GWM ORA Cat priced in UK

Pricing and specification details of the upcoming 2022 GWM ORA Funky Cat First Edition have been announced for the UK, the compact Chinese electric car’s first right-hand drive export market.

And in what could be good news for Australia, where it’s expected to become the GWM brand’s first dedicated EV later this year, the ORA Good Cat (as it’s expected to be called here) will be priced from £30,495 ($A53,753) after the UK government’s plug-in car grant (PiCG) has been deducted.

With a maximum rebate of up to £1500 ($A2644) available, the 2022 GWM ORA Funky Cat First Edition theoretically carries a list price of £31,995 ($A56,397) in the UK – just £5 shy of the government’s EV subsidy.

New car prices in the UK and Australia almost never correlate to direct currency conversions and there’s every chance that local pricing will actually be less than that, which should ultimately give fellow Chinese brands MG and BYD something to sweat about given lesser variants of the ORA Cat range will inevitably surface Down Under.

For reference, the MG ZS EV is currently Australia’s cheapest EV, priced at $46,990 drive-away, closely followed by another small Chinese battery-powered SUV in the BYD Atto3, which will soon be available for $44,381 plus on-road costs.

Crucially though, the converted UK starting price is well under all of Australia’s state EV incentive thresholds, meaning Aussie buyers should receive the maximum $3000 rebate and other EV perks now offered in all parts of the country.

In terms of the Funky Cat itself, the Toyota Corolla-size electric hatch will initially be launched in the UK as a “very highly specified” Launch Edition variant fitted with almost all of the latest safety systems including, autonomous emergency braking, rear traffic cross alert with braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane centring function, blind spot detection and traffic jam assist.

Also standard is a digital instrument cluster, LED headlights, reversing and 360-degree cameras, wireless phone charging, smartphone mirroring, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, leatherette seat trim, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels.

When the ORA Funky Cat launches in the UK in autumn (our spring), power will come from a front axle-mounted electric motor churning out 126kW/250Nm and drawing current from a 48kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

GWM says the powertrain in this particular application will cover up to 310km on a single charge on the WLTP cycle.

When the battery goes flat, it can be recharged at up to 80kW when hooked up to a DC fast-charger – charging from 15 to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes (claimed).

As usual for an EV, kerb weight is a fair bit higher than a comparable internal combustion vehicle like the Corolla or Hyundai i30, with the Funky Cat First Edition weighing in at a porky 1540kg despite measuring just 4235mm long, 1825mm wide and 1603mm high.

The 2650mm wheelbase results in a sizeable 11.2m turning circle and 228 litres of boot space is on offer within the cabin when the rear seats are in place, or 858L when they’re stowed.

For those interested in performance, the UK-spec First Edition is claimed to hit 100km/h in a claimed 8.8 seconds – fast enough to worry some local ‘warm’ hatches – and top out at 159km/h.

More than 6000 registrations of interest have already been recorded in the UK for the Funky Cat, and a GWM Australia spokesperson confirmed local interest and enquiries for the ORA brand have been steadily flowing in via GWM’s dealer network and customer service departments, but reiterated there were no pending announcements just yet.

“There are no further updates to provide on ORA at this stage, other than the fact that we continue to work through launch plans including timing with our head office colleagues,” they said.

The ORA EV brand was first launched by Great Wall Motors, as GWM was known then, in 2018 and currently sells the ORA Good Cat, Lightning Cat and Punk Cat in China – and now the Funky Cat in the UK.

All four compact EVs are based on the same electric vehicle platform dubbed LEMON, but so far only the Good Cat name has been trademarked Down Under, where GWM Australia has committed to releasing both the ORA and Tank brands in 2022, and where the ORA Cat has been touted as a potential sub-$35K EV.

At this stage it’s unclear whether the local ORA (or Tank) launch will be delayed by the COVID lockdowns that have crippled the auto industry in China and around the world.

“The first ORA model is not yet confirmed and our options are being considered,” said GWM Australia.

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