GWM reveal Ora Cat at Munich Motor Show alongside Wey Coffee 01, and both could be coming to Australia.
Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors is planning an imminent launch into new markets for its new electrified car brands: Ora and Wey. Both will be launched in Europe and the UK soon, but might also be coming down under thanks to the confirmation of right-hand-drive production and interest locally.
The Ora Cat (the Good Cat in China) “has the potential to be a gamechanger”, according to its maker. It’s based on Great Wall’s Lemon platform and promises a maximum range of around 400km.
GWM said earlier this year at a media event in Melbourne it was already considering the Ora brand for Australia and that the Ora Cat/Good Cat was the most likely candidate.
“Well there’s a couple of cars we’re looking into and it most likely is the Good Cat.”
It’s powered by a single electric motor producing 126kW and 250Nm which can send it from 0-50km/h in 3.8sec and comes equipped with numerous driver assistance systems not “seen before in the lower mid-segment”. It costs around $35,000 in China.
Great Wall intends for Ora to become a “completely new lifestyle brand”, and despite its compact size and accessible billing, the Cat comes with much of the advanced technology of the Wey Coffee 01 electric SUV.
While the Wey Coffee 01 will also be produced in right-hand drive and might be an option for Australia, the other model GWM’s local arm is looking into is the Lightning Cat. The saloon-style Lightning Cat has all-wheel drive and hits 100km/h from a standstill in 4.0 seconds.
“We’re looking at the Lightning Cat,” said GWM. “It was a concept car unveiled at the Shanghai motor show and is very close to being production-ready. We’ve been asked by the factory if this is something we would consider.”
It is a strong show from the Chinese car maker which is quickly building its repertoire of vehicles, from Tank four-wheel drives, GWM utes and now fully-electric cars.
Felix Page