Chinese car giant Great Wall Motors has unveiled the Next Ora Cat, an elongated saloon version of the company's cute, quirky and electric Ora Funky Cat.
While the name might be a little bit amusing, what Great Wall intends to do with the Next Ora Cat is entirely serious; in terms of its size and shape, the Next Ora Cat is aiming squarely for the likes of the big-selling Tesla Model 3, and its appearance in European markets could represent a keenly priced quality alternative to cars from more established car-makers.
Porsche-inspired styling?
Described as a "four-door electric coupé," the Next Ora Cat looks at first glance like a longer, larger version of the Funky Cat with styling that appears to owe more than a little to at least a couple of Porsche models. The looks are smooth, rounded and cutesy from the front with characteristic oval headlights. In profile, the roof curves away, sloping towards the rear in a similar fashion to the Porsche Panamera, with perhaps a hint of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (another potential rival) in there too.
All-wheel drive and 408hp
Supplying power to the Next Ora Cat's two electric motors is an 83kWh battery which, using the more-lenient Chinese testing standard, gives the model a range of up to 430km between charges.
All-wheel drive, 408hp, 680Nm of torque, and a 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds all underscore just how serious the Next Ora Cat is about taking on its rivals such as the Model 3 et al. Company representatives have also suggested an even longer-range version with a larger battery potentially giving the Next Ora Cat a range of up to 700km.
Equipment levels
There's plenty to suggest that the Next Ora Cat will be as generously endowed with creature comforts and tech features as the Funky Cat too. There's a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, for starters, as well as a 12.3-inch central infotainment screen (bigger than the one in the Funky Cat). What's more, the company has said that the Next Cat will stand as the brand's flagship, which probably means that the Next Cat's tech offering will be quite a bit more impressive.
Some of the other standard equipment which has been confirmed includes some level of remote operation via the Ora app, facial identification for opening and starting and a panoramic sunroof.
Is it coming to Ireland?
The Next Ora Cat concept, which went on display at the Paris Motor Show, is described as "near production-ready", though it's likely to be renamed closer to the time it goes on sale (that timeframe hasn't yet been confirmed).
There's a stronger chance than not that the Next Ora Cat will come to Ireland. Its smaller sibling, the Ora Funky Cat hatchback (which made its Irish debut at the Ploughing Championships in September), is due to go on sale in Ireland shortly, priced from €31,995, and both the EV-only brand's offering here and its dealer network are set to expand in time. As such, there's a strong likelihood that the Next Ora Cat will be making an appearance in Irish showrooms in the not-too-distant future, possibly ahead of the arrival of another model, an SUV, in 2024.