The Ora has been a hard sell for Chinese carmaker GWM since it brought the model Down Under last year.
Consistently outsold by the competition, the Ora has been subjected to heavy price cuts – but its fortunes on the sales charts haven’t improved.
GWM sold just 592 examples of the small electric hatch in the first half of this year, while BYD recorded 1249 Dolphin sales and MG soared with 2771 MG4 sales.
Can that discrepancy be explained by differing levels of specification, or is there something else at play?
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Let’s find out by pitting the flagship Ora GT against the mid-spec MG 4 Excite 64.
Both cars are priced just shy of $50,000, and come with similar powertrain offerings. They’re about the same size too.
However, under the surface there’s plenty to distinguish the pair.
Pricing
The flagship Ora GT best compares to the mid-spec MG 4 Excite 64, with both priced around the same mark.
The Ora range kicks off with the Standard Range, priced at $35,990 drive-away, while the cheapest MG 4 comes in at $37,990 before on-roads costs.
There’s a lot more room to spend up with MG, all the way to the $55,990 plus on-roads MG4 XPower.
| Model Variant | Price |
|---|---|
| 2024 GWM Ora GT | $46,990 drive-away |
| 2024 MG MG4 Excite 64 150kW | $44,990 before on-road costs |
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
Drivetrains and efficiency
GWM may adorn its top-spec hatch with GT badging but it’s not a performance car.
Ora 
MG4
With 126kW and 250Nm the Ora GT is less powerful than the MG 4, although it weighs in nearly 70kg lighter.
Not only does the MG 4 pack a bigger punch, it’s also more efficient and has 50km of extra driving range.
Dynamically, the two cars offer different driving experiences with contrasting front- and rear-wheel drive layouts.
| Specifications | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electric | Single-motor electric |
| Battery | 63kWh nickel manganese cobalt | 64kWh lithium-ion |
| Power | 126kW | 150kW |
| Torque | 250Nm | 250Nm |
| Driven wheels | Front-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive |
| Power consumption (claimed) | 16.8kWh/100km | 13kWh/100km |
| Claimed range | 400kW | 450km |
| Max AC charge rate | 11kW | 6.6kW |
| Max DC charge rate | 80kW | 140kw |
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
Dimensions
Proportionally, these cars are very similar.
Ora 
MG4
The MG 4 is longer and taller, but the Ora GT is 12mm wider. It really is a case of splitting hairs though, and the two vehicles share a similar footprint on the road.
Boot space is the clearest differentiator – the MG has nearly 150L more cargo room than the GWM, a margin that grows once you fold the rear seats down.
On the flip side, the sporty Ora comes in 68kg lighter.
| Dimensions | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4254mm | 4287mm |
| Width | 1848mm | 1836mm |
| Height | 1603mm | 1504mm |
| Wheelbase | 2650mm | 2705mm |
| Ground clearance | 145mm | 147mm |
| Boot capacity | 228L/858L | 363L/1177L |
| Kerb weight | 1580kg | 1648kg |
| Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) | 1970kg | 2613kg |
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
Servicing and warranty
GWM offers a cheap maintenance schedule, with servicing capped at $99 for the first five years.
It’s important to note that since the MG 4 has longer service intervals, only two services are required throughout the first five years of ownership.
Nevertheless, the MG is still significantly more expensive to maintain.
MG charges significantly more for each round of maintenance, with an average yearly outlay that more than doubles the Ora.
The Ora has a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and Ora buyers get an extra year of drive battery coverage… but MG counters with a 10-year, 250,000km warranty.
| Running costs | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres | 10 years, 250,000km |
| High-voltage battery warranty | 8 years, unlimited kilometres | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Service interval | 12 months or 15,000km | 24 months or 40,000km |
| 1st service price | $99 | $296 |
| 2nd service price | $99 | $907 |
| 3rd service price | $99 | $296 |
| 4th service price | $99 | $907 |
| 5th service price | $99 | $296 |
| Total first 5 years | $495 | $1203 |
| Avg. annual service price first 5 years | $99 | $240.60 |
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
Safety
GWM’s electric hatchback received a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on Euro NCAP tests conducted in 2022.
All single-motor MG 4 models received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2023 based on Euro NCAP testing.
| Assessment | GWM Ora GT | MG4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 35.29 out of 38 (92 per cent) | 31.64 out of 38 (83 per cent) |
| Child occupant protection | 41.59 out of 49 (84 per cent) | 42.35 out of 49 (86 per cent) |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 40.02 out of 54 (74 per cent) | 40.63 out of 54 (75 per cent) |
| Safety assist | 14.94 out of 16 (93 per cent) | 12.98 out of 16 (81 per cent) |
Here’s a breakdown of the standard safety equipment on each car:
| Safety feature | GWM Ora GT | MG4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 7 airbags | 6 airbags |
| Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) | Yes | Yes |
| Lane-keep assist | Yes | Yes |
| Blind-spot monitoring | Yes | No |
| Adaptive cruise control | Yes | Yes |
| Traffic sign recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Reversing camera | Yes | Yes |
| Surround-view camera | Yes | No |
| Rear cross-traffic alert | Yes | No |
| Parking sensors | Yes | Yes |
| Park assist | Yes | No |
| Tyre pressure monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Driver monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| External vehicle warning sound | Yes | Yes |
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
Standard features
It’s especially true in the cheap electric car segment that the battle for sales supremacy can be won and lost on the spec sheet.
| Exterior | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 18-inch alloy wheels | 17-inch alloy wheels |
| Spare wheel | Tyre repair kit | Tyre repair kit |
| Headlights | Automatic LED headlights | Automatic LED headlights |
| Fog lights | Front and rear fog lights | Front and rear fog lights |
| Wipers | Automatic wipers | Manual wipers |
| Side mirrors | Heated, power folding mirrors with memory | Electric folding mirrors |
| Sunroof | Panoramic sunroof | No |
| Tailgate | Hands-free powered tailgate | Manual tailgate |
The Ora has this category covered.
For roughly the same outlay you get bigger wheels, automatic wipers, a panoramic sunroof, and powered tailgate.
Conversely, the exterior of the MG 4 is no frills, with little in the way of surprise and delight.
| Interior | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Upholstery | Two-tone leatherette upholstery | Fabric upholstery |
| Front seats | 6-way powered driver’s seat, heated, ventilated, massaging front seats | Manually adjustable front seats |
| Rear seats | Two-tone leatherette rear seats | Fabric rear seats |
| Steering wheel | Heated leatherette steering wheel | Leatherette steering wheel |
| Gear selector | E-shifter | E-shifter |
| Paddle shifters | No | No |
| Rear-view mirror | Auto-dimming rear-view mirror | Auto-dimming rear-view mirror |
| Climate control | Dual-zone climate control | Single-zone climate control |
The aforementioned theme carries into the interior, where the GWM packs some extra luxuries.
Powered leatherette seats with all the fruit and a heated steering wheel are unique to the Ora, as well as dual-zone climate control.
The MG 4 comes with fabric upholstery, manually adjustable seats, and single-zone climate control.
| Technology | GWM Ora GT | MG 4 Excite 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument cluster | 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster | 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster |
| Head-up display | No | No |
| Infotainment | 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system | 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system |
| Satellite navigation | No | No |
| Smartphone mirroring | Wireless smartphone mirroring | Wired smartphone mirroring |
| Phone charging | Wireless phone charger | Wireless phone charger |
| USB | 3 x USB-A | 2 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C |
| Sound system | 6-speaker sound system | 4-speaker sound system |
| Key | Proximity entry and keyless start | Keyless entry and keyless start |
You guessed it, another tick for the Ora.
Bigger instrument cluster? Tick. Wireless smartphone mirroring? Tick. Superior sound system? Tick.
With that said, some things can’t be easily measured. For example, this comparison doesn’t account for the usability of interior tech, which varies significantly between manufacturers.
Nevertheless, the GWM impresses on paper.
Do you think the Ora deserves better? Or, does the MG4 deserve its sales dominance?
Interested in a GWM Ora or a MG4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
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