Great Wall Motor (GWM) is preparing to launch its second right-hand-drive model in the UK sometime in early 2024, and it’ll most likely be the GWM Ora Lightning Cat.
This premium-looking EV has been previewed last year in Thailand with a slightly different name – the Ora Grand Cat. It’s not really surprising as the brand’s first-ever model in Malaysia, the Ora Good Cat, is called the Ora Funky Cat in the UK.
Going back to the Lightning Cat or Grand Cat or whatever it’ll be called once it arrives on UK shores, it’s certainly a more premium and larger EV compared to the smaller and cuter Good Cat. With that being said, the Lightning Cat or Grand Cat will have to put up its paws against some strong competition such as the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 just to name a few.
Looking like a mash-up between the Good Cat, Porsche Panamera, and somehow, a Bentley Continental GT, the bigger Ora Cat model comes with two different powertrains in the local Chinese market – the base single-motor FWD unit with 150kW and 340Nm of torque and the more powerful dual-electric setup (with AWD) that produces 300kW and 680Nm of torque.
An 83.5kWh battery pack is said to offer a WLTP range of up to 600km if you opt for the single-electric motor setup. If it’s speed you’re looking for, the dual-electric motor variant can propel you from 0-100km/h in just 4.4 seconds. Certainly not bad to match the Lightning Cat’s premium specs like a large panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather seats, ambient lighting, and more.
Other premium features include the ORA-PILOT 3.0 driving assistance system (28 sensors, 10 cameras, 5mm-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars & 5G high-definition map) as well as an 11-speaker system courtesy of Infinity by Harman.
As for pricing, the Chinese market is selling the Ora Lightning Cat from 189,800-269,800 yuan (around RM120k-RM171k) but the country’s EV incentives have been included as well. For other RHD markets, well, you can expect those numbers to be a bit higher. The Ora Good Cat in Malaysia is priced from RM139,800 to RM169,800.
