The electric compact from China weaves through the districts, while the navigation, which the driver can give his own name, finds the way! Colleagues from the German Audi Bild tested an interesting car, referring to the legendary Beetle.
What is certain is that the ora will cause a stir among the competition, at least from Volkswagen and Renault. It targets exactly their target groups. Ora Funky Cat, originally debuting under the name Ora Cat and presented at the Munich Motor Show last year, comes from the workshop of the Great Wall concern. The fully electrified hatchback with a length of 4.26 meters thus belongs to a group that sold more than one and a quarter million vehicles last year.
It will definitely take a while for the driver to get used to a pleasant female voice urging him to pay attention in traffic. It happens as soon as a person turns his eyes for a second to the seat next to him or to other events outside. The car finds this out very simply: the cabin is monitored at all times by a miniature camera built into the left A-pillar. In addition, it immediately recognizes who is holding the steering wheel and accordingly adjusts the seat and air conditioning, respectively the choice of music. But the driver is not deprived of the initiative: he can join the conversation and, moreover, name the virtual lady as he likes, for example “Olinka” or “Ms. Nováková”.
Funky cat means fun or funny cat in translation, and some elements of the exterior are adapted to this name. The pair of front reflectors together with the rounded hood profile are reminiscent of British Mini cars. Looking at the round rear, you might think of a comparison with the popular VW Beetle. The Chinese call its shape “retrofuturistic” and assume that it will suit the taste of the average European.
In the middle of last year, Ora Funky Cat began to be sold on the British market, in 2023 its sales are to be expanded to other European countries, including Germany. Great Wall sees exports to this automotive power very optimistically, it intends to sell 6,000 units here this year. That Ora is serious about the European market is also signaled by its latest venture, the Next Ora Cat concept, which debuted at last year’s Paris Motor Show. Also in its shapes it is possible to find at least the inspiration of the models of the most famous brands. We will just add that the distribution on the old continent is to be handled by the Emil Frey group.
The test ora is still only a prototype, so it is not possible to say with a guarantee which systems will make it to the starting versions. With this in mind, we turn to the dashboard and say: “Hello, Olinka, take us to Pařížská klady 17 in Prague.” About ten seconds pass before things start moving. At the same time, the virtual “miss” opens the trunk lid, it takes three seconds, after another three the lid closes again. Voice commands can also be used to control the heating, opening and closing of the windows or the massage functions of the seats. If the driver gets stuck in a traffic jam, he can play a game or “Miss Olinka” will tell him anecdotes on request. We assume decent…
The behavior on the road was tested excellently by the classic district with many turns, ascents and descents, in addition, wet and rain-slicked in places. After a while, we realized that the Chinese will still have to work on the ory cat’s driving characteristics! In addition, the 215/50 R 18 tires bearing the Giti brand would need slightly better adhesion properties. This deficiency affected stability, so the gas pedal had to be handled very delicately. Otherwise, the oar immediately became understeer, the bow immediately showed a tendency to move tangentially. Fortunately, the ESP intervened, but the driver still had to counter with the steering wheel to maintain the driving track. We call for improvement!
What is already fixed? Above all, the purely electric power of 126 kW, easy driving and such a chassis setup that the car is extremely pleasant to drive in standard situations. A battery with a capacity of 48 kWh means a range of 310 kilometers, a battery with 64 kWh adds at least another 100. However, both sources have one shortcoming: the maximum charging power is only 67 kW. As a result, a smaller accumulator can be charged from zero to eighty percent in 50 minutes, a larger one in up to an hour!
In terms of comfort and space, there is nothing to complain about. Even after sitting for a long time, no one is broken, there is enough space for legs and heads. Only the mini-style luggage is not only small, but also impractical for loading. On the other hand, thumbs up for the materials used – everything that a person can or must touch is softly upholstered, often even with premium materials.
As for the price, we can only speculate for now. The Ora Funky Cat with a smaller battery should not cost more than 36,000 euros in the basic version, the price of the version with a 64 kWh battery will probably reach 40,000. It’s not a charm, but the future owner has to reckon with it. Already because he will have a virtual miss exclusively for himself. Then the only thing left to worry about is that the on-board conversation does not turn into an addiction…
Conclusion
China started to build a style car! Ora Funky Cat surprises with high-quality workmanship, offers plenty of space and excellent multimedia. However, it still has weaknesses in driving performance. And she is expensive!
| Ora Funky Cat (battery 48 kWh) | |
| Motor | electric motor on the front axle |
| Performance | 126 kW |
| Transmission | automatic |
| External dimensions | 4235 x 1825 x 1603 mm |
| Standby weight | 1540 kg |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h | 8,3 s |
| Maximal speed | 160 km/h |
| Standardized consumption | 16,7 kWh/100 km |
| German price | 36 000 eur |
Author: Pavel Kopacek
Source and photo: Car picture
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2023-05-21 09:43:24