In the fall of 2021, Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors took the cat out of the bag: In the future, it also wants to compete in Europe with its Ora lifestyle brand. Cat, the cute compact car with baffled headlights, will be the first model. At the beginning of 2023, everything will really begin, and even the cat will become really cowardly. The new five-door Ora, named Funky Cat, is aimed at fans of compact electric vehicles like the Mini Cooper SE or Fiat’s 500e.
It has been launching in the UK for a few weeks; It is followed by Israel, Sweden and Germany. The Emil Frey Group handles the imports: as Germany’s second largest importer of automobiles, and even Europe’s largest automobile dealer. Surprising: Unlike newcomers like Smart or Genesis, Ora relies entirely on dealer sales rather than trendy online sales.
Covers up to 420 kilometers
It’s not just Funky Cat’s name that’s special: Many of the new Stromers are crossovers for the battery to fit under the body – on the other hand, the Cat is an almost classic compact car with a manageable 4.24m length. The electric motor on the front axle delivers 171 hp (126 kW), enables the 1.6-tonne vehicle to accelerate to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds and achieves a top speed of 160 km/h. There are two battery options with capacities of 46 or 63 kilowatt hours (kWh), for which ranges of 310 and 420 kilometers should be possible. It has a standard consumption of 16.5 kWh per 100 kilometers.
The only problem is the charging capacity. It provides 67 kilowatts (kW) of electronics on a tired DC fast charger. However, a 5G SIM card is fitted as standard for “wireless” quick updates – perhaps Ora will soon increase its charging capacity. Even the top version has a panoramic roof and air-conditioned massage seats, but no leather upholstery. And Ora does not want to frighten customers with too much high-tech: a touch steering wheel, two screens, a traditional switch panel – this is what many traditional models look like. Space fits front and back; 228 to 858 liters of luggage fit in the trunk. However, you can’t take too much with you, as the carrying capacity is 355 kilograms.
The car recognizes the driver
But two functions make the Funky Cat herald a new era of automobiles: It provides access via facial recognition, hidden in the windshield pillar. It automatically adjusts the seats, radio stations, temperature and other functions according to the driver’s preferences. And there is hardly a function that cannot be operated using the voice assistant: the artificial intelligence behind it makes Cat smarter every day. Technophobes can also turn them off and then start the car traditionally again.
In Germany, the Ora Funky Cat should start at the equivalent of about 35,000 francs. Here the cat is as cheap as a Mini Cooper SE or Fiat 500e under a class. The bulging GT variant comes in at the equivalent of 45,000 francs. And in Switzerland? Great Wall Motors and the European branch of Ora are still quiet. But we would be very surprised if Emil Frey didn’t bring Funky Cat to us sooner or later.