GWM Philippines has been on a streak lately with vehicle launches and previews. Just at this year’s Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), they previewed not one, not two, but three vehicles in total. These were the Haval H7 PHEV, the GWM Ora 5 EV, and the mighty Tank 700 4x4 PHEV.

Shortly after, GWM officially launched the Haval H7 HEV/PHEV with a starting price of less than PHP 1.3 million and has even added the Ora 5 EV on its website with a range of up to 580 km. Clearly, GWM Philippines is letting everyone know they have plenty of vehicles in-store for this year and perhaps the next.

While we already know the Ora 5 will make its Philippine debut soon, they may also want to bring its PHEV variant. That’s right, the Ora 5 crossover SUV is set to get a plug-in hybrid version after the PRC’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed its existence ahead of its official debut in China.

Based on the MIIT’s recent publications, the Ora 5 PHEV will be longer than the EV version. According to data released by the agency, the Ora 5 PHEV will measure 4758mm long, 1833mm or 1844mm wide (depending on the configuration), and 1630mm tall on a 2720mm wheelbase. In comparison, the PH-spec Ora 5 EV comes in at 4471mm long and carries over the rest of the exterior dimensions.

While it was not explained as to why the PHEV variant is longer, perhaps the most obvious reason is the addition of a fuel tank besides the battery pack that powers an electric motor, which we’ll get to later.

Design-wise, the Ora 5 PHEV largely gets the same exterior styling as the EV variant. However, it gets a different tailgate and taillight design. Unlike the hatchback-like taillights of the Ora 5 EV, the PHEV model gets full-width LED taillights that appears to have been inspired by a certain Stuttgart crossover SUV. As for wheel sizes, the Ora 5 PHEV will reportedly get a choice of 18-inch alloy wheels with two tire sizes: 215/50 and 225/60.

The Ora 5 PHEV’s powertrain will apparently be called “Hi2”, which is likely a derivative of the brand’s Hi4-T and Hi4-Z PHEV technologies found in the Haval vehicles. The system consists of a 1.5L turbocharged engine that makes 156 PS.

However, the electric motor and battery size have yet to be revealed, including the EV and combined system ranges. However, the official filings did say it will have a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

Like most plug-in hybrids today, we can expect the Ora 5 PHEV to deliver more than 100 km of EV range and perhaps over 1,000 km of total system range with a fully charged battery and a full tank of gas.

With the GWM Ora 5 PHEV already revealed by the PRC’s MIIT, an official launch in China might not be too far away. Does this mean we can expect the PHEV to be offered alongside the EV version here in the Philippines in the near future?

Source: MIIT via CarNewsChina