The GWM Ora Good Cat EV has landed on all fours in Australia, with the electric hatchback spied outside the company’s headquarters in Victoria.
These photos obtained by CarExpert show a right-hand drive version of the small EV wearing Victoria registration plates, which is here for local testing and evaluation purposes.
At the rear, the spied vehicle wears GWM, Ora and Good Cat badges.
Good Cat is this car’s name in China, while in the UK it’s called the Funky Cat.
CarExpert understands local naming has yet to be confirmed. It was previously understood the vehicle could simply be called the GWM Ora Cat or Cat 01 in Australia.
A trademark application has been submitted for the Good Cat name but according to IP Australia said trademark has been opposed by Caterpillar, which produces construction and mining equipment.
Whatever it’s called, the vehicle you see here is expected to be the first GWM Ora vehicle sold here. The brand was launched in China in 2018 and its lineup also includes the retro Ballet Cat.
“Ora remains very firmly in our sights for Australia although timing still remains under discussion,” said a spokesperson for GWM Australia.
“However, our local testing and validation continues and I can confirm we have our first Ora here on the ground to help firm up the business case.
“We’ve been impressed with what we see and we’re quietly confident new car buyers will be too. But let’s wait and see what the coming months hold.”
GWM Ora vehicles are expected to arrive in Australia in 2023 along with their polar opposites: the burly, body-on-frame SUVs of the GWM Tank brand.
The Good Cat will battle the likes of the upcoming MG 4 EV and BYD Dolphin/EA1 (plus the on-sale BYD Atto 3) at the low-end of the EV market.
Specifications published on the brand’s UK website show the GWM Ora as having a 48kWh battery with a claimed range of 310km on the stricter WLTP test cycle. A larger 59kWh battery is available in China.
The hatchback features a front-mounted electric motor with 126kW of power and 250Nm of torque, good for a 0-100km/h time of 8.3 seconds.
It can be charged at up to 11kW on AC power and 80kW on DC power.
It’s 4235mm long on a 2650mm wheelbase, about bang-on the same dimensions as a Volkswagen Golf 8, and weighs a fairly light 1555kg. It also sits on a bespoke electric-only architecture and uses MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension.
Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
There’s 228L of boot space, expanding to 858L with the rear seats folded.
At least in the UK and China, there are striking two-tone green/white and red/white interior colourways available.
It’s launching in the UK with a First Edition, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-centring, traffic jam assist, rear cross-traffic assist, LED headlights, power front seats, wireless phone charging and a surround-view camera.
With a price tag of £31,995 (A$54,707), that puts it almost directly against the top-spec MG 4 EV Trophy.
In addition to launching the Ora brand in the UK and Europe, Great Wall Motor also has a 50:50 partnership with BMW in China and the two carmakers are building a plant to make electric variants of BMW’s Mini brand and Great Walls from 2023.
MORE: Brand Overview: Ora
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