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The IAA Munich mobility fair is currently seeing the arrival in mass of Chinese car manufacturers. Ora, a young brand specializing in electrics, unveiled the Cat 02 and 03, two city cars with a nice face and rather well finished.
Currently, the mobility fair, or IAA, is held in Munich, which presents the various contemporary and future solutions in terms of travel. This first post-Covid show once again shows the challenges of electrification. This is how most of the manufacturers present unveiled 100% electric or plug-in hybrid models.
The Ora Cat 02 is an electric city car offering 300 to 450 km of range.
This electrification, constrained and forced for some European players, on the other hand, is the joy of the Chinese who have never been so numerous to sweep over Europe. Gone are the days when the Landwind, a late Opel Frontera clone and signed by Chinese Jiangling, failed homologation tests conducted by ADAC, the German certification body.
Since then, Chinese manufacturers have learned the lesson and, above all, have learned a lot from their foreign counterparts who came to settle in the Middle Kingdom. Add to that an expertise in electrification and here is China ready to attack the European market without complex. After Aiways, Lynk & Co, DFSK, and to another extent MG Motors, here is Ora.
Created barely five years ago by the giant Great Wall Motors (GWM), Ora quickly rose to third place in the electric vehicle market, explains one of the brand’s managers we met during the show. Great Wall Motors, the largest SUV manufacturer in China, indeed owns the Haval, Wey and Ora brands.
Headquarters and R&D center in Germany
Our interlocutor gives us details of his employer’s strategy for the future. Like Wey, another brand belonging to Great Wall Motors and present at the show, Ora has established its quarters in Munich, bringing together around forty people. Ultimately, they will be 400 employees, notably within an R&D center. The choice of Germany is not trivial since it is considered a priority market, but other countries of the Old Continent should quickly follow such as Italy, Spain and France.
Ora Cat 02 and Cat 03, electric city cars rivaling the Volkswagen D.3
Ora already offers five models in China, but that will not be the case for its European debut. The manufacturer presented on its stand only two models, plus a concept. The Ora Cat 02 and 03 are compact five-door, 100% electric city cars with a futuristic neo-retro design.
The Ora Cat 02 is an electric five-seater city car, a direct competitor of the Volkswagen ID.3. © Ora
The Ora Cat 02 sports a futuristic neo-retro line.
The Cat 02 line is a mix between a Porsche 356 and an Alfa-Romeo Mito displaying 4.23 m in length, 1.825 m in width and 1.596 m in height for a wheelbase of 2.65 m. On the front axle is placed an electric motor of 126 kW (170 hp, torque 210 Nm) with permanent magnets. It is powered either by a 49 or 65 kWh battery (50 min charging time to go from 0 to 80%), while the range varies from 300 to 450 km (WLTP cycles). In addition to the exterior line, Ora has paid particular attention to its interior, the benchmark of which is German premium, dixit our interlocutor.
The interior is intended to meet the standard of German premiums. © Ora
We will quickly forget the speed selection dial and its bling-bling side to focus on the dashboard. It is covered with a fabric of the most beautiful effect and pleasant to the touch, which takes up either the color of the body, or a neutral color such as gray or black. Ditto for the leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.
The infotainment (customizable) is entrusted to a large 20.5-inch HD screen (52.07 cm diagonal), the non-touch part of which corresponds to the instrument cluster. The whole is managed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. Unfortunately, we were unable to test the responsiveness of said screen.
As for driving aids (ADAS), the Ora Cat 02 is based on the expertise of the Israeli Mobileye, owned by Intel. We find in particular a Lidar, ultrasonic sensors (x12), a 360 ° view, an autonomous parking assistant and various other functions such as keeping in the line, assisting with lane change, etc. Note that the updates day will be done remotely via an eSim 4G card.
The European manager of Ora told us that the Cat 02, intended for a population “Young and trendy”, will be offered at around € 30,000, excluding bonuses and aids. Its European marketing should take place in early 2022, knowing that this model is already produced in China under the name Haomao. This includes the Volkswagen ID.3, the electric Fiat 500, the Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e.
An ambiance so british
In addition to the Cat 02, Ora also presented the Cat 03 with a design reminiscent of certain English cars such as the Bentley Continental or the Roll Royce Ghost. The interior is just as luxurious with real chrome counters, a large touch screen placed on the dashboard in a horizontal position, as well as an XXL neo-retro center console.
The Ora Cat 03 is a more opulent electric compact.
The Ora Cat 03 has a somewhat British design.
Under the hood, two electric motors deliver 408 hp (torque of 680 Nm and maximum speed of 160 km / h) powered by an 82 kWh battery. The announced autonomy is 450 km. However, the price is still unknown to us.
Undoubtedly, Ora is blowing a breath of fresh air with its Cat 02 and 03 whose design would undoubtedly appeal to Lucas de Meo, the CEO of Renault, for whom electric vehicles must be “Beautiful and emotional cars” rather than “Refrigerators on wheels”. As for us, we can’t wait to test these Ora.
Ora presented a sporty Cat Concept.
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