GWM plans Bulgarian ORA 5 production in 2027 and at least 10 new models and derivatives

Great Wall Motor plans to begin building the ORA 5 in Bulgaria in the first quarter of 2027 as part of a broader European expansion combining local manufacturing, European product development and a larger model range. The company outlined the strategy at the GWM H7’s European launch in Milan on October 27, 2026. Its announcement, published on November 3, sets out planned annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles through a partnership with Bulgarian Automotive Industry (BAI). (gwm-global.com)

Bulgarian production anchors the expansion

GWM identifies the ORA 5 as the first model in its new European manufacturing programme. Having first shipped vehicles to Europe in 2006, the company now intends to add production closer to its customers rather than rely solely on imports. The 50,000-unit figure represents planned annual manufacturing capacity, not a confirmed production volume or sales forecast. (gwm-global.com)

The product plan calls for at least 10 new models and derivatives over the next two years, rather than 10 entirely separate new vehicles. GWM also envisages integrated European industrial parks covering both vehicle and component production, with expansion taking place in stages alongside the model range. The announcement does not provide a detailed timetable for those wider industrial investments. (gwm-global.com)

Munich feeds European requirements into development

Opened in 2021, GWM’s Munich R&D Centre researches local demand, handles regulatory compliance and validation work, and contributes to product decisions from the beginning of each project. According to the company, European teams completed more than 100,000 kilometres of road testing and thousands of hours of customer research for the ORA 5 and H7, with work targeting the chassis, steering, powertrain and seats. GWM says its wider development organisation includes more than 28,000 R&D staff and annual R&D investment exceeding €1.3 billion. (gwm-global.com)

Chief Technology Officer Nicole Wu describes the approach as incorporating European market requirements into products from the outset, rather than adapting them only after development. Thomas Schemera, GWM’s EU Product General Manager, similarly argues that a vehicle’s performance in China does not automatically mean it will meet every European expectation, pointing to the different demands of German motorways and Italian mountain roads. (gwm-global.com)

France and further markets remain on the agenda

On the commercial side, GWM says it operates subsidiaries in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands and is preparing to enter France and additional markets. The announcement does not specify an exact production start date within the first quarter of 2027, European pricing for the ORA 5 or country-by-country sales schedules. For now, the clearest commitments are the planned Bulgarian production launch and the two-year expansion of the European range. (gwm-global.com)