Ora Funky Cat - expensive toy or serious small car?

Ora Funky Cat - expensive toy or serious small car?

The Ora Funky Cat is supposed to score points with its funny name and whimsical design. Can the Chinese company Great Wall Motor win over Germans with such a concept? ntv.de has tested the small car extensively.

You might come across a car these days that somehow looks familiar. But it's not so easy to identify. It's a playful small car that likes to appear in pastel shades and somehow wants to be a cross between a Mini and a Beetle. It looks modern, but has a retro feel. And the former Porsche creative mind Emanuel Derta is also said to be involved in the design.

Still no idea? "Ora" is emblazoned in large letters in the middle of the boot lid, with "GWM" in smaller letters at the bottom right. On the Ora website (Ora is a brand of the Chinese group Great Wall Motor), the small car still trades under the model name "Funky Cat", but according to media reports, this name is up for discussion. That's a shame, because it sounds funny. How this crazy or, depending on the interpretation, shrill or even grumpy cat (certainly not intended by the manufacturer) will really be received by customers is questionable. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, there are already over 4,000 of them on the roads in Germany, but they are suspiciously often registered in Hamburg, which suggests that they are rental cars.

Nevertheless, curiosity about the small car is slowly growing. All right, here we go. The passenger is greeted by decent seats and a spacious interior with a large center console. In the "GT" configuration of the test car, there is also a fun red trim on the dashboard, seats and door panels plus expressive seat belts in the same shade (corresponding with the red accent parts on the outside), which also feature visually staged stitching. And attention, infotainment fans! You get a large screen landscape with a dual monitor similar to the Mercedes widescreen.

That's all quite neat, but let's take a look at the price list. The Funky Cat starts at 38,990 euros, which is not exactly a bargain price. However, Ora would like to see 49,490 euros for the admittedly well-equipped "GT". Really? The piquant thing is that there is a connection to the BMW Group. Mini will be using the platform on which the Funky Cat is based for its upcoming electric small car version.

Logically, the Mini engineers will still have a hell of a lot of fine-tuning to do. Perhaps Ora should simply have the interior designed by Mini in return? The cat simply can't match the finish and sophistication of the Brits. Even the four retro switches in the center console look rather cheap. In such a case, it's better to leave them. You can of course do this, but the price doesn't match the product.

Charging performance no longer state of the art

The company should also take further steps in terms of operation and infotainment. Why can't you get out of the Apple CarPlay menu by command again? Why can't you accurately select the desired interior temperature on the touchscreen? Why is the digital radio reception so poor? These are questions that Ora will be confronted with by customers.

And the question of why you have to wait so long at the charging station with the Stromer will also be unavoidable. In addition, even with a cautious driving style, it was not possible to achieve the stated 400 kilometer range with a net battery capacity of 59 kWh - at temperatures well above freezing, mind you.

Yes, a small car may not be a long-distance car in the first place. But if you can't even top up the energy for a range of 100 kilometers within 20 minutes at the DC charger, that's simply no longer state of the art these days. Even an unpretentious Opel Corsa, which starts at 34,650 euros, allows 100 kW peak charging power (Funky Cat: 67 kW). Not to mention the upcoming electrically powered Citroën C3 for significantly less money.

What are the advantages of the flashy small car? Perhaps the lively acceleration thanks to 171 hp and 250 Newton meters of torque. The permanently excited synchronous motor boosts so powerfully that the tires are not able to transmit the torque at all from the start and spin, at least under full load. Incidentally, the traction control should intervene a little more sensitively here. On the other hand, the damping and suspension work quite well and give the front-wheel drive car a very comfortable character.

In other words, a car for traveling in principle, especially as the amount of space is also fine. Even the second row is airy thanks to its 2.65 meters. The Funky Cat also proves to be a very nimble machine on winding country roads. Even if one or two drivers might complain about the steering being a little too synthetic even in sport mode (just right for the city) - the 1.6-tonner sits quite firmly on the road and encourages dynamic interludes. The manufacturer is conservative with its figures for the standard sprint to 100 km/h, putting just 8.2 seconds on the paperwork. The fact that the fun is over at 160 km/h is acceptable in this category.

In the end, the Ora Funky Cat is simply a nice-looking accessory for urban areas. Even the roof spoiler, which is always fitted to the GT, does not detract from this. A little treat at the end: the Chinese car has a rear-view camera with well above-average sharpness. A hint to use the little one mainly in the narrow city?

Data sheet Ora Funky Cat

Conclusion: Ora Funky Cat - yes or no? At least not an unqualified no, because the small car may be appealing and is certainly a nice alternative to the establishment. The tip would be to negotiate well with the dealer, because at least with this pricing, the shortcomings in the areas of infotainment and charging performance are likely to provide food for thought. In addition, the cat is quite hungry with 16.8 kWh per 100 kilometers WLTP consumption. Especially as the clock can sometimes show 18 or 20 kWh in practice. However, the Ora handles the driving chapter well. The Ora Funky Cat could be a welcome alternative for those who are not dependent on fast charging and are dispassionate about infotainment.

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The Ora Funky Cat, produced by Great Wall Motor, shares a platform with the upcoming electric Mini from BMW Group. During the car practical test, it was noticed that the charging performance of the Ora Funky Cat is not as efficient as some competitors, such as the Opel Corsa, which starts at a lower price point.

However, the Ora Funky Cat excels in other areas, such as its lively acceleration, comfortable ride, and spacious interior. Despite its shortcomings in charging performance, the Ora Funky Cat could still be a viable option for those seeking a practical small car, especially considering its unique design and features.

Source: www.ntv.de