExpert. Another handbrake in the chances of the V8-powered Wrangler or Gladiator coming to Australia is slowing sales of the former, with Wrangler sales down almost 47 per cent in the first half of this year. In response, Jeep Australia last month axed entry-level Sport S and mid-range Overland variants of the Wrangler, leaving only two-door and four-door versions of its flagship Rubicon trim remaining on sale here, priced slightly lower at $79,990 and $82,990 respectively in updated MY25 guise, before on-road costs. Meantime, the Gladiator dual-cab is available in just one flagship MY25 Rubicon variant that's also priced slightly lower at $82,990 plus on-roads, following a 16.6 per cent sale increase to June in 2025. Above: 2026 Jeep Compass However, the Gladiator remains Australia's slowest-selling pre-existing dual-cab 4×4 ute, with fewer than 200 examples sold so far this year. And Jeep Australia sales are down more than 19 per cent despite the Grand Cherokee increasing in popularity by more than 44 per cent to become its best-seller once again, at least until runout stocks are sold and the large SUV is discontinued in this market. Jeep Compass sales are down by more than two-thirds in one of the fastest growing segments (small SUV) in 2025, but a new generation will be released locally in the second half of 2026. Above: Jeep Wagoneer S Confirmed for Australian release back in 2022, the Wagoneer S mid-size electric SUV and the more hardcore Jeep Recon EV, which is expected to launch in the US in November, now appear to be further out than 2026. "For now, we have new Compass coming second half of next year and will update you on the others closer to [launch]" said the Jeep Australia spokesperson. A new Cherokee mid-size SUV will be released late this year in the US but won't come to Australia, although mild-hybrid and perhaps 4xe all-wheel drive versions of Jeep's first EV, the Avenger, are expected to be sold here. MORE: Discover the Jeep showroom Content originally sourced from:
